Codelicious, an Indianapolis-based EdTech firm that offers customizable computer science curriculums to schools, has recently raised $3.8 million in its seed funding round to expand the features of its platform and push into more districts.
The round was led by Allos Ventures, an Indianapolis venture capital firm, and Boston-based EduLab Capital Partners, a venture capital firm that focuses on learning and workforce technologies. Other investors including Sixty8 Capital, Elevate Ventures, and Hong Kong-based GRE Capital also participated in the round, according to the company’s CEO Christine McDonnell.
Codelicious currently serves more than 100 schools and districts in 23 states, with what it calls curriculum-as-a-service. According to the company, schools are often limited by teachers that lack the necessary skills to teach computer science, especially in lower grades. Its platform offers grade-level differentiated learning pathways and aligns with all state and national computer science standards. Courses include curriculum, lesson plans, assessments, and standards mapping.
The startup plans to use the latest funding to accelerate its sales and marketing efforts, expand its platform, and hire more talent to drive growth.
Christine McDonnell, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Codelicious, said,
“Classrooms everywhere are experiencing rapid transformation. Schedules, protocols, and teaching methods have been affected by extensive reevaluation and revision processes. We are excited to grow with the needs of educators, schools, and districts. We’re excited to use the funding to accelerate sales and marketing efforts and add critical personnel to drive scalable growth.”
McDonnell said, as reported by Indianapolis Business Journal, Codelicious is not limited to the computer science curriculum, but its platform can be used to distribute and customize lessons and instruction plans for many subjects.
Commenting on the investment, Don Aquilano, Managing Director at Allos Ventures, said in a statement,
“We have tracked Codelicious since their early days of development. Our decision to invest in the company reflects our appreciation of how CEO Christine McDonnell has led her team to an enormous growth opportunity that will transform how computer science is taught.”
Liam Pisano, Managing Partner, EduLab Capital Partners, added,
“Codelicious is addressing the key components of vital workforce preparation at an early age, enabling school districts to meet expectations while in tandem enabling their own staff to expand curriculum delivery. Their instructional method is unique and has been met with significant demand for good reason.”
According to McDonnell, Don Aquilano has been an advisor for a long time and on the company’s board as an advisor for a while, and EduLab will join as a board advisor as part of the investment.
