Brightspark Ventures invests in early stage Canadian software companies. Brightspark has been investing in the Canadian VC industry since 1999. Over the last 20 years, the company has refined its focus to the point where it choose what it believes to be the best early-stage opportunities in the market. The company's goal is to find exceptional startups, and work closely with these companies as they grow to achieve stellar returns. We have structured our investments to allow individual accredited investors to invest with us. We have found that individual investors share the same goals as us when investing: they too want to invest in startups with CEOs that are focused on creating massive returns. This model also benefits our portfolio companies, who appreciate having a network of investors they don’t necessarily have to ''manage''. By leading the investment and actively working as the gatekeeper for the company, Brightspark ensures that the company can grow to its full potential without being distracted or becoming unfocused. This model attracts some of the best companies in Canada.

Brightspark Ventures

Investissement Québec offers a range of financing solutions to SMEs and large companies. Investissement Québec partners in consulting and financing to support their client's expansion project in Québec. They offer the combined advantages of financial institutions and economic development agencies.

Investissement Quebec

Whitecap Venture Partners is a Canadian-based Venture Capital fund investing in early stage technology companies. Whitecap is headquartered in Toronto and invests across Canada and the Northeastern US.  Since Whitecap’s inception the early 1990s, Whitecap recognises the power of real collaboration between entrepreneurs and investors. This rapport enables them to provide significant value to companies along with strong returns across investment cycles. Whitecap specialises in Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) and Medical Technologies. Whitecap is continually searching for upcoming ventures to support as the next generation of exceptional enterprises.

Whitecap Venture Partners

Amplify Capital is the evolution of the MaRS Catalyst Fund, investing in mission-driven, double-bottom-line disruptors in health, education and clean tech. Every dollar invested in these companies generates a financial return and a social return. That’s how they amplify capital. And they further amplify their impact by encouraging partners, investors and co-investors to invest in companies where purpose drives profit. As investors, what they invest in today shapes the world of tomorrow.

Amplify Capital

Classcraft

Classcraft is an online educational RPG game. It helps teachers manage their classes and make lessons more engaging. The game is available for Android, iOS, OS X, Chrome, and Windows platforms. It was founded by Lauren Young, Devin Young, Shawn Young, and Devin Young.

<div><p>Founded in 2013 by brothers Shawn and Devin Young and their father Lauren Young, Classcraft provides a free, online, role-playing game for teachers and students in the classroom. The game can be used with any existing curriculum and contains features found in most games that allow students to level up, work in teams, and earn powers with real-world consequences. As of June 2021, Classcraft was used by more than 8 million students and educators across more than 160 countries and is available in 11 languages.</p></div>

Remote learning is driving an education technology revolution.

EdTech: K-12

<div>
  <p>
    Founded in 2013 by brothers Shawn and Devin Young and their father Lauren Young, Classcraft provides a free, online, role-playing game for teachers and students in the classroom. The game can be used with any existing curriculum and contains features found in most games that allow students to level up, work in teams, and earn powers with real-world consequences. As of June 2021, Classcraft was used by more than 8 million students and educators across more than 160 countries and is available in 11 languages.
  </p>
  <p>
    In May 2023, the company was 
    <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19027">
      acquired by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)
    </a>
     to bring Classcraft's innovative functionality and engineering team into HMH, with the aim of enhancing the customer experience and supporting student engagement.&nbsp;
  </p>
  <p>
    <b>Key customers and partnerships </b>
  </p>
  <p>
    In June 2021, the company partnered with Instructure to integrate its platform with the Canvas learning management system to boost academic engagement and performance.
  </p>
  <p>
    <b>Fundings and financials</b>
  </p>
  <p>
    In March 2021, Classcraft raised CAD 4.5 million (USD 3.6 million) in funding for product development, expanding sales and marketing efforts, and increasing headcount. The company&rsquo;s previous funding was from a USD 7.5 million Series A round in September 2019 to advance research and development and sales efforts.
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
</div>


BookNook

<div>
  <p>
    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. 
  </p>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


Story2

<div>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
</div>


Vooks

<div>
  <p>
    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.
  </p>
</div>


Xeropan

<div>
  <p>
    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.  
  </p>
  <p>
    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">
      <u>TutorMe,</u>
    </a>
     Zovio’s tutoring services business, for USD 55 million in cash to strengthen its product offering. 
  </p>
  <p>
    <b>Funding and financials</b>
  </p>
  <p>
    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. 
  </p>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


GoGuardian

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

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

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

Classcraft

EdTech: K-12

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