Radar · Higher Education Tech in California
Best Higher Education Tech Companies in California, United States
The 397 best Higher Education Tech companies in California, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Course Hero.
By Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories
397companies tracked
$3Bdisclosed funding
3unicorns
153have raised
Ranked: Best Higher Education Tech companies in California
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Employees | Founded | App-install YoY | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Course Hero 🦄 Mobile-based platform providing online learning resources 57Market top 19%Moat top 26%Funding top 27%Customers top 32% All 10 signals ▾Markettop 19% Moattop 26% Fundingtop 27% Customerstop 32% Producttop 40% Techtop 43% Globaltop 50% Talentbottom 49% Newsbottom 27% Growthbottom 18% Market: 243 employees (top 17% of EdTech) · Top-10,000 web property Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 9/10 · Unicorn rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $478M | 54 mo ago | Series C | 243 | 2006 | +10% | — | — |
| 2 | HotChalk Online degree programs provider in collaboration with universities | $245M | 125 mo ago | Deadpooled | 380 | 2004 | — | 5 patents Education software platforms enabling data sharing, fundraising automation, and targeted advertising. | — |
| 3 | ClassDojo 🦄 Classroom behaviour feedback platform used by teachers and students 76Customers top 13%Tech top 21%Funding top 22%Moat top 26% All 11 signals ▾Customerstop 13% Techtop 21% Fundingtop 22% Moattop 26% Markettop 28% Producttop 29% Innovationtop 33% Talenttop 38% Globalbottom 39% Growthbottom 37% Newsbottom 22% Customers: Play-Store rating 4.82★ across 1,292,047 ratings (1 apps) · Review volume +11% in 6 mo Tech: 66 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 76/100 | $221M | 27 mo ago | Series D | 198 | 2011 | +13% | — | 1 award |
| 4 | Chegg Provider of rental books and homework help solutions for university students | $208M | 69 mo ago | Public | 771 | 2005 | +9% | 142 patents AI-driven personalized education platforms with AR/VR, speech, and NLP technologies | — |
| 5 | Ocelot AI powered student engagement platform | $117M | 44 mo ago | Series D | — | 2003 | — | 16 patents Magnetic data storage device technologies and related hardware implementations | — |
| 6 | Scribd, Inc AI-powered knowledge company | $105M | 78 mo ago | Series E | 300 | 2006 | +28% | 18 patents Personalized content clustering, recommendation, and search optimization for digital document platforms. | — |
| 7 | Kno Domain name marketplace facilitating secure transactions for buyers and sellers | $94M | 180 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | 108 | 2009 | — | 18 patents Integrated digital learning platforms with UI, content augmentation, and specialized electronic devices | — |
| 8 | SchooLinks College and career readiness platform empowering student success and counselor efficiency 53Funding top 24%Talent top 33%Growth top 35%Tech top 35% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 24% Talenttop 33% Growthtop 35% Techtop 35% Moattop 39% Globalbottom 32% Marketbottom 30% Newsbottom 18% Funding: Raised $88.3M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 5 yrs (0.4/yr) Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 53/100 | $88M | 19 mo ago | Series B | 8 | 2013 | — | — | 3 partnerships |
| 9 | Edmodo Online education collaboration platform | $88M | 142 mo ago | Acquired | 38 | 2008 | — | — | — |
| 10 | Mos Online discovery platform provider for college financial aid | $84M | 52 mo ago | Series B | 60 | 2017 | — | 86 patents Advanced compacted potash and micronutrient granular fertilizers with dust‑control technology | — |
| 11 | Formative Online platform offering real-time instruction tools for educators | $70M | 60 mo ago | Acquired | 81 | 2013 | — | 12 patents Radon detection sensors and measurement systems for indoor air quality monitoring. | — |
| 12 | Quizlet 🦄 Provider of learning tools and flashcards for students | $62M | 73 mo ago | Series C | 234 234 → 498 (+113%) | 2005 | +24% | 12 patents AI-powered generation and optimization of educational questions, answers, and study resources | 3 awards |
| 13 | ELSA Speak AI-powered English pronunciation app for personalized learning and confident speaking 64Customers top 13%Tech top 19%AI top 26%Funding top 28% All 10 signals ▾Customerstop 13% Techtop 19% AItop 26% Fundingtop 28% Moattop 39% Producttop 40% Growthtop 45% Talentbottom 49% Globalbottom 39% Marketbottom 33% Customers: App rating 4.6★ (864,186 reviews) · Marquee-customer mentions: top 30% of tracked companies Tech: 100 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $60M | 33 mo ago | Series C | 11 | 2016 | — | — | 3 partnerships |
