Five named for LearnLaunch's second edtech accelerator
CareAcademy, CourseStorm, Kaymbu, WriteSteps and Quality Interactions are among the first cohort of LearnLaunch Accelerator II, its second fund for edtech start-ups. The programme provides each firm with $120,000 seed cap. a two-month, personalised schedule aimed at stimulating company growth and assistance in capital raising. Tetyana Astashkina, Eric Cantor, CEO of New Mountain Learning and entrepreneur Steve Shapiro have also joined the Accelerator Investment Committee.

Industry News

LearnLaunch Unveils Cohort of Ed Tech Startups for Breakthrough Program

LearnLaunch Accelerator has unveiled the first cohort of its second fund for ed tech startup companies, LearnLaunch Accelerator II, as well as the addition of three new venture partners to the investment team.

Five startups will participate in LearnLaunch’s Breakthrough Program starting Jan. 9. They will receive up to $120,000 in seed funding and “an intensive two-month personalized curriculum designed to stimulate company growth and assist in raising capital,” according to a prepared statement.

The cohort includes the following companies:

CareAcademy, a startup that provides evidence-based online classes for in-home caregivers;

CourseStorm, a single platform that provides simple course registration for college students;

Kaymbu, an early education platform for classroom documentation and family engagement;

Quality Interactions, a service that provides cultural competency training for healthcare organizations; and

WriteSteps, a K–5 writing and grammar program that provides lessons, visual aids and videos.

In addition, three new venture partners have joined the Accelerator Investment Committee to work with the companies. First, Tetyana Astashkina, who previously worked at Europe’s largest network of angel investors b-to-v Partners, has joined the committee. Her investments have “covered a broad spectrum of areas from consumer internet to clean technologies,” according to a statement.

Next, Eric Cantor, the current CEO of blended learning solutions company New Mountain Learning, will join the committee. Cantor has more than 35 years of experience as a CEO and board member, with a background in education, training, consulting, information services and other fields.

Lastly, Steve Shapiro will bring 25 years of entrepreneurial experience to the committee. Shapiro is the currently the CEO of Academic Merit, a cloud-based platform for competency-based professional learning. He has helped launch four startups, including companies focused on K-12 intervention in urban school districts, tutoring and assessment.

For more information, visit the LearnLaunch Accelerator site.