Straive: A Comprehensive Interview Preparation Guide to Success

Straive  formerly known as SPi Global, is a global provider of data- and AI-driven solutions for research, learning, and digital operations. Headquartered in Singapore, the company partners with scholarly publishers, EdTech firms, and enterprises to transform content, operationalize data, and build scalable learning experiences.

Rebranded in 2021, Straive continues to expand its solutions footprint across publishing, education, and data-intensive industries. Backed by Baring Private Equity Asia (now BPEA EQT), the company invests in platforms and processes that deliver measurable business outcomes, trusted content, and resilient data supply chains for customers worldwide.

This comprehensive guide provides essential insights into  Straive's operations, culture, and recruitment process, equipping readers with the knowledge needed to excel in interviews and understand the company's strategic direction.

1. Company Overview

About  Straive

Straive is a Singapore-headquartered provider of data and AI-enabled solutions spanning content, research, and education. The company supports leading publishers, EdTech organizations, and enterprises with services that include data acquisition and annotation, data engineering, content transformation and production, accessibility, and assessment and learning design.

Evolving from SPi Global and rebranding in 2021, Straive is recognized for its deep scientific, technical, and medical (STM) domain expertise and its ability to run complex, at-scale operations that blend human expertise with automation and analytics to deliver high-quality, compliant, and discoverable content and data.

Company History

Trace  Straive's evolution through key periods, highlighting major transformations and growth phases.

• 1980: Founded as SPi Global in the Philippines, beginning its journey in content, data, and publishing services.
• 2017: Acquired by Partners Group from CVC Capital Partners, marking a major investment and growth opportunity.
• 2020: Expanded into education technology by acquiring LearningMate, enhancing its Ed-Tech capabilities.
• 2021: Renamed to Straive after the acquisition by Partners Group, signaling a refreshed global brand and strategic focus.
• 2021: Baring Private Equity Asia (now EQT) agreed to acquire the company, supporting further international expansion.
• 2023: Strengthened its data and analytics offerings by acquiring Gramener, a data science company.
• 2025: Acquired SG Analytics, adding AI-powered insights and advanced analytics services to its portfolio.

Key Milestones in  Straive History

Critical achievements that shaped  Straive's trajectory and market position.

2. Mission, Vision, and Values

Core Values

Straive's corporate values as officially listed on its website.

• Innovation – Embrace technology, ideate together, take risks, and learn quickly from failures.
• Meritocracy & Motivation – Reward contribution over hierarchy, motivate performance, and celebrate success.
• Accountability – Own outcomes, empower teams, and make data-driven decisions.
• Client Focus – Act as a trusted advisor, empathize with clients, and deliver excellence.
• Respect – Promote fairness, active listening, trust, and value differences.

3. Comprehensive Product and Service Offerings

Straive’s portfolio spans three major areas: Data Solutions, Content and Research Services, and EdTech and Learning Solutions. According to official materials, the company helps customers acquire, enrich, and manage data; produce and transform scholarly and educational content; and design high-impact learning and assessment experiences for K–12, higher education, professional learning, and enterprise needs.

1.Data Solutions

Straive provides end-to-end data services that power analytics and AI initiatives, combining domain experts with human-in-the-loop processes, automation, and quality frameworks.

• Data Acquisition and Annotation: Sourcing, digitizing, labeling, and annotating structured and unstructured data to create high-quality datasets for analytics and machine learning.
• Data Engineering and Management: Designing pipelines for ingestion, normalization, validation, enrichment, and metadata management to ensure trustworthy, discoverable, and reusable data assets.
• AI/ML Training Data Operations: Building scalable human-in-the-loop workflows to prepare, review, and continuously improve training data for production AI systems.

2.Content and Research Services

Straive supports publishers and research-driven organizations with high-precision content operations across journals, books, and databases to improve quality, accessibility, and time to market.

• Journal and Book Production: End-to-end editorial, production, and typesetting workflows with standards-driven outputs for STM and scholarly publishing.
• Content Transformation and Accessibility: XML/EPUB conversions, remediation, and WCAG-compliant accessibility services to expand reach and usability of digital content.
• Metadata Enrichment and A&I Support: Taxonomy, ontology, and metadata enhancement; abstracting and indexing support to boost discoverability and research impact.

