Best EdTech Companies in Chicago, United States
The 176 best EdTech companies in Chicago, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: RedShelf.
Biggest earners Skillsoft Corp. ($513M, -3% YoY), Instructure Inc ($156M, +12% YoY), Blackboard Inc ($119M), Capella Education Co ($112M, +0% YoY)
Our analysis of 88 EdTech companies
$7.3b in tracked funding; 99% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best EdTech companies in Chicago
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Founder | Employees | Tech stack | Web popularity | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RedShelf Platform offering digital textbooks for students | $84M | 40 mo ago | Rob Holland Chief Executive Officer | 107 | Cart FunctionalityWixSentry+25 | Top 500k | — | — |
| 2 | Elevate K-12 Online platform providing virtual teaching solutions for schools 60Growth top 21%Funding top 25%Moat top 39%Tech top 45% All 8 signals ▾Growthtop 21% Fundingtop 25% Moattop 39% Techtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 44% Globalbottom 32% Newsbottom 22% Growth: Headcount 27 → 62 (+130%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo Funding: Raised $54.5M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 8 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 60/100 | $54M | 12 mo ago | Shaily Baranwal Founder | 62 | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+36 | Top 5M | — | 1 partnership |
| 3 | eSpark Learning Personalized learning on the iPad for schools | $31M | 53 mo ago | Eric Dahlberg Chief Executive Officer | 41 41 → 29 (-29%) | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+34 | Top 100k | — | — |
| 4 | BenchPrep Learning management system empowering organizations to deliver impactful learning experiences 57Funding top 28%Talent top 28%Growth top 35%Product top 39% All 11 signals ▾Fundingtop 28% Talenttop 28% Growthtop 35% Producttop 39% Moattop 39% Innovationtop 43% Techtop 43% Marketbottom 46% Globalbottom 29% Newsbottom 27% Customersbottom 22% Funding: Raised $28.2M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 15 yrs (0.3/yr) Talent: Analyst team rating 4/5 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $28M | 14 mo ago | — | 77 | WebflowSalesforceYouTube+19 | Top 5M | — | 1 launch |
| 5 | Wyzant Marketplace for offline and online tutoring classes | $22M | 150 mo ago | Paul Mishkin CEO | 61 | WordPressApple iCloud MailMySQL+38 | Top 100k | 6 patents AI-driven tutoring matchmaking and educational content recommendation platform | — |
| 6 | ThinkCERCA AI-powered ELAR curriculum for argumentative writing and literacy skills | $20M | 108 mo ago | Eileen Murphy Founder and CEO | 16 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | thinkcerca ThinkCERCA offers a personalized literacy platform helps educators teach critical thinking skills. | $20M | 108 mo ago | — | 65 | HubSpot CMS HubApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+19 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 8 | Trala App-based platform providing violin-related learning solutions | $18M | 36 mo ago | — | 37 | VarnishStripeGitHub Pages+8 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 9 | Edovo Nonprofit organization providing educational and rehabilitative curriculums and content to incarcerated… | $17M | 85 mo ago | Brian Hill Founder & CEO | — | Webflow EcommerceCart FunctionalityWebflow+25 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 10 | Drift Net Provider of software solutions for safety management | $16M | 39 mo ago | Aaron Coles Founder & CEO | 67 | Webflowcore-jsjQuery+14 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 11 | Packback Text book rental platform | $11M | 26 mo ago | Daniel White Vice President | 117 117 → 104 (-11%) | WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+28 | Top 500k | — | — |
| 12 | Codeverse Coding platform empowering kids to create games and apps | $10M | 93 mo ago | Katy Lynch Co-Founder & Chief Communications Officer | 56 | WebflowReactAmazon Web Services+11 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 13 | Curiosity Platform for educational content | $9M | 102 mo ago | — | 10 | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | inquirED Provider of inquiry-based social studies curriculum and professional learning for engaging students and… | $6M | 31 mo ago | Shanti Elangovan Founder & CEO | 47 47 → 70 (+49%) | Wix eCommerceWixSentry+22 | Top 5M | — | — |
