Accelerators and Investors
New Schools Venture Fund: As a nonprofit venture philanthropy firm, they raise philanthropic capital from both individual and institutional investors, and then use those funds to support education entrepreneurs who are transforming public education. Launched their Seed Fund (Jan 2012 ) helping early stage edu startups raise seed funding and introduce them to potential follow-on investors.
Rethink Education: Investing in Technology for Learning, based in NYC and launched a $50M fund (May 2012) to expand their portfolio.
Learn Capital: venture capital firm focused exclusively on funding entrepreneurs with a vision for better and smarter learning. (Pearson is their largest limited partner.)
Imagine K-12: Referred to as “The Y Combinator for Education (by TechCrunch),” this for-profit enterprise is looking to invest time, experience, energy and resources in entrepreneurs who have a passion for education and the technical know-how to create their vision.
Educelerate: Soon-to-be launched (summer 2012?) accelerator program for edupreneurs in Chicago/MidWest, part of EducatedVentures.
SIIA Innovation Incubator: Applications are due Sept 26th for the Edtech Business Forum conference in New York, Nov 26th & 27th. Now in its 11th cycle, the SIIA Innovation Incubator program offers access to funding, distribution, and other commercialization opportunities for developers of innovative ed tech products and services. (The program is especially interested in products/services that support initiatives in elementary, secondary, and/or postsecondary institutions.) (Courtesy of EdSurge)
TechStars: Participants get up to $18,000 in seed funding for your company and the opportunity to pitch to hundreds of angel investors and venture capitalists at the end of the program. TechStars companies build amazing relationships with the mentors and top executives of major Internet companies. The program is offered in Boston, NYC, Boulder, Seattle and you can find out more about applications here.
KauffmanLabs Program: Twenty-three entrepreneurs spent four months immersed in an intensive, hands-on program designed to catalyze the creation of high-growth companies to generate thousands of jobs with dramatic economic benefits in the education sector.
Starl: new social enterprise dedicated to supporting the innovation of effective, affordable, and accessible learning products. Their accelerator is a three-month immersion into Product design, market strategy and business development for early stage learning enterprises. 2nd round of ‘Boost’ sessions took place in Spring 2011. As of March 2012, Startl is rethinking it’s role as an incubator program and exploring other ways to foster the edtech ecosystem.
StartUp Weekend: weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if startup ideas are viable. Ongoing weekend events all over the world.
Hub Ventures: 12-week evening program providing funding and resources to a community of 16 entrepreneurs building for-profit solutions for a better world. Bay Area- SF and Berkeley.
EdTech Lab: The Teach For America-NewSchools EdTech Entrepreneurs Lab (through Stanford’s d.school) is an innovative new program designed to prepare the next generation of aspiring entrepreneurs to build high impact, technology-driven solutions for public education. Inaugural cohort was Fall 2010- Spring 2011 and currently there are no plans for another cohort but their Facebook Group fosters some active conversations about developments in this space. Stemming from this program Teach for America launched their Social Innovation Award for TFA core members who are exploring entrepreneurial endeavors.