3.EdTech and Learning Solutions

Straive partners with EdTech providers, publishers, and institutions to design, develop, and scale digital learning and assessment experiences across K–12, higher education, and professional learning.

• Curriculum and Courseware Development: Instructional design, content authoring, media development, and standards alignment to create engaging, outcomes-driven learning products.
• Assessment Design and Item Banking: Blueprinting, item writing, psychometric alignment, and multi-format assessments to support valid and reliable measurement.
• Learning Experience and Platform Services: Experience design, content integration, and ongoing operations that support scalable launches and continuous improvement of learning products.

4. Key Competitors of  Straive:

Straive operates in competitive segments spanning AI data services and content/publishing solutions. Key competitors include [Appen, TELUS International AI Data Solutions, iMerit, Aptara, MPS Limited], which challenge Straive on the scale and quality of data annotation for AI models, end-to-end content production workflows, platform capabilities, and domain expertise across education and research publishing.

1. Appen

A global provider of AI training data that supports the development and evaluation of machine learning and generative AI systems.

• Overview: An Australia-based company delivering data solutions to enterprises and technology companies worldwide.
• Services: Data collection, labeling/annotation for text, image, audio, and video; model evaluation and RLHF support for LLMs.
• Market Position: Established vendor in AI data services with global delivery capabilities and enterprise-focused offerings.

2. TELUS International AI Data Solutions

The AI data solutions division of TELUS International that provides training data and evaluation services for traditional and generative AI.

• Overview: Operates as part of TELUS International, serving global clients across technology and enterprise sectors.
• Services: Data collection and annotation, LLM evaluation and reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF), AI safety and content review.
• Market Position: Competes on scale, quality frameworks, and multilingual capabilities for enterprise AI programs.

3. iMerit

An AI data solutions company specializing in high-quality data annotation for computer vision, NLP, and generative AI applications.

• Overview: Provides managed data annotation services to enterprises in technology, automotive, healthcare, retail, and other industries.
• Services: Image and video annotation, text/NLP labeling, LLM data operations and evaluations, data quality and tooling support.
• Market Position: Known for domain-specific workflows and managed service delivery for large-scale AI programs.

4. Aptara

A content and digital solutions provider offering end-to-end publishing production and eLearning services for publishers and enterprises.

• Overview: Works with global publishers, corporations, and associations on content transformation and digital publishing.
• Services: Editorial and composition, XML-first workflows, accessibility (including WCAG/EPUB), content conversion, and eLearning design and development.
• Market Position: Competes on breadth of publishing production capabilities and expertise in education and professional content.

5. MPS Limited

An India-headquartered provider of content, platform, and learning solutions serving academic, educational, and professional publishers.

• Overview: Publicly listed in India, MPS delivers publishing and enterprise learning services to global clients.
• Services: Publishing production and editorial services, digital platforms, eLearning development, and customer support/fulfillment solutions for publishers.
• Market Position: Competes with comprehensive offerings across publishing workflows and technology-enabled content solutions.

5. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):

Straive demonstrates its commitment to social impact through comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility programs. The company's initiatives span environmental sustainability, community development, education, and social welfare, reflecting its dedication to creating positive change beyond business operations.

6. Career Opportunities at  Straive

Straive offers diverse career paths across its global operations, providing opportunities for professionals at various stages of their careers. The company's commitment to talent development and inclusive growth creates an environment where individuals can build meaningful and impactful careers.

