Elevate Ventures nurtures and develops emerging and existing high-potential businesses into high-performing, Indiana-based companies.  They accomplish this by providing rigorous business analysis and robust advisory serivces that connect companies with the resources they need to succeed long-term. As a not-for-profit organization, they are able to offer unbiased, in-depth perspective and recommendations.   Emerging, high-potential businesses Elevate Ventures seeks out business endeavors that identify a need in the marketplace and are well-positioned to successfully transition from research to product development to market.   High-performing, Indiana-based Companies These companies grow local economies and employment throughout Indiana, in addition to attracting and retaining top-level talent for the Hoosier state.   Rigorous business analysis Comprehensive due diligence is critical to determining the long-term financial viability of these companies.   Robust advisory services Elevate Ventures provides more than just capital, they partner with entrepreneurs, investors and other local and state organizations to ensure the best return on investment.   Resources to succeed long-term In addition to financial resources, Elevate addressees other market barriers, which may include management, business development, talent identification and retention, and specific technology development challenges. They don't just write a check and walk away - they help sustain business success and growth over time.   Unbiased, in-depth perspective and recommendations With a seasoned staff and a host of proven outside partners, they provide objectivity and insights that are among the best in their profession.

Elevate Ventures

Collina Ventures LLC is a venture capital firm specializing in angel investments. The firm focuses on technology industries. It seeks to invest in companies based in Central Indiana. Collina Ventures LLC is based in the United States.

Collina Ventures

GRE Capital

Allos Ventures invests in early-stage B2B software and business services companies in the Midwest. The firm invests in businesses and partners with entrepreneurs to help these companies accelerate growth and build value. Allos Ventures was formed in early 2010 and is based in Carmel, Indiana, United States.

Allos Ventures

EduLab Capital Partners is  seed-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on the education market, investing in business models that transcend the traditional education landscape. The Company’s Boston- and Tokyo-based team provides foundational support to entrepreneurs to help expand their customer base, make key early-stage hires, and raise additional capital for profitable and sustainable growth. EduLab’s education market savvy and artificial intelligence expertise provide unique leverage points for its investments, while the Company’s network of global partnerships and distribution channels provide its portfolio companies with the depth and reach to quickly accelerate product integration and impact.

EduLab Capital Partners

Sixty8 Capital is a seed-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in diverse communities. Sixty8 Capital is based in Indianapolis, Indiana and is powered by Allos Ventures which has 45 years of venture capital experience. It was founded in 2019 by Kelli Jones and Paul Ehlinger.

Sixty8 Capital

CareSource is a nonprofit managed care organization based in Dayton, Ohio. It is one of the largest Medicaid-managed care plans in the United States. The company is dedicated to making a lasting difference in its members' lives by improving their health and well-being.

CareSource

Ellipsis Education

Codelicious provides full-year, CUSTOMIZABLE,  computer science curriculum for K-12. Codelicious courses support grade-level-differentiated learning pathways. By bringing Codelicious computer science curriculum into the classroom, teachers provide their students with opportunities to learn skills in collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving.

<div>Founded in 2018 by Christine McDonnell and Erik Young, Codelicious is a software platform that provides fully customizable computer science curricula to K-12 students. Its patented technology allows for instructional content to be matched with the unique needs of a particular school or district in the US by providing the necessary tools for educators such as lesson plans, assessments, and standards mapping. It has achieved revenue growth rates of 250% each year since its launch and it currently serves 100 K-12 schools and districts in 23 states.</div>

Remote learning is driving an education technology revolution.

EdTech: K-12

Codelicious

Whitney Dove, Ph.D. on LinkedIn: Follow along with this series from Ellipsis Education to better understand…

<div>
 
 Founded in 2018 by Christine McDonnell and Erik Young, Codelicious is a software platform that provides fully customizable computer science curricula to K-12 students. Its patented technology allows for instructional content to be matched with the unique needs of a particular school or district in the US by providing the necessary tools for educators such as lesson plans, assessments, and standards mapping. It has achieved revenue growth rates of 250% each year since its launch and it currently serves 100 K-12 schools and districts in 23 states. 
 
 
 In April 2022, the company secured an 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9615">
 undisclosed amount of funding
 </a>
 from CareSource and Elevate Ventures and intends to channel the funds toward executing its go-to-market strategy and platform development. The round follows its 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/4759">
 USD 3.8 million seed funding
 </a>
 round in August 2021. 
 
</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.

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

Codelicious

About EDGE

Contact Us

Resources

Area of Focus

Technology Research Made Effortless