| 14 | Cerego AI based adaptive learning platform provider | $57M | 107 mo ago | Series B | 19 | 2000 | +6% | 10 patents Adaptive personalized learning content generation and concept mapping for educational technology. | — |
| 15 | Rafter Cloud-based course materials management network | $56M | 134 mo ago | Deadpooled | 34 | 2006 | — | 4 patents Online textbook selection and rental platform for university course schedules | — |
| 16 | Engageli Provider of online learning platform | $48M | 61 mo ago | Series A | 58 | 2020 | — | 8 patents Online educational content delivery platforms and networked learning management systems | 1 launch · 1 award |
| 17 | Fizz Social Provider of social networking platform for students | $42M | 34 mo ago | Series B | 25 | 2020 | — | — | — |
| 18 | Classera Platform offering management software and e-learning systems for educational institutions | $40M | 43 mo ago | Series A | 271 | 2011 | +26% | — | 1 partnership |
| 19 | Declara Content sharing and management platform | $38M | 144 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | 42 | 2012 | — | — | — |
| 20 | RaiseMe Provider of a platform connecting students with college scholarship opportunities | $38M | 94 mo ago | Acquired | 65 | 2012 | — | — | — |
| 21 | Honor Education Provider of AI-powered online learning platforms for higher education and community building 42Funding top 31%AI top 35%Product top 47%Talent bottom 49% All 7 signals ▾Fundingtop 31% AItop 35% Producttop 47% Talentbottom 49% Techbottom 47% Globalbottom 36% Marketbottom 34% Funding: Raised $38.0M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) AI: Product described with: ai-driven, ai-powered rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 42/100 | $38M | 11 mo ago | Series A | 41 | 2021 | — | — | 1 job opening |
| 22 | LINER Chrome extension for highlighting content on webpages 64AI top 20%Customers top 23%Funding top 27%Tech top 32% All 11 signals ▾AItop 20% Customerstop 23% Fundingtop 27% Techtop 32% Talenttop 38% Producttop 46% Moatbottom 48% Innovationbottom 45% Marketbottom 44% Globalbottom 36% Patentsbottom 30% AI: Classified as an AI company Customers: App rating 4.2★ (2,378 reviews) · Review volume +19% in 6 mo rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $36M | 20 mo ago | Series B | 32 | 2014 | — | 4 patents Road marking equipment for reflective paint and bead application on highways | — |
| 23 | Trident Online university offering degrees from associate to doctoral levels | $35M | 140 mo ago | Funding Raised | 496 | 1998 | — | 6 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 24 | Campuswire Online platform offering Q&A-based learning solutions | $33M | 37 mo ago | Series A | 9 | 2016 | — | — | — |
| 25 | Empowerly Online platform for career advice 48Tech top 18%Funding top 34%Moat top 38%Talent top 41% All 10 signals ▾Techtop 18% Fundingtop 34% Moattop 38% Talenttop 41% Innovationtop 47% Patentsbottom 49% Marketbottom 44% Growthbottom 35% Globalbottom 31% Newsbottom 22% Tech: 51 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon Web Services Funding: Raised $30.0M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 7 yrs (0.6/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 48/100 | $30M | 27 mo ago | Series A | 45 | 2014 | — | 3 patents User-interface platform for college admissions and career mentorship services | — |
| 26 | Altius Education Virtual school for transfer courses to post-secondary students | $27M | 187 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | 142 | 2007 | — | — | — |
| 27 | Numerade Provider of study assistance platform for students | $26M | 58 mo ago | Series A | 46 | 2017 | +6% | — | — |
| 28 | Smart Sparrow Adaptive learning platform empowering educators to create engaging digital learning experiences | $24M | 100 mo ago | Series C | 46 | 2011 | — | — | — |
| 29 | StudyBlue Education technology company providing learning support and resources for students | $22M | 109 mo ago | Acquired | 780 | 2008 | — | — | — |
| 30 | Credible Labs An alternate lending platform for financing student loans and refinancing student loan debt. | $22M | 113 mo ago | Acquired | 225 | 2014 | — | 4 patents Dynamic pricing and conditional offers in e‑commerce transaction platforms | — |
| 31 | CourseKey School management solutions provider 37Customers top 19%Funding top 31%Moat top 39%Product top 46% All 8 signals ▾Customerstop 19% Fundingtop 31% Moattop 39% Producttop 46% Talentbottom 49% Growthbottom 41% Marketbottom 40% Globalbottom 37% Customers: App rating 4.7★ (1,338 reviews) · Review volume +8% in 6 mo Funding: Raised $20.0M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 10 yrs (0.4/yr) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100 | $20M | 17 mo ago | Series B | 34 | 2015 | — | — | — |
