Top Edtech Venture Capital Firms 2024

The companies below each offer innovative solutions to some of the education industry's largest problems. Learn exactly what they are solving and why investors are looking to these top companies as the future of edtech.

• Location: Paris, France
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: YouSchool, TeachFX, Hack The Box

Focused on European companies, Brighteye Ventures is one of the most active investors in seed and Series A startups on that side of the pond. The company believes it can help entrepreneurs by using its vast experience and network within the tech, education, and media space to shortcut the growth cycle.

As a result, startups are able to focus on refining their software and establishing partnerships that can help drive scale. Companies are able to submit pitch decks to senior employees right through the website. Brighteye Ventures is further committed to helping entrepreneurs throughout the VC process with their five-day email VC course.

• Location: Menlo Park, California
• Stage: Seed, Early, Growth, and Later Stages
• Notable Portfolio Companies: LeapFinance, Fizz, MasterClass

Owl Ventures functions as an ecosystem for entrepreneurs looking for VC funding. The team provides years of expertise in the education industry, along with domain experience and access to various distribution channels. The global network of partners helps Owl Ventures secure investments in some of the world's most innovative edtech companies.

Their portfolio consists of over 65 global edtech companies, ranging from Pre-K–12, higher education, future of work, and the intersection of edtech and fintech or healthcare. Owl Ventures is one of the largest in the world, focusing on edtech with over $2 billion in assets.

• Location: Oakland, California
• Stage: Debt, Early-Stage Venture, Grant, Late-Stage Venture, Private Equity, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Tutored by Teachers, TECA, EduMotion

With a mission to help every child graduate high school and be prepared and inspired to create a good life, NewSchools Venture Fund invests in learning solutions, innovative public schools, diverse leadership, and racial equality. Over 28 million students have benefited from their investments and over 66,000 leaders are currently in their portfolio.

The firm is more enthusiastic about helping Black and Latino innovators and functions as a nonprofit. It exists due to charitable donations and doesn't operate for financial gain but rather for educational and social gain. Entrepreneurs will gain access to knowledge and experience, a pipeline for distribution, management assistance and support, and diligence by working with NewSchools.

• Location: San Francisco, California
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Degreed, Outlier, Guild Education

GSV Ventures focuses on the “Pre-K to Gray” digital learning sector — in particular, the edtech innovators looking to disrupt the education industry. Their mission is to allow everyone access to participate in the future through a foundation of quality education. They plan on doing this through a set of proprietary, repeatable systems that help to analyze and pursue specific startups.

The company has invested in over 65 different edtech companies ranging in various stages and focuses, including adaptive assessments, online curriculum resources, virtual reality classrooms, and career readiness platforms. GSV Ventures also provides a variety of other services, such as market analysis, distribution support, and strategic advice, to help propel the success of their portfolio companies.

• Location: United Kingdom
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Sparkwise, Morressier Engageli, StudyStream

Entrepreneurs in the pre-seed stages can seek help from Emerge Education, an edtech venture firm with over 100+ experienced edtech operators. The team has years of experience investing in various educational technology sectors ranging from virtual classrooms to online tutoring platforms and more. They typically invest anywhere from £250,000–£1.5 million ($314,000–$1.9 million) in early-stage companies. The team plans on democratizing access to opportunity by partnering with early-stage edtech companies.

The team invests heavily in the education sector because of their own story. The four founders were either immigrants themselves or first-generation university graduates whose education transformed their own lives. The firm has invested in over 25 different edtech companies ranging from higher education courses to online learning communities.

• Location: Oakland, California
• Stage: Convertible Note, Debt, Early-Stage Venture, Late-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Allovue, Kai XR, Always Hired

Kapor Capital is committed to helping pre-seed, seed, and Series A stage startups in a number of sectors, including education, work, finance, justice, food, and health. The company believes venture capital has the capability of providing a more fair, just, and equitable society for low income communities and those underrepresented communities of color.

The firm focuses on three themes of investing: closing gaps of access, expanding economic opportunity, and increasing outcomes to social and economic issues. Startup founders must be committed to building diverse teams and inclusive company culture to work with the firm.

• Location: Palo Alto, California
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Chegg, Thinkful

Though not just focused on edtech, Floodgate has a reputation for investing in companies before they hit it big. Zimride, Saasure, and Justin.tv became Lyft, Okta, and Twitch, and Floodgate was there before it happened. The firm wants to support entrepreneurs through the difficult journey of scaling and taking a startup public.

