Reinventing School: 108 Ed Tech Startups Across Learning Management, Language Teaching, And More

The ed tech industry is becoming increasingly global, with the US share of ed tech deals falling to 60% in 2015, down from 80% in 2011, as the UK, India, and China took more ed tech financings.

This diversity is also seen in the range of companies working in ed tech. While MOOCs (massive open online courses) dominated early headlines, there’s a wide variety in the focus and scope of today’s startups, from the very specific — such as helping college students locate cheaper textbooks — to the broad, such as revamping the entire methodology of student-teacher communication.

Using CB Insights data, we created an infographic based on over 100 companies in the key categories shaping ed tech.

Our map illustrates the following ed tech categories:

Broad Online Learning Platforms – Perhaps ed tech’s most visible segment, these platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy host educational content covering a wide variety of subjects, generally geared toward individuals.

Learning-Management Systems – Digital platforms that help classroom teachers communicate with students, track assignments, and share content, with features like online discussion boards, text notifications, and parent check-ins. LMS represents one of the largest categories within ed tech, and includes startups like HotChalk, Remind, and Nearpod.

Early Childhood Education – Educational toys and games for small children. Speakaboos, with $24M in disclosed funding, produces interactive, digital storybooks for children.

Language Learning – Digital platforms for English learning, like China’s 51Talk and TutorGroup, and tools for learning numerous languages like Duolingo.

Next-Gen Study Tools – Digitally-enhanced study tools, such as digital audiovisual flashcards (Picmonic), AI-based writing assistance (WriteLab), and gamified learning platforms (Kahoot!).

Enterprise Learning – Startups that help large organizations create and distribute business-learning content, such as EdCast and Inkling Systems.

Online-to-Offline – Digital platforms that connect students with live tutors or in-person programming. Beijing-based Gaosi Education, with $63M in disclosed funding, provides students with after-school tutoring.

School Administration – Tools for school administrators to support teachers, manage records, and implement school policy. Parchment, with $69M in disclosed funding, offers schools a software-as-a-service platform to manage electronic transcripts.

Next-Gen Schools – Startups aiming to reinvent the school experience. AltSchool, with $136M in disclosed funding, is building a network of K-8 schools. The Minerva Project and UniversityNow focus on new models for universities.

Curriculum Production – Digital platforms that produce and distribute educational content to schools, like Apex Learning.

Search – Helping students and parents research schools and their curricula. GreatSchools, with $27.5M in disclosed funding, offers information and parent ratings on public and private schools.

Tech Learning – Online tools that teach programming and other IT skills, including Pluralsight and Codecademy.

Test Prep – Digital-learning platforms focused on standardized testing, like Byju’s and Toppr in India, BenchPrep in the US, and Xiaozhan Jiaoyu in China.

The market map includes private, active ed tech companies that have raised money since 2011. Click the image to enlarge.

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