LearnStart

LearnStart is a venture capital firm founded in 2017 and headquartered in New York City. The firm specializes in early‑stage investments in education technology companies worldwide, providing seed funding to support the development and growth of innovative edtech solutions.

Don Burton

Managing Partner

Past deals in EdTech

Neol

Seed Round in 2022
Neol is a learning and talent platform that enables tokenized, cohort-based learning for creative leaders and teams. It convenes a global community of creatives, innovators, and change-makers in web3 to learn, collaborate, and shape futures together. The platform supports organizational design, leadership development, brand design, campaign management, and behavioral marketing, connecting businesses with relevant talent to tackle challenges and solve problems through project-based work within a decentralized network.

YaizY

Seed Round in 2022
YaizY offers credit-bearing courses for middle and high-school students in digital professions such as computer science, animation, game design, and entrepreneurship. Students create real-world projects using YaizY's integrated curriculum and platform, with live online teaching. Courses are designed to inspire students to pursue their passions professionally.

AltaClaro

Seed Round in 2022
AltaClaro is a learning platform that provides attorneys with universal access to interactive professional education and experiential legal training designed to bring associates to practice readiness. It scales experiential learning to allow firms to deliver fast, meaningful training, increasing associate effectiveness while reducing training and development costs and mitigating unconscious bias.

Englease

Seed Round in 2021
Englease is an online educational platform focused on delivering live, accredited English language classes in the MENA region. It offers flexible one-on-one sessions designed to help users enhance their English fluency and prepare for proficiency tests such as IELTS and TOEFL. The platform enables users to track their progress and assess their learning needs, providing a structured approach to language acquisition. With its emphasis on personalized instruction, Englease aims to facilitate effective learning outcomes for students seeking to improve their English speaking skills.

Tribe XR

Venture Round in 2021
Founded in 2017, Tribe XR specializes in real-world skill training via virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Its platform enables users to learn DJ skills through interactive lessons and live performances with renowned DJs like Kryoman. Beyond music, Tribe XR is developing a self-serve immersive learning platform for various organizations.

Shikho

Seed Round in 2021
Shikho is an education technology company focused on transforming learning in Bangladesh by using technology to deliver high-quality, interactive, and personalized education. The platform provides content that can be accessed anytime and anywhere, enabling students to learn at their own pace. It combines gamification, AI-driven insights, and immersive digital lessons to improve engagement and outcomes, aiming to bridge gaps in traditional teaching methods. The service supports live classes with tutors and original animated video lessons tied to performance, helping learners navigate a rapidly evolving digital economy. By widening access to education for millions of young Bangladeshis, Shikho seeks to reduce barriers of geography and cost and to equip students with tools for success in a modern, digital-first world.

YaizY

Seed Round in 2021
YaizY offers credit-bearing courses for middle and high-school students in digital professions such as computer science, animation, game design, and entrepreneurship. Students create real-world projects using YaizY's integrated curriculum and platform, with live online teaching. Courses are designed to inspire students to pursue their passions professionally.

Pathrise

Series A in 2021
Pathrise is a career development and mentorship organization that trains tech professionals and students through online programs and guided coaching. It offers instruction and practice across software engineering, product management, strategy and operations, product design, data science, and marketing, including resume refinement, portfolio presentation, interview preparation, and negotiation techniques. The program emphasizes aligned incentives, with clients paying only after securing a high‑paying job, reflecting its income‑sharing approach. Founded in 2017 and based in San Francisco, Pathrise focuses on helping individuals land suitable roles through personalized mentorship and structured training.

Prenda

Series B in 2021
Founded in 2015, Prenda is an educational technology company based in Mesa, Arizona. It facilitates weekly code clubs in libraries and schools, fostering collaborative learning of computer programming in informal settings.

Acadeum

Venture Round in 2021
Acadeum is a developer of the Academic Sharing Platform, which facilitates course sharing among universities. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company, previously known as College Consortium, aims to enhance accessibility to higher education by creating a marketplace where students can select online courses from a network of participating institutions. This platform allows faculty to review and choose courses that fulfill graduation requirements and financial aid eligibility. By supporting the formation of course-sharing consortia, Acadeum collaborates with various educational organizations, such as the Council of Independent Colleges and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, to provide students with diverse educational opportunities and help them progress toward graduation.

