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Kaplan EdTech Accelerator Showcases Its 2014 Class of 11 Startups at Demo Day
[October 22, 2014]

Kaplan EdTech Accelerator Showcases Its 2014 Class of 11 Startups at Demo Day


NEW YORK --(Business Wire)--

Today, the 2014 Kaplan EdTech Accelerator, powered by Techstars, culminated with Demo Day, when 11 startups "graduated" and presented their innovative educational solutions to an invitation-only audience of angel and venture investors and education-sector leaders in New York City.

Tom Leppert, CEO of Kaplan, Inc., kicked off the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator Demo Day on Wednesday, Oc ...

Tom Leppert, CEO of Kaplan, Inc., kicked off the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator Demo Day on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 in New York City. The Accelerator is an intensive, three-month business development program for education startup companies sponsored by Kaplan, Inc. and Techstars. (Photo: Business Wire)

Launched in 2013 by Kaplan, Inc., the global education company and largest subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), and Techstars, the global startup accelerator, the program is the first and largest corporate-sponsored accelerator focused exclusively in the edtech sector.

The Kaplan EdTech Accelerator startups just finished an intensive three-month business development program that provided mentorship by more than 70 Kaplan executives and as well as about 100 other experts from the tech and business communities, and up to $170,000 in investment capital to develop their companies. The startups also gained special access to Kaplan's proprietary work in cognitive science and technology and exposure to its breadth of educational assets.

"We've been inspired by the talent, ideas, and shared passion to change people's lives through education that these 11 Kaplan EdTech Accelerator startups demonstrate," said Edward Hanapole, Kaplan's Chief Information Officer. "Over the past three months, the startups have really matured and translated their amazing ideas into viable business models, guidd by our Kaplan mentors. It's been a great learning experience about company culture, modern technology, and how to accelerate development and product delivery."



After introductions by Kaplan, Inc. CEO Tom Leppert and the Accelerator's Managing Director Don Burton, these 11 companies presented:

  • Branching Minds (New York, NY): Web application to identify students' learning challenges, match them with research-backed learning supports, and then track and report on students' progress. branchingminds.com
  • ClassWallet (Miami, FL): Platform where administration, parents and vendors connect with teachers for peer-to-peer funding and purchasing for anything from supplies to technology to field trips. classwallet.com
  • Cognotion (New York, NY): Delivers immersive mobile training solutions for the entry-level millennial workforce on a user-configurable, industry-specific, and cloud-based platform. cognotion.com
  • CreatorBox (New York, NY): Delivers fun projects families build together that inspire kids to learn about topics in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). creatorbox.com
  • Edvisor.io (New York, NY and Toronto, CAN): Global distribution system that aggregates school data and distributes to global educational travel agencies to better serve students seeking international education experiences. edvisor.io
  • Lea(R)n (Raleigh, NC): Online platform that collects and quantifies data to improve how schools and districts try, buy and use education technology, saving them money and time, and avoiding costly mistakes. learntrials.com
  • reKode (Redmond, WA and Reykjavik, Iceland): Developed a proprietary curriculum and specially designed tech centers to spark interest with kids in the wonders of coding and technology. rekode.com
  • RobotsLAB (San Francisco, CA (News - Alert)): Created award-winning, standards-aligned programs that use robots to engage students in hard-to-teach math and science subjects. robotslab.com
  • SmartOn (New York, NY and Bangalore, India): Online bootcamp for digital skills teaching specific technology tools in areas such as e-commerce and digital & social media marketing through project-based courses leading to certificates. smarton.co
  • Story 2 (New York, NY): Puts students in charge of the admissions process by teaching their proprietary Moments Method® curriculum, leveraging a scalable online writing platform, and connecting students with a network of trained admissions experts. storytocollege.com
  • Tuva Labs (New York, NY): Empowers students of all ages to learn critical data literacy skills around their favorite topics or desired careers. tuvalabs.com

About Kaplan


Kaplan, Inc. (Kaplan.com) is a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools, and businesses. Kaplan serves students of all ages through a wide array of offerings including higher education, test preparation, professional training, and programs for kids in grades K through 12. Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) and its largest division.

About Techstars

Techstars is the #1 startup accelerator and mentorship-driven seed stage investment program in the world. Techstars delivers programs annually in top startup markets all over the world. Additionally, Techstars powers programs in collaboration with some of the best brands in the world. Companies have gone on to average more than $1.6M raised in outside capital after the completion of the program. To date, Techstars has funded more than 350 companies that are collectively valued in the billions of dollars.


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