Sierra Ventures is a Bay Area-based early-stage venture firm investing globally with a focus on Next Generation Enterprise and Emerging Technologies. With over three decades of experience and over $2 billion of assets under management, Sierra has created a vast network of successful entrepreneurs, Global 1000 CXOs, operational executives, and deep domain experts, providing a platform for entrepreneurs around the world. Sierra Ventures primarily invests in Seed and Series A rounds, with a preference to lead investment rounds and reserve capital for follow on rounds. Investment sectors include artificial intelligence/machine learning, big data, cloud, fintech, health tech, IoT/infrastructure, marketplaces, SaaS & enterprise apps, security, and emerging technologies such as 5G, devices, blockchain, robotics, and virtual reality / augmented reality. Sierra Ventures typically makes initial investments between $500,000 and $7 million on average and invests between $500,000 and $15 million over the life of an investment. The firm has invested in leading companies such as Intuit, Invensense, Greenplum, MakeMyTrip, OnLink, Teradata, StrataCom, Sourcefire, Treasure Data, and more. Sierra Ventures was founded in 1982 and is based in San Mateo, California.

Sierra Ventures

AME Cloud Ventures focuses on seed to later stage companies building infrastructure and value chains around data. It specializes in technology-heavy companies gathering or creating unique data at every stage of the data stack — from infrastructure all the way to applications, mobile, and sensors.  It strives to find, fund, and support true entrepreneurs. The firm provides a unique and genuine set of resources to our founding teams, from strong operational and business experience to networks of amazing mentors and international partners, particularly in China. AME Cloud Ventures is the venture fund led by Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!

AME Cloud Ventures

January Ventures is a VC fund focused on angel/pre-seed in the US & Europe. We are replacing the friends & family round and re-writing the networks in venture. We invest early and opens doors for the visionary founders of the future. We believe the founders of the next decade will look fundamentally different: more female, more diverse and more distributed. Our firm is built on the principles of transparency and access, and we back founders based on their tenacity and ambition, not their pedigrees or who they know.  January Ventures was founded in 2018 and is based in Boston, MA and London, UK.

January Ventures

SeedFolio is a seed-stage venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies with a high potential of profitable impact in life sciences and resource efficiency.

SeedFolio

Roble Ventures invests exclusively in entrepreneurs who are building impactful, cutting-edge human enablement technologies — all while prioritizing high returns and mutually beneficial partnerships. We are an early-stage venture capital fund investing $200k-$2M. We have a proven playbook that has helped entrepreneurs generate over $8B in market value by following a mission-driven approach that enables equitable human progress.

Roble Ventures

Aureolis is founded by Paula Mariwala, who brings in more than two decades of business and investing experience across Silicon Valley and India. Her love for mentoring early-stage entrepreneurs has helped build some innovative companies of today.

Aureolis Ventures

Unshackled Ventures is the only early-stage venture capital fund that enables unrecognized and excluded immigrant founders to start companies in the U.S. Since its founding in 2014, Unshackled has proven its thesis that investing and supporting this population drives strong investment returns across key industries, including American infrastructure, generative AI, healthcare, space, and enterprise SaaS. To date, the firm has invested in 80 companies and over 200 entrepreneurs.

Unshackled Ventures

Climber Capital is a seed-stage venture capital fund.

Climber Capital

Inspirit

Inspirit is a virtual reality tool for science and STEM education. The company's virtual labs, simulations, and virtual reality are being used to transform science courses all over the world. They provide educational institutions with access to a next-generation learning platform that includes a large library of immersive labs and simulations that are available on a variety of desktop/laptop and VR platforms. Its platform includes tools for classroom management, custom assessment integrations, group or networked lab sessions, and curriculum alignment options. Inspirit was launched in 2019 and is based in Palo Alto, California.

Inspirit is an immersive technology company founded in 2019 by two Georgia Institute of Technology graduates, Amrutha Vasan (COO) and Aditya Vishwanath (CEO). The Inspirit platform uses virtual labs, simulations, and VR to boost learning and critical skill development. The company aims to provide a hands-on interactive learning experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Remote learning is driving an education technology revolution.

EdTech: K-12

Inspirit carves out healthcare data provider Wilmington Healthcare from Wilmington

Snap

To develop 25 AR Lenses and STEM curriculums that will be implemented in at least 50 schools across the US in 2024.

Technologies bringing about a new reality

Extended Reality

Companies offering engines that enable the development of AR/VR content, also includes companies offering capabilities to capture and create 3D images for immersive environments

Inspirit is an immersive technology company founded in 2019 by two Georgia Institute of Technology graduates, Amrutha Vasan (COO) and Aditya Vishwanath (CEO). The Inspirit platform uses virtual labs, simulations, and VR to boost learning and critical skill development. The company aims to provide a hands-on interactive learning experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.The company caters to K-12 and higher education, partnering with schools and institutions. The platform established a waitlist in September 2020, and 50,000 people signed up for admission to the private beta before the platform was formally released out of beta in January 2021.Funding and financialsIn January 2021, Inspirit raised USD 3 million in funding to prepare the platform for public launch later this year by working with teachers and testing the product internally. This is the company’s second funding round, after raising USD 300,000 in a pre-seed round in 2019.