Year On

Venture Round in 2021
Year On is an education management platform dedicated to empowering students by fostering confidence, grit, and self-reliance as they transition from high school. The organization provides a range of educational programs designed to deliver a holistic experience tailored to the unique learning needs of each student. By emphasizing self-directed learning and skill development, Year On enables students to explore their interests and acquire practical skills necessary for personal growth. The platform aims to offer clarity around students' paths and passions, equipping them with the tools to navigate their educational and career journeys effectively.

Shikho

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Shikho is an education technology company focused on transforming learning in Bangladesh by using technology to deliver high-quality, interactive, and personalized education. The platform provides content that can be accessed anytime and anywhere, enabling students to learn at their own pace. It combines gamification, AI-driven insights, and immersive digital lessons to improve engagement and outcomes, aiming to bridge gaps in traditional teaching methods. The service supports live classes with tutors and original animated video lessons tied to performance, helping learners navigate a rapidly evolving digital economy. By widening access to education for millions of young Bangladeshis, Shikho seeks to reduce barriers of geography and cost and to equip students with tools for success in a modern, digital-first world.

Podium Education

Series A in 2020
Podium Education, Inc. is an Austin, Texas-based company that specializes in online education services. Founded in 2019, it collaborates with universities to offer online undergraduate programs aimed at expanding access to education and enhancing student enrollment and outcomes. Podium Education focuses on developing digital skills, particularly in technology and intercultural competency, ensuring that students acquire both hard and soft skills that are essential for successful employment. Through its innovative learning experiences, the company provides undergraduate students with in-demand skills via online credit certificates and minor programs, ultimately improving educational outcomes for a diverse student population.

StayQrious

Seed Round in 2020
StayQrious is an educational technology company specializing in online group classes for students interested in learning computer applications like coding. Its platform fosters structured learning and peer engagement, serving both education and technology sectors.

Shikho

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Shikho is an education technology company focused on transforming learning in Bangladesh by using technology to deliver high-quality, interactive, and personalized education. The platform provides content that can be accessed anytime and anywhere, enabling students to learn at their own pace. It combines gamification, AI-driven insights, and immersive digital lessons to improve engagement and outcomes, aiming to bridge gaps in traditional teaching methods. The service supports live classes with tutors and original animated video lessons tied to performance, helping learners navigate a rapidly evolving digital economy. By widening access to education for millions of young Bangladeshis, Shikho seeks to reduce barriers of geography and cost and to equip students with tools for success in a modern, digital-first world.

Acadeum

Series A in 2020
Acadeum is a developer of the Academic Sharing Platform, which facilitates course sharing among universities. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company, previously known as College Consortium, aims to enhance accessibility to higher education by creating a marketplace where students can select online courses from a network of participating institutions. This platform allows faculty to review and choose courses that fulfill graduation requirements and financial aid eligibility. By supporting the formation of course-sharing consortia, Acadeum collaborates with various educational organizations, such as the Council of Independent Colleges and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, to provide students with diverse educational opportunities and help them progress toward graduation.

Foundry College

Seed Round in 2019
Foundry College Inc. is an educational institution based in San Francisco, California, that specializes in providing online degree programs and courses tailored for working adults. Founded in 2018, the college focuses on delivering practical and relevant education that aligns with the skills and knowledge required by today's job market. Its offerings include two-year programs emphasizing business management and foundational skills, designed to equip students with competencies that are in high demand and resistant to automation. The institution utilizes an active, competency-based learning approach, featuring live instructor-led lectures and small group sessions, which fosters an interactive learning environment. Foundry College aims to prepare students for success in current and future careers, promoting a skilled and adaptive society.

Pathrise

Seed Round in 2019
Pathrise is a career development and mentorship organization that trains tech professionals and students through online programs and guided coaching. It offers instruction and practice across software engineering, product management, strategy and operations, product design, data science, and marketing, including resume refinement, portfolio presentation, interview preparation, and negotiation techniques. The program emphasizes aligned incentives, with clients paying only after securing a high‑paying job, reflecting its income‑sharing approach. Founded in 2017 and based in San Francisco, Pathrise focuses on helping individuals land suitable roles through personalized mentorship and structured training.

Concourse Global

Seed Round in 2018
Concourse Global is a company based in Brooklyn, New York, that has developed an online platform aimed at assisting high school counselors in identifying suitable university programs for their students. The platform is designed to be user-friendly and free, empowering students to explore their futures creatively based on their individual interests and academic backgrounds. Concourse Global provides tailored program recommendations with clear rationales, enabling counselors to support their students effectively. Additionally, the platform allows counselors to monitor each student's progress throughout the search process and offers supplementary information to refine the program suggestions, ultimately enhancing the decision-making process for higher education selection.
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