| 32 | Dreamscape Learn Online platform offering VR-based learning solutions for students | $20M | 40 mo ago | Series A | — | 2019 | — | — | 2 partnerships |
| 33 | EmpoweredU Mobile education platform for university | $19M | 155 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | — | 2011 | — | — | — |
| 34 | Nectir Provider of online community-based learning solutions for students 45Funding top 28%Innovation top 33%Tech top 38%Talent top 38% All 8 signals ▾Fundingtop 28% Innovationtop 33% Techtop 38% Talenttop 38% Producttop 40% Customersbottom 38% Globalbottom 32% Marketbottom 23% Funding: Raised $18.8M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 2 yrs (1.0/yr) Innovation: 10 product lines rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 45/100 | $19M | 3 mo ago | Series A | 9 | 2018 | — | — | — |
| 35 | Immerse Virtual reality language learning platform 55Talent top 28%AI top 30%Growth top 45%Tech top 48% All 7 signals ▾Talenttop 28% AItop 30% Growthtop 45% Techtop 48% Fundingbottom 46% Marketbottom 44% Globalbottom 29% Talent: 4 named leaders on record · 4 C-suite/founder profiles curated AI: Classified as an AI company · Product described with: ai-powered rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $17M | 31 mo ago | Series B | 48 | 2017 | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 36 | Piazza Online Q&A platform for students and teachers | $16M | 147 mo ago | Series B | 14 | 2009 | — | 4 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 37 | Tuition.io Provider of student loan repayment and tuition assistance benefits 55Funding top 33%Tech top 34%Growth top 35%Talent bottom 49% All 7 signals ▾Fundingtop 33% Techtop 34% Growthtop 35% Talentbottom 49% Marketbottom 44% Moatbottom 38% Globalbottom 36% Funding: Raised $14.3M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 14 yrs (0.4/yr) Tech: 42 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 55/100 | $14M | 14 mo ago | Series B | 55 | 2011 | — | — | 1 launch · 3 partnerships |
| 38 | PeopleGrove Career mentorship platform for schools | $14M | 49 mo ago | Series A | 40 | 2015 | — | — | — |
| 39 | Henley-Putnam University Virtual university for higher education in military programs | $12M | 135 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | — | 2001 | — | — | — |
| 40 | Uversity Provider of solutions to connect university students with peers, alumni, and faculty | $11M | 139 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | 72 | 2007 | — | — | — |
| 41 | Stellic Platform offering solutions for students to build their degree plans | $11M | 50 mo ago | Series A | 15 | 2016 | — | — | 1 launch · 2 partnerships · 1 award |
| 42 | ReUp Education Helps drop out students re-enroll in universities and provides support | $10M | 58 mo ago | Series B | 82 82 → 186 (+127%) | 2015 | — | — | 1 partnership · 1 award |
| 43 | NameCoach Platform offering name pronunciation for multiple events | $9M | 43 mo ago | Series A | 25 | 2013 | — | 8 patents Cloud-based audio capture, embedding, and pronunciation analysis platform for language learning | — |
| 44 | Firstcard Student debit card for banking transactions | $8M | 33 mo ago | Seed | 14 | 2020 | — | — | — |
| 45 | Echo Labs AI-powered video generation platform for higher education institutes | $7M | 29 mo ago | Seed | — | 2023 | — | 86 patents Portable handheld vegetation cutting and trimming tools for agriculture and landscaping | — |
| 46 | Prof Jim AI-based platform offering learning solutions for students 22Talent top 38%AI top 45%Tech bottom 45%Funding bottom 44% All 6 signals ▾Talenttop 38% AItop 45% Techbottom 45% Fundingbottom 44% Globalbottom 32% Marketbottom 21% Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated AI: Product described with: ai-based rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 22/100 | $3M | 21 mo ago | Seed | 21 | 2021 | — | — | 1 partnership |
| 47 | Up Word AI-based platform providing reading proficiency-related learning solutions | $3M | 23 mo ago | Seed | 20 | 2021 | — | — | — |
| 48 | YouLearn Provider of AI-powered platform that transforms learning materials into interactive content | $500K | 12 mo ago | Seed | — | 2023 | — | — | — |
| 49 | Shepherd AI-powered learning assistant | $500K | 24 mo ago | Seed | — | 2023 | — | 11 patents Cut‑resistant wire‑mesh security fencing for wildlife and game protection | — |
| 50 | Sindy Provider of AI-based solutions for educators | $200K | 22 mo ago | Seed | — | — | — | — | — |
Top 12 Higher Education Tech companies in California
#1
Series A · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2018 · 9 employees$18.8Mraised▾
Series A · Santa Barbara, California · founded 2018 · 9 employees