| 15 | Fluent Forever Language learning resources for individuals | $5M | 51 mo ago | Gabriel Wyner Founder & CEO | 28 | TeachableWordPressMySQL+34 | Top 5M | 5 patents Digital language learning platforms with adaptive pronunciation and speech‑recognition feedback | — |
| 16 | Certiverse AI-based platform proving exam launching solutions | $5M | 14 mo ago | Ruben Garcia Co-Founder & CEO | — | TypeScriptQuillZoho+14 | Top 5M | — | 1 launch |
| 17 | Innovare Social Innovation Partners Provider of data analysis and project management solutions for schools | $5M | 38 mo ago | Adrian Deleón Ed Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer | 18 | WordPressApple iCloud MailGoogle Workspace+40 | Top 10M | — | 4 launchs |
| 18 | Pearachute Subscription Service for Kids activities | $4M | 87 mo ago | — | 4 | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | TeleTeachers Online platform offering e-learning services 29Funding top 38%Talent bottom 49%Market bottom 42%Global bottom 29% All 4 signals ▾Fundingtop 38% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 42% Globalbottom 29% Funding: Raised $4.3M across 3 rounds · 3 rounds over 6 yrs (0.5/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record · 1 C-suite/founder profile curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 29/100 | $4M | 8 mo ago | Emily Smith Founder & CEO | 28 | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | Upkey Career creation platform empowering students through skills development and professional growth | $3M | 64 mo ago | Amir Badr Co-Founder & CEO | 214 | SentryTypeScriptNode.js+18 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 21 | GetSet Learning Improves student retention through community, analytics, and behavior change tools | $2M | 141 mo ago | Karan Goel CEO and Founder | 5 | RubyRuby on RailsAngularJS+13 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 22 | Digedu ModernTeacher | $2M | 149 mo ago | Matthew Tullman Founder | 20 | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Overgrad Streamlining student success with data-driven tools for postsecondary planning | $2M | 81 mo ago | Kevin Hoffman Cofounder & CTO | 9 | RubyErlangHighcharts+20 | Top 500k | — | 1 job opening |
| 24 | The Graide Network Platform connecting teachers with teaching assistants | $1M | 81 mo ago | — | 6 | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | AwardSpring Scholarship management system | $1M | 18 mo ago | Kurt Reilly Co-Founder & CEO | 22 | DudaNginxAzure+23 | Top 1M | — | — |
| 26 | Ngt4u Domain registration and web hosting services, empowering online presence | $1M | 190 mo ago | Julian Branch Founder | — | — | — | — | — |
| 27 | Dabble Discover local classes, workshops, and experiences to try something new | $1M | 126 mo ago | Jemal Swoboda Advisor / Former CEO + Chief Dabbler | 9 | Cart FunctionalityTypeScriptRuby+22 | Top 10M | 11 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 28 | Scholastica Academic publishing management software solutions provider | $1M | 107 mo ago | — | 44 | SkolengoMariaDBJava+24 | Top 500k | — | 1 launch |
| 29 | Reach Pathways Platform connecting high-performing under-resourced students to companies and colleges | $1M | 24 mo ago | Jeffery Beckham Co-Founder & Co-CEO | — | WixSentryBootstrap+12 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 30 | Spotivity Provider of after-school activities discovery platform | $1M | 59 mo ago | Montana Butsch Founder | 11 | — | — | — | — |
| 31 | HiLink Cloud and AI-based platform providing collaborative learning solutions | $900K | 48 mo ago | — | 35 | Cart FunctionalityWixSentry+24 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 32 | TransparentCareer Career Management and candidate sourcing platform | $850K | 116 mo ago | Mitch Kirby Co-Founder & CEO | 4 | — | — | — | — |
| 33 | Parker Dewey Platform for students and companies to connect with each other for short-term projects | $720K | 100 mo ago | — | 49 | SentryErlangElixir+21 | Top 1M | — | 1 internship · 1 launch |
| 34 | Shaping Wealth Platform offering learning solutions on money management | $700K | 5 mo ago | Joy Lere Co-Founder | — | Wix eCommerceWixSentry+20 | Top 50M | — | — |
