Exclusive: US edtech raises record-setting $2.2 billion in 2020

Plus: Schools are using more apps and software than ever. Teachers are paying more out of pocket for these tools.

No. 518 | 01/13/21 | Subscribe to this newsletter This issue is sponsored by Many education entrepreneurs have long mused about how new technologies would usher in a "disruption" of the education system. But nothing proved to be as literally disruptive as a pandemic that closed schools, upended livelihoods and forced millions of students and educators to rely on new digital tools, many for the first time. A most disruptive year also attracted plenty of private capital for the education industry. In 2020, U.S. education technology startups raised over $2.2 billion in venture and private equity capital. That's a nearly 30 percent increase from the 2019's total—and a record for the U.S. edtech industry.  "Edtech investing exploded in 2020. Unfortunately, it was on the back of the education system breaking down," said one investor at a prominent education technology investment firm. Here's our annual breakdown of where that capital went, and what investors are eyeing in 2021. 📰 THE HEADLINES   CAPITOL RIOT AFTERMATH: It was not the start to 2021 that many people were hoping for. Prominent education figures expressed outrage with President Trump's encouragement of an angry mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol building last week. They included Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who called the riot "the inflection point for me" in her resignation letter. Here are other responses along with resources for teachers seeking to help students put things in context. SHOW ME THE DATA: Schools are using more apps and software than ever. Teachers are paying more out of pocket for these tools. And parents and educators want to know what long-term impact of COVID-19 will have on student achievement. EdSurge columnist Frank Catalano dives into these trends in his latest recap of edtech industry reports. KNOW THYSELF: The abundance of student data now available offers instructors the potential to improve their teaching in real time, rather than waiting for final exam results or end-of-semester evaluations. For those who aren't trained data scientists, though, making sense of all the figures can be daunting. A little help from an AI tool can help, writes a Duke professor who uses machine learning to see where students are struggling. Sponsored by StraighterLine START TO FINISH: "We think college should be affordable and low risk. Everybody should get to go. That's the DNA of StraighterLine," says Chief Learning Officer Dr. Amy Smith. Learn how her team is leveraging strategic partnerships with universities to boost degree completion rates, especially for non-traditional students. 💰 KA'CHING! Pluralsight, a publicly traded (for now) provider of technology training courses based in Salt lake City, has acquired Next Tech, a San Diego-based provider of cloud computing environments for teaching programming. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Prodigy Education, a Toronto-based math game developer, has raised CAD $159 million (approx. USD $125 million) in a Series B round led by TPG Growth, with existing investor Canadian Business Growth Fund also participating.  SchoolMint, a Lafayette, Ga.-based provider of K-12 enrollment and behavior tracking tools, has acquired Whetstone Education, a classroom observation and coaching platform for educators. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. TeachTown, a Woburn, Mass.-based developer of curriculum software for students with special needs, has raised an undisclosed investment from Bain Capital Double Impact. Top Hat, a Toronto-based provider of digital courseware for higher ed, has acquired Fountainhead Press, a Southlake, Texas-based publisher of over 500 college-level textbooks. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The following is a message from our sponsor Let NIPA help you reach Korean market NIPA is devoted to supporting a competitive edtech industry and contributing to the growth of Korean companies. At ISTE20 Live, 13 distinguished edtech companies participated in the NIPA Korea pavilion. Learn more about working with NIPA to reach the Korean market. 🎧 ON THE PODCAST   TELLING MOMENTS: Listen to Dave Eggers' concerns about what he sees as overuse of tech in education. Hear how one professor created an unusual final exam simulation that involved trained chickens. Learn what it was like to be a first-year teacher during a pandemic. On this week's EdSurge Podcast, we're revisiting some of the most memorable moments from our podcast in 2020. 