Provider of online community-based learning solutions for students. The platform allows students to create group chats, seeks help from other students, and more. Additionally, it allows instructors to send announcements, host office hours, and more.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 45how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 28%Innovation
top 33%Tech
top 38%Talent
top 38%Product
top 40%Customers
bottom 38%Funding: Raised $18.8M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 2 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series A (Mar 2026)
Innovation: 10 product lines
Tech: 36 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Ses, Amazon Web Services · Security: Cloudflare Bot Management, Hsts
Audience (LinkedIn): 4k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Mar 2026Series A$12.5M
- Dec 2024Seed$6.3M
Founders & team
Investors
Long Journey Ventures, Entrada Ventures, Precursor Ventures, Behind Genius Ventures, Rethink Impact, GingerBread Capital
Tech stack
Amazon SesAmazon Web ServicesCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCloudflare Browser InsightsGoogle Analytics
#2
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2021 · 41 employees$38Mraised▾
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2021 · 41 employees
Provider of AI-powered online learning platforms for higher education and community building. It offers a mobile-first platform designed to enhance engagement and comprehension through AI-driven course creation, learner matching for discussions, and real-time insights. The platform facilitates flexible learning experiences, scaling human connection while supporting equitable access. Its AI assists in generating learning objectives, structuring courses, and identifying opportunities for collaborative activities. The platform also provides tools to identify struggling students and connect learners with shared interests.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 42how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 31%AI
top 35%Product
top 47%Talent
bottom 49%Tech
bottom 47%Global
bottom 36%Funding: Raised $38.0M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Series A (Jul 2025)
AI: Product described with: ai-driven, ai-powered
Product: 2 published apps (1.6k installs) · Company stage: Series A
Audience (LinkedIn): 2k LinkedIn followers
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: midweight graphic designer
Funding rounds
- Jul 2025Series A$38M
Founders & team
Investors
Alpha Edison, Wasserstein & Co., Audeo Ventures, Interlock Partners, New Wave Capital,, Benz Capital
Tech stack
Amazon Web ServicesCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementFramer SitesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font Api
#3
Series B · Beverly Hills, California · founded 2013 · 8 employees$88.3Mraised▾
Series B · Beverly Hills, California · founded 2013 · 8 employees
College and career readiness platform empowering student success and counselor efficiency. This comprehensive SaaS platform supports the entire student planning journey, from elementary level career exploration to college applications and alumni network connections. It offers features like scholarship searches, course planning, transcript management, and industry partnership building. The platform streamlines compliance, empowers students to explore opportunities, and connects them with businesses. It provides real-time reporting and data analytics, family engagement portals, and seamless integration with existing systems, ensuring data security. Designed to maximize student potential, it equips educational institutions with the tools to prepare students for success in life through academic planning and progress tracking.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 53how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 24%Talent
top 33%Growth
top 35%Tech
top 35%Moat
top 39%Global
bottom 32%Funding: Raised $88.3M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 5 yrs (0.4/yr) · Last round Series B (Oct 2024)
Talent: 3 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 42k LinkedIn followers — 9.2% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 3 partnerships (incl. Wicomico County Public Schools) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Oct 2024Series B$80M
- Mar 2021Series A$8.3M
Founders & team
Investors
LiveOak Venture Partners, SJF Ventures, Juvo Ventures, Susquehanna Growth Equity, The Stephens Group, Strada Education Network
Tech stack
Amazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon SesAmazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailCloudflare
#4
Series B · Santa Monica, California · founded 2011 · 55 employees$14.3Mraised▾