It offers a center for learning called the Reactor, which teaches undergrad founders how they can further develop insights, identify inflections, and build amazing businesses. Along with education, the firm invests in crypto, enterprise, Fintech, healthcare, and more. Floodgate has more than enough experience with over 100 different startups under its portfolio.

• Location: Baltimore, Maryland
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Allovue, BetterLesson, Clymb

Starting in 1999 by Frank Bonsal Jr., Bonsal Capital has progressed over the years to focus on founders that are more representative and inclusive than before. Their main focus is in education and workforce technology, and they have had 21 exits along with a six-year average return horizon.

While some firms invest in dozens of companies hoping one will work, Bonsal focuses on a select few every year. They have only 30 education and workforce technology companies under their portfolio since 1999. Entrepreneurs who need an entire support ecosystem rather than a large lump of funds will prefer Bonsal Capital.

• Location: San Francisco, California
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Localized, AdmitHub, ArcLab, 

Since 2015, Bisk Ventures has been investing in over 20 entrepreneurs and startups that innovated education technology. The company hopes to transform the industry through educational engagement, access, and effectiveness in both the higher education and corporate learning space. With over 50 years of digital education experience, startups have connections to institutional decision-makers along with Bisk's online education platform.

Bisk Ventures has had a hand in working with some of the nation's leading non-profit universities and have offered hundreds of degree and certificate programs. While they aren't specific to any one area, most of the companies come from the West and East coasts. The firm was created by Mike Bisk who first created Bisk, which is an online program management company he worked with for over 25 years.

• Location: San Mateo, California
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Late-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Nexford University, CourseHorse, BloomBoard

With a sharp focus on human potential, Learn Capital invests in tech companies in education, health and wellness, finance, and community. The firm believes humans have far greater potential than realized, but they lack the resources and tools needed for growth. That's where Learn Capital's portfolio comes in. The firm has selectively invested in companies that can help humans flourish in satisfaction, health, purpose, character, friendship, and finances through innovations in technology.

The company has done well on this front with over $1 billion in assets under management and over 175 portfolio companies. Leading the firm are founders Rob Hutter and Greg Mauro. Hutter is a Harvard grad who has worked at various investment firms while Mauro co-founded several venture-backed startups.

• Location: New York, New York
• Stage: Seed, Series A, Pre-Seed, Series B
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Eduvanz, Lynx Educate, Teal

Rethink Education is all about breaking barriers in education through smart, early-stage investments in tech startups. They're on a mission to level the playing field for those who've been left out—be it because of income, background, or any other challenge. By zeroing in on game-changing companies in areas from pre-K to lifelong learning, they're fueling a movement towards more accessible, engaging education for everyone.

The company is committed to a range of resources that help educators, parents, and students. Their blog alone is consistently flooded with interviews of experts in their respective fields. RethinkEd's commitment to helping the entire ecosystem of education is exactly how they continue to partner with school systems nationwide to improve student outcomes.

• Location: San Francisco, California
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: BookNook, ClassDojo, Mystery Science, Handshake

Reach Capital, unlike other firms on this list, focuses entirely on the educational sector. Any startups in the early childhood through K–12, higher education, and workforce management are all welcomed. Their main goal is to help create a better learning experience for students of any age and level of education.

Reach Capital invests in over 20 educational technology companies, serving as a bridge between their portfolio companies and the K–12, higher education, and corporate markets. However, any company that attempts to improve solutions for education and home life for students and educators will be considered. The firm has created an online portal called ReachIn designed to provide playbooks, networks, and partners in a startup's journey.

• Location: Columbia, Maryland
• Stage: Debt, Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Clymb, BondTrue, Lightwork Publishing

Entrepreneurs and startups from the Maryland area have an investment firm on their side in TEDCO. The company provides funds, resources, and connections to any early-stage technology and life sciences company in the state. TEDCO hopes to promote economic empowerment through entrepreneurial innovation.

The firm has a set of core values it uses to make all investment decisions. Companies must also believe in accountability, collaboration, integrity, respect, and stewardship. The reason TEDCO is so committed to the Maryland area is that it's an independent instrumentality of the State of Maryland and was established by the Maryland General Assembly.

• Location: Fulton, Maryland
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Late-Stage Venture, Venture
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Nexford University, K2 Integrity, KidzToPros, Climb Credit

With over $3.2 billion in enterprise value and over 40 investments made in over 20 years, New Markets Venture Partners is one of the most experienced venture capital firms on the list. The firm specializes in early and growth-stage impact investments within the following sectors: 21st-century skills, preparation for the workforce, alternative pathways, and the future of work. Their primary purpose is to bridge the gap from education to employment.

