With the rise of technology and its prevalence in society, it’s no surprise that some of the most significant innovations are coming from tech-focused industries.
Today, this industry is still rapidly growing and becoming more critical to the world around us.
Even as a teacher, you always look to improve your students’ education and performance through technology, starting a one-to-one device program or finding new software to help your classroom run more smoothly.
This article can also be explored by students looking for an excellent platform to learn from, regardless of their distance.
In the Edtech world, it can be hard to keep track of which companies are doing what, so we’ve rounded up the top Edtech companies that are changing education and helping students achieve their potential.
What Is Edtech
EdTech is a term used to describe all educational technology products and services.
These tools can include software applications, web-based programs, game-based learning systems, etc.
You can find these tools in traditional brick-and-mortar schools and online education models.
The idea of using technology to improve education has been around for centuries.
Inventors, educators, and business people have dreamed of using technology to make learning more engaging, accessible, and efficient.
Today’s educational technology landscape results from many years of experimentation and innovation, and let’s look at some milestones along that journey.
Popular Edtech Companies
To help you stay on top of the industry, we have compiled a list of the Top Edtech companies today. Let’s get started!
1. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is an online education platform that helps students learn independently through video tutorials, practice exercises, and interactive quizzes.
The website offers more than 3,800 micro-lectures on economics, computer science, and US history.
Educator Salman Khan founded it with a $1 million grant from Google.
Before its launch, it was touted as the following TED Talk by numerous publications, including Forbes and The Huffington Post.
More than 100 employees work for Khan Academy today, and it receives 20 million unique visitors each month – nearly all of whom have access entirely free of charge.
2. Busuu
Busuu is a global community of more than 13 million users from over 200 countries, making it one of the most popular online language learning sites.
The site’s interactive lessons are accompanied by virtual communities where students can speak with one another and practice their skills outside of lesson time.
Busuu is available on both iOS and Android, meaning you can use your phone or tablet to learn a new language when you’re away from your computer.
The app also has an Internet browser extension to translate websites as you browse.
Even though it doesn’t teach all languages, Busuu makes learning a new language fun with its gamified approach to language learning and playful design elements.
3. Udemy
Udemy allows anyone to create, share, and sell online courses. Learners can browse through thousands of online courses or join a site where they can save money on classes at partnering schools.
The best-selling paid course on Udemy is an artificial intelligence class from Georgia Tech taken by more than 74,000 students and has an average review of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Other top sellers include JavaScript and Python programming classes from renowned schools like Stanford University, Duke University, and Columbia University.
Udemy recently celebrated its three billionth download after launching just four years ago, according to TechCrunch, which valued it at $1 billion when it last raised capital.
4. Coursera
Coursera allows teachers to post assignments, syllabi, study guides, and other materials on an easy-to-access shared website.
Students can access their classes’ materials through a class website or a mobile app, and teachers can track students’ progress and attendance directly from their accounts.
Coursera includes assignment management, class rosters, grade book management, etc.
An Automated Instructional Design option streamlines course design for teachers who have already created curricula.
Instructors also get built-in student tracking with real-time analytics about how often students visit various pages of their class websites or which videos they watch most frequently (if applicable).
Mobile apps available for iOS and Android devices allow students to access their classes, even offline or away from campus.
5. Simplilearn
A human capital consulting company with a global reach, Simplilearn provides learning management solutions for various educational organizations.
The company focuses on providing innovative and flexible training programs that work to meet both employees’ and employers’ needs.
Simplilearn was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Bangalore, India.
The company offers online classroom-based training and blended learning, which combines online platforms with instructor-led sessions.
It maintains its content library, consisting of more than 1,200 courses designed by industry experts.
2011 Simplilearn raised $15 million from Norwest Venture Partners and Accel Partners; its valuation exceeded $100 million.
6. Skillshare
It’s an online marketplace for creative classes that focus on entrepreneurial skills and knowledge.
With over 2,000 classes to choose from, Skillshare is a great place to learn how to navigate your startup – from acquiring users and building apps to marketing your business and getting press.
Skillshare also offers excellent discounts on its paid membership program. For $12 per month (or $144 per year).
You can access thousands of classes on topics ranging from photography to business development.
Skillshare accepts online payments via PayPal, which will allow you to use it with a credit card even if you don’t have a bank account yet.
It doesn’t require a lot of upfront cash either: You can start learning immediately with just your email address.
7. Nearpod
A non-profit educational organization created the Nearpod platform to help teachers create dynamic, interactive lessons.
While initially designed for K-12 teachers, it’s now used at higher levels; for example, students at Stanford use it as part of their computer science classes.
The platform’s key strength is its easy integration with classroom technology; anyone with enough technological savvy can set up a lesson within minutes.
Once set up, you don’t need to know anything about technology—students interact directly with your lesson from a tablet or mobile device.
Nearpod is free to use, and you have complete control over what questions students answer on each slide—so it can also act as an educational assessment tool.
8. Iversity
Iversity is an online learning platform that allows users to take interactive courses from top universities.
The company’s extensive library of high-quality courses—in video and text formats—is designed to help students learn independently.
To date, Iversity has partnered with more than 200 top universities around the globe.
It offers a free application for iOS devices, and its website is accessible on smartphones, tablets, PCs, and Macs.
The platform’s course catalog includes computer science, business, psychology, and many other subjects.
Forbes named Iversity as one of Europe’s hottest startups earlier in 2017. According to Crunchbase, it has raised over $2 million since being founded three years ago.
9. Blackboard
The success of any course or program directly reflects how well it is delivered.
For more than 20 years, Blackboard has provided innovative solutions that help universities and educational institutions deliver high-quality courses to their students.
More than 32 million learners use Blackboard’s Learning Management System (LMS) at over 135,000 sites around the globe to enhance classroom learning experiences.
Blackboard has steadily evolved into a comprehensive suite of technology services that include web conferencing and collaboration, group calendaring and scheduling, digital portfolios, and assessments, document-sharing services, and more.
10. Edx
EdX was launched by Harvard University and MIT and offered free online courses to students around the globe.
Currently, it has more than 6 million users from 190 countries. EdX offers over 500 courses across five areas of study: computer science, entrepreneurship, engineering, humanities, and math/science.
Startups have benefitted from using EdX; Udacity was started after Sebastian Thrun taught an online course on artificial intelligence on EdX.
It is also popular among educators who want to learn how to use technology in their classrooms.
As you might expect, many other platforms, like Coursera or Udemy, offer similar services.
But what makes EdX unique is its ability to work with top universities such as Stanford and Duke to develop new models for higher education.
11. Dreambox learning
Dreambox began as a parent’s response to helping his son’s education. One of many top Edtech companies, Dreambox has provided personalized learning for students from kindergarten through high school for over 20 years.
The educators at Dreambox focus on real-world thinking and problem-solving with applications that allow children to learn outside of traditional classrooms.
Students benefit from individualized instruction and more flexible learning environments that accommodate personal goals and needs.
With Dreambox, students can achieve academic success by identifying their skills and addressing weaknesses based on their individualized learning plans.
Conclusion
Many top EdTech companies offer different services, from education management systems to apps for students and educators.
Not all of them can be considered leaders, and 12 top EdTech companies are on par with Apple, Google, and Microsoft regarding reputation and influence.
