Richmond-based EdConnective, an edtech startup working to ensure student success through online teacher training, has secured an undisclosed amount of investment from local-based venture capital and private equity firm Trolley Venture Partners.
Founded in 2013, EdConnective provides transformative teacher training to ensure the success of every student. It provides virtual coaching through an online platform using a proprietary coaching system and data-driven feedback engine for one-on-one coaching across schools and districts. The startup takes passive video of classroom instruction and pairs instructional coaches with teachers to conduct a series of feedback sessions online.
EdConnective incorporates Five Factors Assessment – desired outcomes, barriers that prevent from reaching those outcomes, quantitative and qualitative impact – existing organizational data, and industry best practices to create a customized, comprehensive coaching playbook for organizations.
Speaking on the investment and its plans to use the money, Will Morris, Founder and CEO, EdConnective, said in a statement,
“With the support of Trolley Ventures and a recent investment from Center for Innovative Technology, EdConnective will be able to accelerate product development, accelerate nationwide growth and expand hiring and operations.”
With 45 schools and 70 coaches signed on in the beginning of its founding, EdConnective now delivers more than 3,000 feedback sessions to teachers across 12 states, including Virginia, Arizona, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. EdConnective was also one of the startups to watch in 2019.
Mark Raush, Managing Director, Trolley Venture Partners, has also commented in a statement saying,
“We have tremendous confidence in the management team with the experience in high-quality instructional coaching as well as the depth of knowledge in UI/UX platform integration. The possibilities for active data gathering to power future improvement in both live coaching and artificial intelligence-driven engagements are endless.”
EdConnective’s mission is to help teachers move from good to great so that every student has access to a highly-effective teacher and every teacher has access to a highly-effective coach. The company believes that highly-effective teachers are key to student success. Recognizing this, it tailors training to the needs of each school – offering professional development, consulting, webinars, and even online courses through its partners – to maximize the benefits of coaching.
Needless to mention, in recent years, EdConnective has hit a growth streak through accelerator program including Richmond’s Lighthouse Labs, D.C.’s Village Capital, the Wharton Venture Initiation Program and a win at the Startup Arlington Competition.