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

DISRUPTOR_PRESENT

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 Funding
 <ul>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/662653"> Transfr </a> secured USD 40 million in funding in a Series C round led by ABS Capital. JPMorgan Chase Impact Finance and Advisory along with existing investors also participated. Transfr plans to use the investment to expand its executive leadership team, scale its platform, and enhance its impact. (September 30, 2023; <a href="https://aithority.com/technology/transfr-closes-40-million-in-series-c-growth-funding-to-enable-career-mobility-for-undiscovered-talent-through-its-virtual-reality-platform/"> Press release </a> )</li>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/376328"> Byju’s </a> faced rising interest rates on its USD 1.2 billion term loan B. Fidelity Advisor, part of the lending consortium, increased the rate to 15.5% from 7.01% in July 2022. Natixis, American Beacon Funds, and Oaktree also raised rates, creating financial challenges for Byju’s. (September 28, 2023; <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/jobs-career/education-fidelity-hikes-interest-rate-on-byjus-1-2-billion-term-loan-3257175/"> Financial Express </a> )</li>
 </ul>
 M&amp;A
 <ul>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/376328"> Byju’s </a> aims to streamline operations and achieve breakeven by March 2024 through organizational restructuring. The company plans to consolidate its entities, including Meritnation, TutorVista, Scholar, and HashLear, optimizing management bandwidth, and focusing on core areas like K-12, test prep, and online and hybrid education. Additionally, Byju’s is in talks with investors to hive off Epic as part of its cost-cutting measures. (October 01, 2023; <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/entrepreneurship/start-up/story/byjus-targets-march-for-break-even-epic-to-be-hived-off-report-400344-2023-10-01"> Business Today </a> )</li>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/494639"> West Technology Group </a> completed the sale of its SchoolMessenger business to PowerSchool for USD 300 million. The company intends to use the net proceeds from the sale to repay debt and for general corporate purposes. (October 03, 2023; <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/10/03/2753746/25418/en/West-Completes-Sale-of-SchoolMessenger-to-PowerSchool.html"> Press release </a> )&nbsp;</li>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/376328"> Byju's </a> plans on rebranding its subsidiary WhiteHat Jr as "Byju’s Future School" and integrating its assets into various business verticals. By rebranding WhiteHat Jr as Byju’s Future School, the company aims to streamline its offerings and integrate assets efficiently. (September 27, 2023; <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/education/whitehat-jr-to-be-rebranded-byjus-future-school-amid-cash-crunch/article67353454.ece"> The Hindu </a> )&nbsp;</li>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/39771"> Instructure </a> acquired credentialing platform Parchment in a deal valued at USD 835 million. By integrating Parchment's expertise, Instructure aims to expand its market reach, establish crucial relationships with new clients, and secure a high-quality revenue stream. (October 30, 2023; <a href="https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/k-12-dealmaking-pathwayos-acquired-discovery-completes-deal-buy-dreambox/"> Market Brief </a> )&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>
 Product update
 <ul>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/58895"> Stride Tutoring </a> expanded its services to include elementary school students. The company now serves students in grades K–12. (October 02, 2023; <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231002268643/en/Stride-Tutoring-Expands-to-K-12-Providing-One-on-One-Support-to-All-Students"> Press release </a> )&nbsp;</li>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/897104"> Harappa Education </a> introduced 'thriveBOT,' an AI chatbot designed for English, Hindi, and 'Hinglish' languages. thriveBOT is an AI chatbot developed in-house using OpenAI's API and content from Harappa's courses. It aims to enhance the learning experience on Thriversity, Harappa's online skills library. (October 03, 2023; <a href="https://www.passionateinmarketing.com/upgrad-harappa-transforms-online-learning-with-multilingual-thrivebot-finetuned-for-hindi-hinglish/"> Passionate in Marketing </a> )</li>
 </ul>
 Partnerships
 <ul>
 <li>Khanmigo, an AI offshoot of <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/66194"> Khan Academy </a> partnered with Intel for an education funding initiative in Ohio. Khanmigo offers an AI tutoring chatbot for math and science and a teaching assistant tool for educators. Intel has committed USD 300,000 for a pilot program in Ohio schools, funding Khanmigo's AI tutoring chatbot and teaching assistant tools. The program aims to enhance STEAM education in Ohio schools. (September 29, 2023; <a href="https://www.nbc4i.com/intel-in-ohio/intel-details-latest-k-12-education-initiative-in-ohio/"> NBC 4I.com </a> )</li>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/773262"> Inspirit </a> partnered with EdTech company Snap to integrate AR technology into classrooms for STEM lessons. They are collaborating to develop 25 AR Lenses and STEM curriculums. The initiative aims to enhance learning experiences, boost engagement, and improve memory and retention among students. (October 18, 2023; <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/18/snap-partners-edtech-company-inspirit-bring-ar-tech-50-us-schools/"> TechCrunch </a> )&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>
 Management news
 <ul>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/376328"> Byju’s </a> CFO Ajay Goel announced his resignation and will leave the company after completing the audit formalities for the financial year ended March 2022. Byju’s has appointed Pradip Kanakia as a senior advisor and elevated Nitin Golani, the current president of finance, as its new CFO. (October 24, 2023; <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/23/byjus-cfo-quits-in-six-months-delayed-accounts/"> TechCrunch </a> )</li>
 </ul>
 Geographical expansion
 <ul>
 <li><a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/509047"> Elevate K-12 </a> expanded its presence in Iowa by partnering with 15 newly signed school districts. The expansion supports Elevate K-12's mission to address the ongoing teacher shortage crisis by offering LIVE teaching in core academic subjects and relevant electives. (October 17, 2023; <a href="https://www.prweb.com/releases/elevate-k-12-expands-in-iowa-as-it-bring-its-high-quality-live-teaching-to-more-schools-around-the-united-states-301959017.html"> Press release </a> )&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>
 Industry news
 <ul>
 <li>A lender-appointed receiver, Kroll, took control of <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/376328"> Byju’s </a> unit, Great Learning Education, in Singapore due to failed negotiations and breached covenants on a USD 1.2 billion loan. Kroll appointed restructuring experts Cosimo Borrelli and Jason Aleksander Kardachi to safeguard the charged assets and oversee the company's affairs following the defaults by Byju

Inspirit

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