Series B · Santa Monica, California · founded 2011 · 55 employees
Provider of student loan repayment and tuition assistance benefits. It offers a suite of modular benefits to help employers attract and retain talent by addressing employee student loan debt. These benefits include student loan repayment assistance, tuition assistance administration, financial wellness tools, and coaching on programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The platform aims to streamline benefit administration and provide employees with resources to manage their student loan debt effectively. The company also offers retirement savings matching programs linked to student loan payments.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 55how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 33%Tech
top 34%Growth
top 35%Talent
bottom 49%Market
bottom 44%Moat
bottom 38%Funding: Raised $14.3M across 5 rounds · 5 rounds over 14 yrs (0.4/yr) · Last round Series B (Apr 2025)
Tech: 42 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 · Devops: Nginx
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 5k LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches · 3 partnerships (incl. edX) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Apr 2025Series B—
- Sep 2017Series B$7M
- Nov 2015Series A$5M
- Jan 2015Seed$1.2M
Founders & team
Investors
Mohr Davidow Ventures, MESA Ventures, Launchpad LA, University of Twente, Rothenberg Ventures, Neu Venture Capital
Tech stack
Amazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon Web ServicesBootstrapCdnjsCloudflare
#5
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2015 · 34 employees$20Mraised▾
Series B · San Diego, California · founded 2015 · 34 employees
School management solutions provider. It offers various solutions such as time and attendance automation, digital assessments & evaluations, online learning communities, and ebook resources among others. Features include real-time insights on data, student analysis, and integration of LMS with the system.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Customers
top 19%Funding
top 31%Moat
top 39%Product
top 46%Talent
bottom 49%Growth
bottom 41%Customers: App rating 4.7★ (1,338 reviews) · Review volume +8% in 6 mo · Marquee-customer mentions: top 30% of tracked companies
Funding: Raised $20.0M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 10 yrs (0.4/yr) · Last round PE (Jan 2025)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · 10 curated direct competitors tracked
Funding rounds
- Jan 2025PE—
- Dec 2023Conventional Debt—
- Mar 2021Series B$9M
- Jul 2019Series A$5M
Founders & team
Investors
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, SignalFire, Builders VC, Thiel Foundation, Entangled, Bisk Ventures
#6
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 32 employees$36.4Mraised▾
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 32 employees
Liner is a chrome extension for highlighting content on webpages. Its features include highlight, comment, manage highlight, share highlights, etc. It is available for various browsers like chrome, safari, firefox, opera, etc. The mobile app is available for download from the App Store.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 64how this company ranks against its industry peers
AI
top 20%Customers
top 23%Funding
top 27%Tech
top 32%Talent
top 38%Product
top 46%AI: Classified as an AI company
Customers: App rating 4.2★ (2,378 reviews) · Review volume +19% in 6 mo
Funding: Raised $36.4M across 2 rounds · 2 rounds over 4 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Series B (Oct 2024)
Audience (LinkedIn): 5k LinkedIn followers
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: AI
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Oct 2024Series B$29M
- Sep 2022Series A$7.4M
Founders & team
Investors
Atinum Investment, InterVest, Samsung Venture Investment, LB Investment, Capstone Partners, Industrial Bank of Korea
#7
Series D · San Francisco, California · founded 2011 · 198 employees$221.2Mraised▾
Series D · San Francisco, California · founded 2011 · 198 employees
Classroom behaviour feedback platform used by teachers and students. The platform allows teachers to give students real-time feedback. The platform engages parents and students to improve behaviour at home as well. The platform can run on an interactive whiteboard, a computer connected to a projector or on a smartphone, tablet. The tool offers behaviour-tracking analytics and reports that can be shared with parents and administrators. Teachers can message parents and keep them informed about students' progress. Its mobile app is available for Android, iOS, and web devices.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 76how this company ranks against its industry peers
