EDGE Edtech® has announced the launch of its 2015 EDGE Accelerator program in New York City. The EDGE Accelerator is currently accepting applications for the September 2015 class from innovative startups focused on technology solutions to improve education and learning — across all stages from birth through lifelong learning.
Each of the tencompanies selected for the program will receive $170,000 in funding. Applications are available at www.EdgeAccelerator.com –rolling admissions begin immediately with selections concluding June 25.
The intensive three-month mentor-led Accelerator, housed in EDGE’s offices in New York City, runs from September to December 2015. It provides mentorship, coaching, legal services, agile development expertise, sales consulting, and business development, among other resources. It is designed to help entrepreneurs secure their next round of financing, culminating in Demo Day when companies will present to an unparalleled network of angel and venture capital education investors.
EDGE Edtech was co-founded by Don Burton, former Managing Director of the Kaplan/Techstars EdTech Accelerator. While running the Kaplan/Techstars program in 2013 and 2014, Don successfully accelerated over 20 edtech companies, including Degreed, Newsela, Verificient, Cognotion, RobotsLab and Edvisor. The two classes have a collective market valuation north of $175 million and have raised over $35 million since graduating from the program. The other co-founder, Jonathan D. Harber, is the renowned entrepreneur behind Schoolnet, Inc., one of the most successful edtech companies of the last decade. Jonathan was a mentor at Kaplan/Techstars Edtech Accelerator where he and Burton met and worked together.
The EDGE Accelerator provides access to the industry’s largest and most powerful networks of experienced leaders in the education and technology fields. Mentors and advisors include CEOs/Founders of the most successful edtech startups; Active edtech venture capitalists and angel investors; Leaders of the largest educational publishers; Technology enablers and functional specialists from the largest technology giants and education policy experts, among many others.
“Some of the greatest challenges in global education will be solved through edtech startups,” said Harber. “New York is the perfect hub for EDGE, hosting the largest K-12 school system in the nation, the biggest community college network, the education publishing giants, headquarters to the largest corporate training departments, the financiers backing major education companies, cutting edge researchers, two million active students, and more. By creating an ecosystem of innovation in New York City, we will unleash the next generation of companies and entrepreneurs to improve the world.”
“We work with the best and brightest in education technology, from talented teams with an amazing prototype to startups with over a million in financing and a growing customer base,” said Burton. “We are excited to launch the EDGE Accelerator, build companies, mentor entrepreneurs, and change the future of education and learning.”
SOURCE: PRNewswire
