EdSurge is an education journalism initiative provided by the

International Society for Technology in Education The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on accelerating innovation in education through the smart use of technology in education. ISTE provides a variety of services to support profe ...

. EdSurge publishes newsletters and operates databases used by

venture capital Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...

ists, teachers, school administrators and others. In May 2018, EdSurge was identified by the

Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in ec ...

as one of the world's 16 leading "innovation spotters" in education. These organizations "are searching the globe to find, highlight, and sometimes support education innovations," Brookings wrote.

Overview

EdSurge was founded in 2011 by Elizabeth Corcoran, a former executive editor of

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

and a former technology reporter for

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

, by Nick Punt, a former vice president at Inigral, a private social network for higher education, by Matt Bowman, a former Catholic school teacher, and by Agustin Vilaseca. As of December 2015, the company had raised $5.6 million in funding from investors including GSV Capital, NewSchools Venture Fund, Reach Capital, Catamount Ventures, 1776.vc, the

Omidyar Network Omidyar Network is a self-styled "philanthropic investment firm," composed of a foundation and an impact investment firm. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, Omidyar Network has committed over $1.5billion to n ...

, the Women's Venture Capital Fund, LearnCapital. and many angels. EdSurge's initial funding in 2012 was led by

The Washington Post Company Graham Holdings Company (formerly The Washington Post Company) is a diversified American conglomerate holding company. Headquartered in Arlington County, Virginia, and incorporated in Delaware, it was formerly the owner of ''The Washington Post ...

and NewSchools Venture Fund, along with angel investors including

Allen & Company Allen & Company LLC is an American privately held boutique investment bank based at 711 Fifth Avenue, New York. The firm specializes in real estate, technology, media and entertainment. History Founded in 1922 by Charles Robert Allen, Jr., he w ...

’s Nancy Peretsman and Silicon Valley entrepreneur

Judith Estrin Judith "Judy" L. Estrin (born 1954/1955) is an American entrepreneur, business executive, and philanthropist. Estrin worked with Vinton Cerf on the Transmission Control Protocol project at Stanford University in the 1970s. Estrin is an entrepreneu ...

. EdSurge's commentary regularly appears in media outlets such as ''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year. History ''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...

''. EdSurge's managing editor, Tony Wan, was named in 2014 to Forbes magazine's "30 Under 30" list, and EdSurge's former senior editor, Mary Jo Madda, was named to the 2016 Forbes list, which highlights top achievers under age 30.

Acquisition by ISTE

In November 2019, ISTE, a non-profit organization focused on education and technology, acquired EdSurge for an undisclosed amount. EdSurge has operated as a for-profit company, but will become a nonprofit media organization by joining ISTE. EdSurge's shareholders and investors will not receive a return on their investment.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:EdSurge Educational technology companies of the United States Education companies established in 2011 Internet properties established in 2011