RALEIGH – LearnPlatform continues to progress up the learning curve of success. The edtech startup plans on further expansion and more hiring after closing on $3.2 million in an oversubscribed round.

LearnPlatform

“We will be expanding our team and our technology to accelerate produce enhancements and professional learning services for US K-12 school districts, universities and state agencies,” CEO and co-founder Karl Rectanus tells WRAL TechWire.

The rapidly growing company, which launched in 2015, continues to secure more validation for its SAAS (software-as-a-service) learning platform technology which is now available in 20 states. The platform focuses on providing educators with what the company calls “proper management, privacy compliance, and efficacy.” The technology is “built by, for and with educators, working with a team of researchers and technologists to manage, analyze and improve impact across their learning ecosystem,” the company says.

“We were first to market, we’ve got the strongest team in edtech – and traction doesn’t lie,” Rectanus replies when asked about what message he presented to investors. LearnPlatform was named to the EdTech Top 40 list in 2017 – another boost to credibility.

The funding boosts the firm’s credibility “along with more than 2,000 customer schools and districts and more than 100,000 educators,” Rectanus explains.

“We’ve built the only edtech management and measurement system, so we have our own intellectual property, but what sets us apart is a strong and passionate team, absolutely devoted to our mission to expand equitable access to all students.

“With this investment, that team will grow.”

New Markets Venture Partners’ Elizabeth Chou says LearnPlatform is unique in the edtech space.

“LearnPlatform’s unique solution allows for active management of what is used in the classroom and analyzes student impact based on its automatic study of usage, student achievement and cost data,” Chouce said in a statement.

“We are excited to invest in LearnPlatform’s market-leading solution for districts and universities, as we believe it will elevate the edtech space by shining a light on products that truly improve learning.”

Expanding offerings

Karl Rectanus

Rectanus says the company has aggressive plans for growth in technology.

“We will continue expanding LearnPlatform’s edtech management, measurement and rapid cycle evaluation features and functionality,” he says.

Also getting a boost will be “professional services to support more educators across the country.”

The company set out to raise $3 million but added another $200,000 thanks to interest from a variety of investors.

Leading the round were New Markets Venture Partners and the Emerson Collective.

Other investors include Kaplan, AT&T, Edovate Capital, Techstars, and University Ventures.

New jobs

Rectanus says LearnPlatform will step up hiring thanks to the new funding.

“We have been fortunate to add a number of great team members [over] the past couple of years,” he notes. “We will be adding more and [have] posted several new roles.”

LearnPlatform will be looking to hire in:

  • Data analysis
  • Sales
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Customer support