Over the past few years, we’ve seen a tremendous rise in the number of edtech companies launching new products, particularly for the K-12 crowd.
In response, incubators and accelerators have blossomed around the world. Today there are over a dozen focused exclusively on education technology. Assuming that each program “graduates” ten companies a year--a modest claim--that means over a hundred new tools are going out to the market every year.
The growth of edtech incubators can be traced to Imagine K12, considered by many as the “granddaddy” of them all. Since its start in 2011, 53 companies have gone through the program, raising over $70 million combined. While companies selected for Imagine K12 by no means have a monopoly on (or certainty of) success, each cohort represents the accelerator’s latest bet on the edtech industry.
But amidst the growing competition from startups coming out of other incubators, how well will these companies fare? How do they stack up against the hundreds coming onto the market every year?
For those not privy to the inner workings of incubators and Demo Days, it can be difficult to track these startups and assess their competition. And for entrepreneurs considering the incubator route, there’s scant information available on what steps these companies took before they were accepted.
That’s why, as we’re rolling out our in-depth reports service, we chose to review the companies in Imagine K12’s most recent cohort. In First Look: Imagine K12, you’ll find key insights, business benchmarks, founder backgrounds and (drumroll) EdSurge’s current bet on each of the thirteen companies: Cellabus, ClassCentral, Classkick, ClassroomIQ, DeansList, Edoome, EDpuzzle, Front Row, Geddit, Kaymbu, Kodable, Panorama Education and SchoolMint.
We’ll be writing more of these reports on future cohorts and additional accelerators. So tell us what you’re burning to know about the heady, heavily-caffeinated world behind an incubator’s closed doors. We’ve got your back.
