GSV Ventures is a global venture capital fund focused on the rapidly growing digital education market from Pre-K to Gray. We back early and late stage entrepreneurs transforming the $7 trillion digital education and future of work sectors. Investments include Coursera, ClassDojo, Degreed, and Guild Education. GSV is also the convener of the world renowned ASU+GSV Summit. The 11th annual summit gathered 35,000 founders, investors, educators, and policy makers from 135 countries.

GSV Ventures

NewSchools Venture Fund is a not-for-profit organization working to close the achievement gap by funding and supporting entrepreneurs who are creating innovative solutions to the problems in public education so that all children have the opportunity to succeed in college and beyond.  Since our founding in 1998, NewSchools has invested $180 million in more than 70 nonprofit and for-profit educational organizations working to promote student achievement.  Recognizing that neither private charity nor capital markets alone are enough to solve the problem of education inequality, we blend the best of both approaches to ensure an excellent education is available to every child. We actively share what we’ve learned through our investments, bring together educational leaders from across the country, and advocate for smart policies at the federal level.

NewSchools Venture Fund

We are in the middle of a profound cultural sea change. Long gone are the days where hype and marketing jive alone will triumph. It is now meaning and purpose that serve as the backbone of a company’s staying power and provide the strength to remain sustainable and scalable.   Fewer than  one-third of Americans trust traditional sources of wisdom: government, media, religion and big business. This trust has eroded, particularly for millennials and Gen Zs, who now represent more than half of the U.S. population. Yet, many companies that have tried hastily to capitalize on that broken trust have only broken it further with false and inflated promises.   Now more than ever, people are seeing through the hype and massive fundraising rounds and are seeking purpose and meaning when it comes to making decisions to invest in or build a business.   In response, a new generation of companies dedicated to these principles is emerging, and gaining traction. These are the billion-dollar opportunities that will fundamentally transform the way we work, live and care for ourselves and others.   TMV has assembled a team of battle-tested operators, with proven records of spotting and amplifying inventive young companies that are bringing about this change. Our Terrain Purpose-driven founders reimagining… The Way We Work: We invest in companies that help both workers and entrepreneurs cultivate talent Logistics and Mobility: We invest in companies creating transparency and efficiency around global trade and movement Sustainable Solutions: We invest in the circular economy The Care Economy: We invest in companies broadening access to care Education Tech: We invest in companies advancing education systems   Our Commitment We make investments that reflect the way the world actually looks.  As a female-led fund with a portfolio that’s 65% women- and minority-owned, TMV represents an opportunity for a more inclusive society and culture. We are committed to investing in diverse companies because it’s simply good business. We pledge to put more capitalistic power into the hands of women and people who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).    If you like our approach and want to talk to us about how to leverage capital for a better tomorrow, we want to listen.

A-Street Ventures intends to invest in a mix of early, growth, and late-stage ventures. It primarily focuses on digital-first instructional materials in the curriculum and new paradigms for student assessment. The firm is seeding and scaling innovative K-12 student learning and achievement solutions for students, families, and schools.

A-Street Ventures

Tutored by Teachers

Tutored by Teachers match students with certified teachers to deliver convenient, customized and high-quality online education.  We drive improved outcomes for students, better income for teachers and additional access for disadvantaged communities.  We will help close the achievement gap through a national tutoring program, powered by our community of teachers.

<div>Founded by Shaan Akbar and Rahul Kalita, public benefit company Tutored by Teachers (TbT) is the developer of a national online tutoring platform. The TbT platform matches teachers with small groups of students in underserved and low-income communities (particularly black, indigenous, and other people of color [BIPOC]) to provide virtual educational support. The company aims to reduce pandemic-related learning losses as public schools re-open for in-person learning. The company offers secondary employment to certified teachers at USD 36 per hour and offers two hours of tutoring outside school hours for up to five days a week. As of May 2021, nearly 4,000 student hours have been logged. It also launched its tutoring platform in five states—New York, New Jersey, Mississippi, Alabama, and California—with plans to add two more states over the summer.</div>

Remote learning is driving an education technology revolution.

EdTech: K-12

Tutored by Teachers on LinkedIn: #tutoring #bostonpublicschools #highdosagetutoring

<div>
 
 Founded by Shaan Akbar and Rahul Kalita, public benefit company Tutored by Teachers (TbT) is the developer of a national online tutoring platform. The TbT platform matches teachers with small groups of students in underserved and low-income communities (particularly black, indigenous, and other people of color [BIPOC]) to provide virtual educational support. The company aims to reduce pandemic-related learning losses as public schools re-open for in-person learning. The company offers secondary employment to certified teachers at USD 36 per hour and offers two hours of tutoring outside school hours for up to five days a week. As of May 2021, nearly 4,000 student hours have been logged. It also launched its tutoring platform in five states—New York, New Jersey, Mississippi, Alabama, and California—with plans to add two more states over the summer.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In 
 February 2022, the company raised USD 10 million in a Series A funding round led by GSV Ventures. It planned to use the funds to expand  its teacher community and increase capacity.
 