Job Profiles and Departments

Explore the wide range of professional opportunities available across  Straive's organizational structure:

• Content Solutions (Editorial, Production, Accessibility): Roles span manuscript/project editors, copy editors, content specialists, alt-text authors, accessibility experts, typesetters, and production coordinators. Responsibilities include end‑to‑end content transformation, quality control, accessibility compliance, and workflow management for research, learning, and publishing clients. Skills in editorial standards, XML/HTML, accessibility guidelines (such as WCAG), and project coordination are valued. Growth pathways include team leadership, solution architecture, and operations management.
• Data & AI Services: Opportunities include data annotators/trainers, data analysts, taxonomists/ontologists, NLP linguists, quality auditors, and domain experts. Teams work on data acquisition, enrichment, labeling, taxonomy/knowledge graph development, and quality assurance for AI/ML use cases. Desired skills include domain expertise, data quality practices, tooling proficiency, and familiarity with ML data workflows. Progression can lead to quality lead, program manager, or solutions roles.
• Technology & Engineering: Software engineers, data engineers, DevOps/cloud engineers, test engineers, and automation specialists build and maintain platforms supporting content technology, data processing, and learning solutions. Competencies include full‑stack development, APIs, cloud services, automation frameworks, and secure software practices. Career paths extend to technical leadership, architecture, and product engineering management.
• Program/Project Management & Client Success: Project managers, program managers, delivery leads, and client success managers oversee scope, schedules, resources, SLAs, and stakeholder communication across complex, multi‑geography engagements. Skills include planning, risk management, data‑driven reporting, and client relationship management. Growth progresses to account leadership, portfolio management, and transformation roles.
• Quality, Process Excellence & Compliance: Quality analysts, process excellence specialists, and compliance coordinators define standards, monitor KPIs, perform audits, and drive continuous improvement across content, data, and technology workflows. Required skills include statistical quality methods, root‑cause analysis, documentation, and training. Pathways include COE leadership and enterprise quality/transformation roles.
• Sales, Solutions & Corporate Functions: Roles include solution consultants, business development managers, marketing professionals, and corporate functions (HR, finance, procurement, legal, facilities). Responsibilities range from crafting client solutions and GTM execution to enterprise enablement. Skills include domain knowledge, consultative selling, communication, data‑driven decision‑making, and stakeholder management. Growth can lead to regional leadership and strategic enablement roles.

Growth and Development Opportunities

Straive invests significantly in employee development through structured programs and initiatives:

• Role‑based Learning & Upskilling: Structured onboarding, domain training, and continuous learning pathways aligned to content, data, and technology roles. Employees gain access to workshops and curated learning resources, with opportunities to apply skills on live client programs.
• Leadership Development: Progressive leadership tracks for emerging and experienced managers emphasize people leadership, delivery governance, stakeholder management, and business acumen, preparing talent for larger portfolio ownership.
• Global & Cross‑functional Exposure: Opportunities to collaborate across geographies and functions, enabling professionals to broaden domain expertise in research and education solutions, data/AI programs, and platform engineering.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Encouragement to participate in solutioning, PoCs, automation ideas, and workflow optimizations that improve quality, cycle time, and customer experience across service lines.
• Inclusive Culture & Well‑being: Focus on inclusion, collaborative work practices, and employee well‑being, with policies that support work‑life balance and professional growth, subject to role and business needs.

7. Future Outlook and Strategic Plans

This section presents  Straive's official strategic direction based on investor presentations, press releases, and sustainability reports. All information is sourced from verified company communications and reflects confirmed initiatives and goals.

Straive's future strategy is structured around key focus areas designed to align with global market trends and industry evolution:

1. Digital and AI‑led Solutions

Straive focuses on advancing its data, content, and edtech offerings through AI‑enabled workflows, automation, and cloud‑based delivery. The company emphasizes scalable platforms that improve content transformation, accessibility, and data quality for enterprise and research/education clients.

Strategic priorities include expanding data enrichment and annotation capabilities, strengthening taxonomy and knowledge organization solutions, and integrating analytics to enhance accuracy and turnaround times. By combining domain expertise with technology, Straive aims to deliver measurable outcomes across publishing, education, and data‑intensive use cases while maintaining strong governance and quality controls across its delivery network.

• Ongoing investment in AI/ML‑assisted data services, including enrichment, labeling, and validation to support enterprise AI programs.
• Enhancement of proprietary workflow tools for end‑to‑end content transformation and accessibility compliance across formats and channels.
• Expansion of taxonomy, ontology, and knowledge‑graph capabilities to improve search, discovery, and personalization.
• Operational KPIs focused on higher accuracy, faster cycle times, and resilient delivery enabled by automation and cloud workflows.