Customers
top 13%Tech
top 21%Funding
top 22%Moat
top 26%Market
top 28%Product
top 29%Customers: Play-Store rating 4.82★ across 1,292,047 ratings (1 apps) · Review volume +11% in 6 mo · Marquee-customer mentions: top 30% of tracked companies
Tech: 66 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 · Devops: Envoy, Nginx
Funding: Raised $221M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 15 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Series D (Mar 2024)
Audience (LinkedIn): 68k LinkedIn followers — 14.8% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships · 1 awards (incl. Canva) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Mar 2024Series D—
- Jul 2022Series D$125M
- Jan 2021Angel$30M
- Feb 2019Series C$35M
Founders & team
Investors
General Catalyst, Paul Graham, SV Angel, Uncork Capital, Shasta Ventures, Tencent
Tech stack
Alpine.JsAmazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailApple Pay
#8
Series C · Redwood City, California · founded 2006 · 243 employees$477.5Mraised▾
Series C · Redwood City, California · founded 2006 · 243 employees
Course Hero is a mobile-based platform providing online learning resources. The platform offers a suite of online educational resources including crowd-sourced study documents, expert tutors, customizable flashcards, and online courses. Also provides subject-specific resources including expert tutors and interactive flashcards. Provides study guides for standardized tests. Its mobile app is available for Android devices.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 57how this company ranks against its industry peers
Market
top 19%Moat
top 26%Funding
top 27%Customers
top 32%Product
top 40%Tech
top 43%Market: 243 employees (top 17% of EdTech) · Top-10,000 web property · Unicorn (valued $3.6B)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 9/10 · Unicorn · 9 curated direct competitors tracked
Funding: Raised $478M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 19 yrs (0.4/yr) · Last round Series C (Dec 2021)
Funding rounds
- Dec 2021Series C$380M
- Aug 2020Series B$70M
- Feb 2020Series B$10M
- Nov 2014Series A$15.4M
Founders & team
Investors
NewView Capital, Wellington, Sequoia Capital, GSV Ventures, TPG, SuRo Capital
Tech stack
Amazon S3Amazon Web ServicesCdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-Js
#9
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 11 employees$60Mraised▾
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 11 employees
AI-powered English pronunciation app for personalized learning and confident speaking. This platform utilizes artificial intelligence to provide instant feedback on pronunciation, fluency, and intonation. It offers personalized learning paths, real-life role-plays, and bilingual support to enhance English communication skills. The platform caters to individuals and organizations, offering solutions for schools and businesses. It provides accent options, exam preparation, and progress tracking. The platform is a Software as a Service (SaaS) that aims to improve English proficiency and boost confidence in speaking. It is a tech company that leverages speech recognition technology to deliver personalized language learning experiences. The platform offers subscription plans for individuals and organizations.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 64how this company ranks against its industry peers
Customers
top 13%Tech
top 19%AI
top 26%Funding
top 28%Moat
top 39%Product
top 40%Customers: App rating 4.6★ (864,186 reviews) · Marquee-customer mentions: top 30% of tracked companies
Tech: 100 technologies across 5/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon S3 · Observability: Microsoft Clarity, Sentry
AI: Classified as an AI company · Product described with: ai-powered, artificial intelligence
Audience (LinkedIn): 47k LinkedIn followers — 10.1% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 3 partnerships (incl. K PINTAR HC SDN BHD and Cedar Tech Training) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2023Series C$23M
- Feb 2021Series B$15M
- Feb 2019Series A$7M
- Mar 2018Seed$3.2M
Founders & team
Investors
UOB, Aozora Bank, Vietnam Investments Group, Development Bank of Japan, Gradient Ventures, Monk's Hill Ventures
Tech stack
All In One SeoAmazon CloudfrontAmazon S3Amazon Web ServicesAmplitudeAngular
#10
Series A · Palo Alto, California · founded 2014 · 45 employees$30Mraised▾
Series A · Palo Alto, California · founded 2014 · 45 employees
Online platform for career advice. Provides one-to-one college counseling, essay help, a list of colleges, and more. Also, allows parents to track the progress of children.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 48how this company ranks against its industry peers