| 35 | Behind the Burner Online culinary learning platform offering educational content | $500K | 188 mo ago | Divya Gugnani CEO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | ClassroomIQ Online grading tool for teachers | $389K | 122 mo ago | Stephen Dillinger Founder | — | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | Cognomos Course matching platform for higher educational institutes | $385K | 99 mo ago | Matt Boulos Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 38 | Verboso Provider of online speech therapy platform | $350K | 58 mo ago | Michael Young Co-Founder & CTO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 39 | Light Art VR Provider of a virtual reality experience for learning history of Islam | $317K | — | Muhammad Bayazid Co-Founder & CEO | 3 | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 40 | Aidhen's Corner Online concierge service for kids activities | $300K | 141 mo ago | Arti Pullins Founder & CEO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 41 | Zest App-based platform offering cooking learning solutions | $270K | 31 mo ago | Mike Vere CEO | 7 | TurbopackNode.jsTailwind CSS+10 | Top 10M | 215 patents Dental restorative and whitening materials, attachment systems, and related kits. | — |
| 42 | Infiniteach Provider of adaptive edutainment apps for autism education | $270K | 78 mo ago | Katie Hench CEO | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| 43 | MentorMob Provider of online multi-disciplinary online courses | $240K | 153 mo ago | Kris Chinosorn Co-Founder & CEO | 12 | — | — | 2 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 44 | Readeo Online children story content platform | $170K | 63 mo ago | Coby Neuenschwander Founder & CEO | 12 | ZohoYouTubestyled-components+22 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 45 | LearnQ AI-based platform providing online tutoring solutions for school students | $169K | 47 mo ago | Kushal Sinha Co-Founder & CEO | 12 | WordPressMySQLPHP+29 | Top 10M | — | — |
| 46 | ImmersionED Platform offering learning video game modules for students | $120K | 33 mo ago | Chad Wilson Founder & CEO | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| 47 | StudyCloud Collaborative classroom management platform | $110K | 154 mo ago | Ravi Pilla Co-Founder & CEO | 4 | — | — | — | — |
| 48 | Loper App-based platform to discover colleges and universities | $100K | 39 mo ago | Sam Bernstein Co-Founder | 8 | WebflowTikTok PixelGoogle Analytics+14 | Top 10M | — | — |
Top 12 EdTech companies in Chicago
#1
Acquired · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2015 · 62 employees$54.5Mraised▾
Online platform providing virtual teaching solutions for schools. The platform offers live teaching, live quizzes & polls, live labs, live audio, live video, and more. The platform offers learning solutions in math, science, computer science, and more.
- May 2025Series C$3.8M
- Jun 2022Series C$40M
- Mar 2021Series B$9.5M
- Mar 2019Series A$300K
#2
Series C · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2009 · 77 employees$28.2Mraised▾
Learning management system empowering organizations to deliver impactful learning experiences. The platform provides solutions for certification training, exam preparation, and continuing education. It offers a comprehensive suite of products including learning technology, administrative tools, reporting and data analytics, and content management. Professional services and integrations are also available. The platform caters to associations, credentialing bodies, and training companies, supporting personalized learning paths and real-time data insights. It facilitates exam prep, practice exams, microcredentials, and more, driving revenue, program growth, and learner engagement. The system focuses on delivering value through an intuitive and engaging experience, ensuring learners are well-prepared for exams and ongoing professional development. It leverages data analytics to optimize content and provide targeted support. The platform offers features like login, request a demo, pricing, and subscription options. It is a cloud-based software solution.
- Apr 2025Series C$2.5M
- Jan 2019Venture Debt$6M
- Jan 2019Series C$20M
- Jul 2012Series B$6M
#3
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2019 · 28 employees$4.3Mraised▾
Online platform offering e-learning services. It is a behavioral health platform offering teletherapy services to schools and organizations serving vulnerable students and youth.