2. Sustainability and ESG Goals

Straive highlights responsible business practices across its operations, with an emphasis on employee well‑being, ethical governance, community engagement related to education, and environmental stewardship within its facilities and delivery processes. The company’s approach centers on maintaining safe, inclusive workplaces, supporting learning and community initiatives, and driving efficiency improvements that reduce operational impact while meeting client expectations for responsible supply chains.

3. Market Expansion

Building on its foundations in research, education, and content technology, Straive continues to serve and expand across data‑intensive industries where quality, scale, and domain expertise are critical. Focus areas include publishers and information providers, education and edtech companies, technology firms, financial services, and retail/e‑commerce, with solutions spanning content modernization, data enrichment, and AI enablement to support growth and digital transformation.

4. Innovation and R&D

Straive prioritizes innovation that blends domain knowledge with engineering to create reusable components, accelerators, and platforms for content, data, and learning workflows. Investments emphasize automation, natural language processing support, accessibility tooling, and analytics to deliver consistent quality at scale. The company encourages experimentation through pilots and proof‑of‑concepts and scales validated solutions across programs to standardize best practices and outcomes.

5. Talent and Workforce Strategy

Straive’s people strategy focuses on continuous learning, inclusion, and safe, supportive workplaces. The company emphasizes building capabilities in editorial/content operations, data/AI programs, and platform engineering while creating leadership opportunities and clear growth paths. Workforce planning is aligned to evolving client needs, with a focus on delivery excellence, collaboration, and career mobility across functions and geographies.

• Hiring aligned to growth in data services, content technology, and education solutions.
• Ongoing initiatives to foster inclusive, collaborative teams and equitable opportunities.
• Role‑based upskilling and leadership development to support internal mobility and succession.
• Flexible, collaboration‑driven work practices adapted to project and client requirements.

6. Financial Performance Goals

As a privately held company, Straive emphasizes sustainable, quality‑led growth, with disciplined reinvestment in capabilities, platforms, and delivery excellence. The strategic focus is on long‑term partnerships, operational efficiency, and value creation through domain‑led solutions that improve client outcomes across publishing, education, and data‑intensive use cases.

• Prioritization of quality, scale, and domain depth to drive durable revenue growth.
• Selective investments in platforms, automation, and analytics to enhance productivity.
• Continuous improvement programs to optimize cost‑to‑serve and throughput.

8. Latest News & Updates about  Straive

Stay informed about  Straive's recent developments, announcements, and industry recognition through curated news coverage.

9. Conclusion

Straive, formerly known for its deep heritage in content and data services, has evolved into a solutions partner at the intersection of data, content technology, and education. With domain expertise spanning research, learning, and data‑intensive enterprise use cases, the company emphasizes quality, scalable operations, and AI‑enabled workflows.

Its strategic direction centers on platformization, automation, and responsible business practices, aligning with client expectations for accuracy, turnaround, and reliability. By combining industry knowledge with engineering and delivery excellence, Straive plays a meaningful role in helping organizations modernize content, enrich data, and accelerate digital transformation.

For candidates, Straive offers pathways across content operations, data/AI programs, engineering, project management, and client success. The company’s learning‑oriented, collaborative environment enables professionals to build domain depth while advancing technical and leadership skills. Those who value problem‑solving, quality, and customer impact will find opportunities to shape solutions at scale, contribute to innovation, and develop careers that grow with evolving industry needs.

Key Takeaways for Aspiring  Straive Candidates

• Research and Preparation: Thoroughly understand  Straive's business model, recent developments, and strategic initiatives. Stay updated on industry trends and the company's competitive positioning to demonstrate genuine interest and knowledge during interviews.
• Cultural Alignment: Familiarize yourself with  Straive's values, mission, and corporate culture. Prepare examples from your experience that demonstrate alignment with these principles and showcase how you can contribute to the company's objectives.
• Technical Competency: Develop relevant skills and knowledge specific to your target role at  Straive. Understand the technical requirements and industry standards that apply to your area of interest within the organization.
• Industry Awareness: Stay informed about broader industry trends, challenges, and opportunities that affect  Straive's business. This knowledge will help you engage in meaningful discussions about the company's strategic direction and market position.