Tech
top 18%Funding
top 34%Moat
top 38%Talent
top 41%Innovation
top 47%Patents
bottom 49%Tech: 51 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Cloudfront, Amazon Web Services · Observability: Microsoft Clarity
Funding: Raised $30.0M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 7 yrs (0.6/yr) · Last round Series A (Feb 2024)
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 3 patents
Audience (LinkedIn): 7k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
- Feb 2024Series A$15M
- Feb 2022Seed$10M
- Oct 2020Seed$1.6M
- May 2019Seed$100K
Founders & team
Investors
Berkeley SkyDeck, TransLink Capital, Scrum Ventures, Azure Capital Partners, Spero Ventures, Goodwater Capital
Tech stack
AddshoppersAmazon CloudfrontAmazon Web ServicesApolloCloudflareCloudflare Bot Management
#11
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2023$500Kraised▾
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2023
Provider of AI-powered platform that transforms learning materials into interactive content. It offers tools to create summaries, flashcards, quizzes, and voice modes from uploaded documents and videos. The platform enables users to test knowledge, receive answer breakdowns, and engage with an AI tutor. It supports various content formats, including PDFs, YouTube videos, slides, and recorded lectures.
Funding rounds
- Jun 2025Seed$500K
Founders & team
Investors
Y Combinator, Ajira, Eight Capital Management
Tech stack
ClickbankFirebaseFramer SitesGodaddyGoogle AdsenseGoogle Analytics
#12
Seed · Sunnyvale, California · founded 2021 · 21 employees$3Mraised▾
Seed · Sunnyvale, California · founded 2021 · 21 employees
AI-based platform offering learning solutions for students. It offers tutoring solutions using AI technology along with transferring texts into lessons. It also offers courses, and textbooks, for k-12 and higher education students.
Fliar Intelligence Index™ 22how this company ranks against its industry peers
Talent
top 38%AI
top 45%Tech
bottom 45%Funding
bottom 44%Global
bottom 32%Market
bottom 21%Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
AI: Product described with: ai-based
Tech: 14 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Google Cloud, Google Cloud Cdn · Observability: Sentry
Audience (LinkedIn): 24k LinkedIn followers — 5.1% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Creatium) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
- Sep 2024Seed$1.5M
- Nov 2022Seed$1.5M
Founders & team
Investors
Hannah Grey VC, Avalanche VC, Behind Genius Ventures
Funding & investor landscape
$3Btotal disclosed funding
147companies funded
331disclosed rounds
0rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Notable founders
Jordan Long
Co-Founder · Nectir
Kavitta Ghai
Chief Executive Officer · Nectir
Joel Podolny
CEO · Honor Education
Qari Ahmad Saeedi
Owner · SchooLinks
Katie Fang
Founder and CEO · SchooLinks
Scott Thompson
CEO · Tuition.io
Marc Barron
Co-Founder · CourseKey
Brian Woo
Co-Founder · LINER
Jinu Kim
Co-Founder & CEO · LINER
Liam Don
Co-founder & President · ClassDojo
Sam Chaudhary
Co-Founder & CEO · ClassDojo
Gregor Carrigan
Co-Founder & CTO · Course Hero
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 20,917,007 docs
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Higher Education Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
Common questions
How many Higher Education Tech companies are there in California, United States?
Radar tracks 397 indexable Higher Education Tech companies headquartered in California, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Higher Education Tech companies in California, United States?
The Higher Education Tech companies in California, United States on this list have raised a combined $3B in disclosed equity funding across 147 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Higher Education Tech company in California, United States?
Course Hero is the highest-funded Higher Education Tech company in California, United States, with $477.5M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Higher Education Tech companies in California, United States are funded?
147 of the 397 Higher Education Tech companies in California, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Higher Education Tech unicorns are there in California, United States?
3 Higher Education Tech companies in California, United States on this list are valued at $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in California, United States Higher Education Tech companies?
The most active investors in California, United States Higher Education Tech companies on this list include Y Combinator, Learn Capital, 500 Global, GSV Ventures, Reach Capital.
Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.