New Markets Venture Partners does this by investing in companies that have already shown product/market fit, have scalable growth, are impact-focused, and have proven efficacy. Their portfolio is influenced by the Socially Responsible Investor movement of the 1990s, and any startup serving low-income, minority, or underserved workers and students will be welcomed.

• Location: London, United Kingdom
• Stage: Late-Stage Venture, Private Equity
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Expereo, Azul, Twinkl

Any startup and entrepreneur in the world has the potential to collaborate with Vitruvian Partners. The international investment firm scours the globe for high-growth startups it can leverage its expertise and knowledge to shortcut the growth phase. The company has a variety of categories it invests in, such as building global connections, redefining productivity, enabling ecommerce, building virtual markets, next-generation finance, and technology-advancing healthcare.

The company doesn't just support startups, it also looks for dynamic situation buyouts and growth capital investments. In total, companies can expect to receive anywhere from €25 million–€600+ million ($27 million–$664+ million) depending on the startup and circumstances. The firm believes it can contribute to startups in a number of ways, including geographic expansion, operational effectiveness, and add-on acquisitions.

• Location: New York, New York
• Stage: Private Equity
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Vemo Education, Packback

University Ventures has a similar mission to New Markets Ventures in that it aims to connect education to employment by investing in innovating last-mile training models. The firm is doing this by making higher education more affordable through its investments in new approaches to learning and helping employers think differently about where they discover talent. Any startups in the seed stages or even growth stage companies are welcome with the firm.

There are a number of categories University Ventures looks to for its investments. Those include startups that provide pathways to good jobs, competency marketplaces, health education, student financing, and student experience. With over 20 current investments and a team full of experienced entrepreneurs and operators, University Ventures is a great place for any edtech startup to turn to for capital.

• Location: Denver, Colorado
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: ClassWallet, BookNook, EveryDay Labs

Focusing on education's toughest challenges, Edovate Capital keeps its focus on entrepreneurs that have a social mission. The firm is so driven that it has set a goal to invest in at least 100 sustainable K12 edtech companies by the year 2040. Several issues Edovate looks to solve are serving marginalized students, ways to rapidly address learning loss, integrating social and emotional learning, and building paths to stronger connections to jobs and the workforce.

Only through aligned capital structures does Edovate Capital believe it can truly help entrepreneurs in edtech. The firm actually pursues those edtech companies overlooked by traditional venture capital. Edovate Capital can contribute flexible capital, extensive connections, and experienced counsel to help startups scale in the education industry.

• Location: Palo Alto, California
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed
• Notable Portfolio Companies: BetterUp, Dapper, Blue Apron

If any firm is going to understand the challenges and obstacles entrepreneurs face growing their startup, it's Graph Ventures. The company is made by founders for founders and has funded or provided resources to over 300 different startup teams. The founders and executives on the Graph team have been behind some of the world's largest companies, including Uber, Facebook, Disney, Nextdoor, and Rakuten.

Entrepreneurs should expect to receive fundraising, growth tactics, extensive networks, and product refinement. Companies from around the world should feel free to apply with 37% of all investments outside the US.

• Location: Beijing, China
• Stage: Early-Stage Venture, Late-Stage Venture
• Notable Portfolio Companies: BodyPark, Uber, Cider

FreeS Fund has been in operation since 2015 and has committed itself to investing in companies with long-term business and social values. It focuses on early-stage investments, although it has found momentum with mid to late-stage investments as well. The firm concentrates on TMT, high-tech, and biomedical sectors and has invested in over 150 startups since its inception.

Throughout the years, FreeS Fund has narrowed down its investment strategy to find unique interdisciplinary investment opportunities. They believe this type of positioning captures the best technological innovations and opportunities.

• Location: Luxembourg
• Stage: Series A, Seed, Series B
• Notable Portfolio Companies: Altris.AI, bunny.net, Bigblue

Edtech companies from around the world are accepted by Runa Capital as the global venture capital firm willing to invest in any entrepreneur in the B2B Saas, deep tech, fintech, edtech, and digital health sectors. The founders are the minds behind large global software companies like Acronis, Parallels, and Acumatica. After launching two successful companies and one unicorn, founders Serg Bell and Ilya Zubarev started Runa Capital in 2010.

Since then, the portfolio has consisted of investments in 13 different countries and has completed three different fundraising rounds. Their initial check can fund anywhere from $1 million to $5 million in seed and Series B investments.

• Angel Investor Groups
• Crowdfunding Sites
• Startup Accelerators
• Startup Grants
• Venture Capital Books
• Books on Startup Funding