Is #edtech too narrow of a term? It seems like #learning is actually happening horizontally across all industries and sectors and across all ages. And while #education may be a vertical, every school & university that I know also does #health including nutrition, mental health, and physical health. That why I'm so excited to see Reach Capital's "renewed thesis" to "elevate human potential and ignite purpose." It is really a continuation of what they have already been doing for the last several years (I am a co-investor in 💛 Clayful), but an important reframe that goes beyond just "education technology" toward a fundamental WHY. Cheers 🥂 to the Reach founding partners Jennifer, Esteban, Wayee, and Shauntel, and their incredible team! Ultimately we are transforming complex and interconnected systems in hopes that all people can thrive! #Longlive #Edtech #VC! cc: Tony Wan Jomayra Herrera Steve Kupfer James Kim Jim Lobdell Enzo Cavalie Maria Soto-Torres Alex Sarlin Edtech Insiders https://lnkd.in/grCwt2ZA
It is necessary to highlight the pedagogical orientation of Edtech, as even in India, companies that do have good market share are mostly low on pedagogical side and high on operational aspect of education.
Creative x (Technologist + Educator + Entrepreneur)
3moI wish there were a clearer distinction within edtech between solutions that are pedagogically oriented versus those that serve the financial and operational side of education. While there are far more startups on the pedagogical side, my sense is (and I could be wrong about this) that the majority of VC dollars flow to the industry side. Having this distinction might make conversations between VC’s and startups a bit clearer and perhaps more transparent. It is understandable why Reach revised their thesis. Overall, the returns on learning-focused companies have never been great and are increasingly hard to justify, as we have seen over the past two years. This new thesis will allow them to invest in a broader set of startups that are more likely to generate the returns that their LP’s are looking for.