Entrepreneurship
SIIA: EdTech Market is $7.8 Billion & Growing
The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) released it’s annual EdTech report this week. Based on a survey and related research, they estimate the U.S. institutional market for education software and digital content/resources at $7.76 billion.
Udemy Raises $12 Million in Series B Funding
Udemy, the leading online education marketplace, today announced the completion of a $12 million Series B financing round led by Insight Venture Partners, with additional support from existing investors Lightbank, MHS Capital and Learn Capital, bringing Udemy’s total funding to $16 million.
SMARTtech Roundup: Edmodo, Rapping Teachers & Math Apps
Blended Schools & Tools Be heard. The USDOE’s Karen Cator wants to know what ED can do to support teaching and learning over the next four years. We think this is a great chance to tell Karen about all the great blended learning happening across the country. Add your comments.
Portland Entrepreneur Innovates LEP High to Inspire Students’ Futures
100in100pdx is a Challenge to consult and coach with 100 Portland-based businesses in 100 days, while donating 50 percent of the fees to non-profits that plant and nurture the seeds of entrepreneurship. LEP High, the Leadership and Entrepreneurship charter high school in Portland, will be one of these non-profits and I had the pleasure of interviewing entrepreneur and co-founder, Adam Reid.
DIY: Raising Money
Raising money is a function of delivering the right pitch to the right person. That's true for impact seeking investments from foundations and return seeing investments from private equity investors.
Strategic Philanthropy Is Making Foundations Less Responsive
Strategic philanthropy made the sector less responsive, less entrepreneurial, and more risk averse. A vibrant economy that promotes opportunity and equity requires a vibrant startup sector--both return seeking and impact seeking. It’s time for strategic philanthropy 2.0--a basket of more dynamic, risk-taking, entrepreneurial approaches to making a difference.
NewSchools Summit: Where Equity Meets Entrepreneurship
This crowd starts with an unquestionable commitment to educational equality. They embrace entrepreneurship. Most would still prefer to support or work for a nonprofit just because they want absolute mission clarity.
Good Work in the Private Sector
US education needs more private capital and the horsepower of private enterprise to make the transition to personal digital learning. More broadly, we have an historic opportunity in this decade to extend quality secondary and tertiary education to every young person on the planet—certainly one of the most important milestones in human history—but that will take all three sectors working in collaboratively.
What I’m Seeing: Coding Schools
This is the fourth post in a series of ten on categories where I’m seeing strong edtech startup activity. We’ve looked at productive post-sec, informal learning, and credentialing. A specific subset and application of the trends discussed so far is the rush to coding. The rash of coding startups suggests that everyone wants to learn to write computer code.
What I’m Seeing: Productive Post-Secondary
Wow, the edtech space seems to have exploded.  The number and quality of startups is remarkable as is the inflow of talent and investment.   Over the next weeks I’ll discuss some of the emerging capabilities I’m seeing in these ten categories: Productive post-secondary: taking outcomes and value seriously…