Digital learning company McGraw-Hill Education, US, has announced an investment in the Education Design Studio, Inc. (EDSi), a $2.1 million hybrid incubator and seed fund that was launched in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE) and designed specifically to nurture, support and increase the success rate of early-stage education startups and related business ventures.
As part of its investment, McGraw-Hill Education will offer four to six startups in year one financial capital, consultation and valuable insight into current market demands. These startups were previously selected as finalists in the Milken Family Foundation and Penn GSE-sponsored business plan competition.
This partnership aligns with McGraw-Hill Education's philosophy that startups encourage innovation and competition in the industry and help push the business of education forward. Over the course of six years, McGraw-Hill Education – which will now have access to early-stage companies doing innovative work in education technology – will provide funding, continuous mentorship and strategic counsel to these startups in the EDSi ecosystem.
Led by chief executive officer Brien Walton, EDSi provides a six-month long program aiming to bridge educational technology, best practices in business management and education research across a dynamic and high-powered ecosystem. Each month, participants in EDSi's immersive program will engage in a weeklong intensive training session and then collaborate online for the remaining three weeks, via EDSi's custom learning management system. Entrepreneurs receive extensive financial, legal, marketing and technology advice from Penn GSE's faculty and investors like McGraw-Hill Education.
In the last year, McGraw-Hill Education has invested $130 million in digital research and development to strengthen its offerings and improve teaching and learning. Through the company's most recent acquisitions of ALEKS and Key Curriculum, an equity stake in Area9, as well as a partnership with Israel-based Time To Know, the company is working to grow and further develop the type of engaging, personalized experiences that are a central element in the future of education.