- Oct 2025Series A$1.3M
- Nov 2022Series A$1.5M
- Jul 2020Series A$2.8M
#4
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2020$700Kraised▾
Platform offering learning solutions on money management. It creates content on money, minds, and markets along with providing experiences to improve financial well-being.
- Jan 2026Seed$700K
#5
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2019$5.3Mraised▾
AI-based platform proving exam launching solutions. The platform enables creating exams, content generation, and delivery of exams.
- Mar 2025Series A$11M
- Jan 2024Seed$250K
- Jan 2022Seed$2M
- Apr 2021Seed$3M
#6
Series D · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2012 · 107 employees$83.5Mraised▾
Platform offering digital textbooks for students. It offers solutions for buying, selling, and reading digital content like eBooks, textbooks, academic materials, magazines, documents, and other digital content. It also provides tools for bookmarking, highlighting, and note-taking.
- Feb 2023Series D$15M
- Aug 2020Series C$10M
- Apr 2020Series C$300K
- Oct 2018Series C$25M
#7
Series B · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2012 · 117 employees$11.1Mraised▾
Packback is an online textbook rental platform.Packback has served over 130K students nationwide and is backed by $3M+ in venture funding from notable investors including Mark Cuban, Howard Tullman, and Mark Tebbe. Packback also provides a price Comparison tool to compare prices from the textbook renters on the web. Packback also operates Packback questions, a social Q&A platform.
- Mar 2024Series B—
- Jan 2019Series A$2.5M
- Jan 2018Series A$4.2M
- Sep 2017Seed$1.5M
#8
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2013 · 22 employees$1.2Mraised▾
Scholarship management system. The features include customizable application, scholarship matching, evaluation, follow up notifications, reporting, single sign on, integrations with SIS, and more. The platform is offered on monthly subscriptions basis.
- Dec 2024Series A$2.4M
- Nov 2021Seed$1.2M
#9
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2016 · 37 employees$18.1Mraised▾
App-based platform providing violin-related learning solutions. It offers tutorial videos and daily lessons for the students. It also allows them to chat with the instructor and enables the instructors to provide instant feedback to the students. It also provides a practice journal. Available on both Android and iOS devices.
- May 2023Series A$19.5K
- Dec 2022Series A$14.5M
- Dec 2021Series A—
- Jul 2020Series A$3.5M
#10
Series B · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2018 · 67 employees$15.6Mraised▾
Provider of software solutions for safety management. It provides users with a platform for managing safety solutions for facilities, assets, and campuses. It also provides users with threat assessment, threat detection, visitor management, and emergency planning solutions.
- Mar 2023Series B$15.6M
#11
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2017 · 47 employees$6.2Mraised▾
Provider of inquiry-based social studies curriculum and professional learning for engaging students and supporting teachers. It offer curriculum resources and tools for elementary schools, focusing on inquiry-based learning in social studies.
- Oct 2023Series A$6.2M
#12
Series C · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2010 · 41 employees$30.7Mraised▾
Personalized learning on the iPad for schools. Its technology allows for easy iPad setup, which enables educators to deliver and manage personalized learning in their classrooms. Provides around the clock personal assistance to teachers using eSpark. eSpark is working with more than 3,000 apps and learning experiences (eBooks, iOS apps, web apps, instructional videos and songs), curating those apps into custom learning profiles and playlists for students based on their individual needs.
- Jan 2022Series C$25M
- Jan 2015Series B—
- Sep 2012Series A$5.7M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of EdTech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
What Chicago researches in edtech
UIC, U of Chicago, and Chicago Public Schools lead contested edtech research (mean stance 0.31) focused on online learning and analytics, with concerns slightly outweighing breakthroughs.
- University of Illinois Chicago14
- University of Chicago8
- Chicago Public Schools2
- Concordia University Chicago1
- Chicago State University1
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.