</div>

Founded in 2016, BookNook is an online literacy platform designed for learners in grades 1-5. Partnering with school districts and non-profit organizations, the company focuses on human-to-human learning and works with children one-on-one or in small groups, enabling it to gather rich, observational data. As of June 2021, the company partnered with hundreds of schools, school districts, and non-profits across 35 states.BookNook differs from other digital literacy tools by not requiring students to take formative assessments to check for their understanding. Rather, the platform lets teachers record qualitative data on oral fluency, such as whether a student pauses at punctuation marks as they read aloud, or reads in set phrases. Students can also record self-reflections on the platform.In June 2021, the company partnered with MIND Research Institute, a neuroscience and education social impact organization and creator of the PreK-8 visual instructional program ST Math, to deliver a High Dosage Tutoring program (HDT) for math to K-8 students to address unfinished learning. BookNook tutors will deliver tutoring sessions using the ST Math program over BookNook’s synchronous learning platform. The company launched a new teacher application portal at booknooktutor.com in October 2021, giving experienced teachers the opportunity to apply to become BookNook virtual tutors on its platform. BookNook intends to engage 10,000 virtual teachers to support 80,000 students by the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

BookNook

Story2 uses its proprietary Moments Method writing system, its StoryBuilder software, and live online group coaching to help high school students and professionals improve their writing, speaking, storytelling, and collaboration skills.The company aims to help different segments with their specific needs: students with college admission and scholarship essays, professionals preparing for interviews and creating cover letters, and business teams to improve sales, recruiting and company messaging through effective storytelling.Since 2013, Story2 has worked with more than 200,000 individuals in 21 countries with college admission essays, interview preparation, and pitching ideas. The company is expanding into China and India in 2020 and plans to focus on helping science and technology students improve their communication and leadership skills.

Story2

<div>
 
 Vooks offers a subscription-based, ad-free curated library of children's books converted to video with narration and some slow-paced animation, allowing children to read along while watching. Aimed at young children aged 6 months to 8 years, Vooks promotes reading aloud to develop fluency and comprehension. The company was founded by siblings Marshall Bex and Shannon Bex, and Russell Hirtzel, and is reportedly the first-ever streaming service for books with illustrations, read-along text and animations.
 
 
 In February 2020, Vooks raised USD 12 million in Series A funding; however, the investors and purpose of the funding were not disclosed. In November 2020, the company raised USD 21.9 million in equity investments from more than 30 investors.
 
 
 In November 2020, Vooks partnered with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (UWMD), a community-based, nonprofit social change organization, and Atmos Energy, a natural gas distributor, to provide around 78,000 one-year Vooks subscriptions for children aged 3 to 6 and early education teachers in the Greater Dallas area. The program is funded by a USD 1 million contribution from Atmos Energy, and contributes to UWMD’s Aspire United 2030 education goal of increasing the number of North Texas students reading at grade level by third grade by 50%. Similarly, in March 2021, the company partnered with Reach Out and Read Of Greater New York (ROR GNY), a nonprofit organization of healthcare providers who promote early literacy. The partnership aims to provide more than 75,000 preschool children with one-year Vooks subscriptions starting in March 2021.
 
 
 In July 2021, it was reported that Vooks is offering its service to authors and producers as a way of quickly testing ideas with audiences through simple animated shorts. Thereby, Vooks expands its library of original content while authors and producers get real-time performance data.
 
</div>

Vooks

Xeropan offers an AI-powered, game-based approach to learning English through 14 of the most widely-spoken languages. As of October 2020, the app had more than one million players.

Xeropan

<div>
 
 GoGuardian is a provider of student security software solutions to help educators identify learning patterns, protect students from harmful and distracting content, and support students at risk of self-harm and suicide. As of August 2021, the company had partnered with more than 10,000 schools in the US, covering more than 22 million students.  
 
 
 In November 2020, GoGuardian announced a 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/1863">
 merger with Pear Deck
 </a>
 to deepen the support provided to students and teachers and improve their in-class experience. Founded in 2014, Pear Deck is a student engagement platform that allows teachers to create, edit, and launch multimedia content and formative assessments on students' devices to increase student engagement. At the time of the merger, Pear Deck was used by 8 million educators and students in more than 17,000 schools worldwide. Pear Deck co-founder and Chief Educator, Michal Eynon-Lynch, will join the GoGuardian Board of Directors. In May 2022, the company acquired 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/10683">
 TutorMe,
 </a>
 Zovio’s tutoring services business, for USD 55 million in cash to strengthen its product offering. 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In August 2021, GoGuardian secured a USD 200 million investment from Tiger Global Management. The funds will be allocated for product innovation, talent acquisition, and business development. 
 
 
 
</div>

GoGuardian

Businesses providing education delivery solutions such as learning management systems (LMS), and tech solutions for data analytics, administration, and other services to educational institutions.

Businesses delivering curriculum-based learning, particularly relating to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to educational institutions and individual students.

Mostly for-profit corporations running state-funded, tuition-free schools as an alternative to traditional public schools.

Businesses providing extra-curricular education relating to the arts, hobbies, and life skills, and entities providing college and career guidance.

Businesses delivering English language arts (ELA) education, and language learning and literacy support to educational institutions and individual students.

Platforms providing students with after-school tutoring support on an individual or group basis.

Businesses delivering early childhood education, special education, and social-emotional learning (SEL) programs to educational institutions and individual students.

Entities providing professional development resources and tools for teachers, and those providing testing and assessment solutions to educational institutions and educators.

Platforms providing student-parent-teacher-school communication and networking solutions, and those providing search, reference, and marketplace solutions.

Companies that use GenAI as a core part of their product offering for EdTech: K12 solutions

Uses GenAI to provide interactive AI tutors, create personallized learning pathways,  and gamified learning solutions

Uses AI/ML to create personalized learning plans, adaptive learning platforms, and intelligent tutoring systems

Adaptive learning platforms, personalized learning plans, and AI-powered analytics provide insight into student performance

Learning platforms that promote an inclusive and equitable educational culture for underserved communities

Tutored by Teachers

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