🗨️ JOIN THE CONVERSATION   A SMART-er future: In 2021, educators and technology providers will continue to innovate and to accelerate changes in our classrooms. Join us for Global EDU Summit's plenary session, during which EdSurge managing editor Tony Wan will moderate a discussion about how the pandemic has accelerated the integration of technology into pedagogy, and how learning will continue to be transformed in 2021 and beyond. Events horizon: Vaccine rollouts are on the horizon, but not soon enough. Many education events scheduled through June 2021 have some virtual component, if not going fully remote. Others, like the LearnLaunch conference originally scheduled to take place in Boston this month, have been cancelled. See the latest updates in our tracker of U.S. education industry events. 🏃 MOVERS & SHAKERS   Greg Brown is now president of Udemy, a San Francisco-based marketplace for online courses.   Owen Burritt has been appointed vice president of university partnerships at Noodle, a New York-based company that helps colleges build digital programs. Jeremy Friedman, the co-founder and former CEO of Schoology, which was acquired by PowerSchool in 2019, has left PowerSchool to "build something brand new," per his LinkedIn update. 👀 ALSO ON OUR RADAR   A look at the many ways that colleges and universities outsource services to third-party education companies—from recruiting to running online programs. (Hechinger Report) "Inside SuperCharger Ventures' debut virtual edtech accelerator." (TechCrunch) A survey of the major challenges encountered by K-12 schools as they adapted to remote learning—and recommendations for improvement. (Christensen Institute) Codecademy, one of the earliest online coding education platforms, has launched its first enterprise offering for businesses, which has already seen more than a three-fold increase in sales. Looking for a job in edtech? You've come to the right place. EdSurge has the leading edtech jobs board in the industry with openings from schools, nonprofits and companies. Post a job | See all jobs District Partnerships | Goalbook | OH/IN, Atlanta/Charlotte/Jacksonville Goalbook is hiring for District Partnerships across the country to fuel our growth. You'll lead efforts to bring Goalbook into school districts and work closely with instructional leaders.   Executive Director | Harlem Grown | New York or Remote Harlem Grown is seeking an experienced, nonprofit leader & dynamic Executive Director to lead the organization into its next chapter. Primarily responsible for operations, finance & the management of department leads across the organization.   Director, Academic Data Management and Analytics | Stride INC. | Remote The Academic Data Management and Analytics Director leads the Analytics team focused on developing, implementing and supporting data analysis across the organization to improve student performance, student experience, and operational efficiency.   Sales Representative | Tynker | Multiple or Remote Tynker is looking for a results-driven Education Partnerships Associate. In this sales role, you will be responsible for acquiring new regional leads, proactively engaging K-12 decision-makers, and advancing district-level adoption of Tynker.   Product Manager | The Art of Education University | Remote AOEU is seeking a mission-driven, detail-oriented and design-minded Product Manager to help reimagine the AOEU digital experience. The Product Manager will lead all aspects of product development; from concept through to release.   Assistant Director of Technology | EdGems Math LLC | Remote EdGems Math is seeking an Assistant Director of Technology Solutions to maintain our close technical support relationships with our school districts. Your technical expertise and consultative skills will lead to successful integration solutions.   Events Post an event   •   See all events and meetups   Teaching Purposeful Minds | Apr 17-18 • Online • More than $250  This virtual conference will explore the importance of purpose, connections (including love and belonging), and curiosity and exploration, and how they can help support learning, coping, and personal growth. THANKS FOR READING   ➔ Got any feedback? We love hearing from readers. Shoot us a note, critiques, a joke—whatever you've got! ➔ Interested in reaching our readers? Sponsor this newsletter. ➔ Event planners: Feature your in-person or virtual event on our calendar & newsletters. EdSurge covers and connects the people, ideas and technologies that shape the future of learning. We are an independent news and research initiative of the International Society for Technology in Education. International Society for Technology in Education, 621 SW Morrison Street, Suite 800, Portland, Oregon 97205, USA, 800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 503.342.2848 (Int'l) Unsubscribe Manage preferences