Five Social Impact EdTech Startups Selected for Accelerator
gener8tor and American Family Institute welcome sixth gBETA Social Impact Equity in Education cohort
CHICAGO - Five EdTech companies have been selected to participate in a national startup accelerator program. Adaptive Reader, Bilin Academy, Cuentologia, Thinking Crown, and Yeti, My Friend will participate in the sixth gBETA Social Impact Equity in Education program through national venture capital firm gener8tor.
gBETA Social Impact is a free, seven-week accelerator program designed to set a path for startups to pursue investment opportunities. Startup founders receive intensive concierge coaching and access to gener8tor's national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors.
The five selected companies were chosen based on their growth potential and investor readiness. See below for more details on each company.
“Bridging equity gaps in education can be addressed in many areas of the education system by supporting parents, teachers, and students where they are using relevant solutions for today. We are excited to work with founders who are creating solutions in early education well-being, adaptive learning in K-12, and multilingual inclusivity. Each one of them is focused on outcomes for young children, students, parents, and communities that will result in transformational impact,” said Zaineb Al-Kalby, gBETA Social Impact Director.
The program is made possible by a partnership with American Family Institute.
“It is our mission to engage with innovative initiatives that are delivering equity and people-centered solutions to educational disparities. Supporting gBETA Social Impact enables us to provide access to world class mentors that will accelerate the success of these enterprising startup founders,” said Jilly Gokalgandhi, Equity in Education Strategist at the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact.
At the end of the gBETA program, the startup founders will pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public at a virtual showcase event at 6 p.m. CT on May 22. RSVP here.
Startup companies and founders interested in learning more about gBETA’s programming and resources or applying to a future program can visit the gener8tor gBETA website, or reach out to Zaineb Al-Kalby at zaineb@gener8tor.com. Those interested in mentoring these companies or getting involved in other ways are also encouraged to connect.
gBETA Social Impact Education Spring 2024 Cohort
Adaptive Reader adapts novels, plays, and textbooks into 90+ languages and multiple reading levels, making curricular materials accessible for students grades 7-12 and accommodating linguistic diversity or learning differences. As a web app and paperback solution, Adaptive Reader empowers students to easily adjust reading levels and access diverse language translations. Since July 2023, Adaptive Reader has translated more than 2.6 million words, gained 100+ teachers, and is actively selling with over $1.2M sales qualified leads.
adaptivereader.com
CEO: Ethan Pierce, ethan@adaptivereader.com
Bilin Academy connects students with teachers internationally to engage with multilingual learning experiences while acquiring a second language. Bilin’s online learning platform allows students to explore their favorite subjects and activities. Bilin Academy offers a marketplace with a diverse range of classes taught in various languages, making global, multilingual education accessible from anywhere. Bilin Academy has gained $500K in annual revenue in 2023 and continues to grow 30-40% year-over-year.
bilin.academy/en
CEO: Huayi He, huayi@bilinacademy.com
Cuentologia offers original Spanish audio stories to make parenting easier and children emotionally stronger. Cuentologia’s immersive screen-free storytelling app, endorsed by child therapists, covers every pivotal life moment for children ages 0-8. Cuentologia has been selling since January 2023, gaining 400 monthly organic subscriptions, 840+ active weekly listeners, and 44% retention rate after 14 months of use.
cuentologia.com
CEO: Fiorella de la Sotta Rubio, fiorella@cuentologia.com
Thinking Crown supports students and teachers by providing interactive mini-lessons focused on boosting reading comprehension, phoneme awareness, and writing skills. Theonline gamified platform is focused on grades 4-12, using an adaptive learning model and current music and culture to enhance student progress and learning. Thinking Crown launched a beta in October 2023 and has tested with 100+ students, yielding an increase in reading scores.
thinkingcrown.net
CEO: Chrystal Davis, chrys@thinkingcrown.net
Yeti, My Friend engages children’s time in a meaningful way that supports the emotional, behavioral and cognitive needs of children in order to unlock their learning potential. The tablet and mobile app is an AI friend and learning partner for K-5 children incorporating learn-to-learn skills, well-being, and character development. Yeti, My Friend has tested with 300+ users, piloted with two schools, and has a 57-minute average engagement per session and 90% comprehension.
yetimyfriend.com
CEO: Sudha Shankar, sudha@yetimyfriend.com
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About gener8tor
gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate programs and conferences in more than 41 communities across 22 states and two countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022. The International Trade Council recognized gener8tor as the Global Venture Capital Firm of the Year in 2022.
About gBETA
gBETA is a non-equity accelerator that facilitates the growth of early-stage companies through a network-driven program. This accelerator supports five startups per cohort and requires no fees for startups and takes no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA accelerator alumni have raised $714M+ in capital and created 4,281 jobs across the US and Canada.
About The American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact
The American Family Institute is a venture capital firm and capacity building partner of choice for exceptional entrepreneurs and organizations who are engaged in an effort to close equity gaps in America. The Institute invests in companies and connects with groups working to provide economic empowerment and justice reform, to build resilient communities, to create healthy youth development and to increase learning and academic achievement. It is based in Madison, Wisconsin and can be found on social media @AmFamInstitute and at its website, www.amfaminstitute.com.
