ThinkCERCA has secured a $10.1 million Series B round to further its mission of increasing the critical thinking skills and literacy rates of K-12 students. The round was led by Intuit founder Scott Cook and his wife Signe Ostby.
Several other tech investors also participated in the round, as did China’s TAL Education Group and New York’s Plum Alley Investments. Google X co-founder Tom Chi will join the company’s board as part of the round.
“One of the things that we’re most excited about with this raise is the caliber of partners we have, both on the customer end and on the investor end,” said founder Eileen Murphy Buckley. “They’re really some of the most powerful and committed anchors in the education world. We’re excited to have our team in touch with such amazing people.”
The edtech startup’s software helps students learn critical thinking through personalized lessons that teach argumentative writing and close reading. Murphy Buckley founded ThinkCERCA in 2012 after working as an English teacher of 15 years and also serving as the director of curriculum for 115 Chicago-area schools.
"ThinkCERCA has among the strongest impact of ed-tech products that we have seen in the K-12 market,” Cook said in a statement. “Multiple third-party evaluations have consistently shown that it significantly improves student learning, especially in the areas that matter for success in life—critical thinking and effective writing. An investment in ThinkCERCA is an investment in the future success of kids."
ThinkCERCA will use its Series B to expand via new product offerings, with 7,000 new lessons set to roll out over the next 12 to 18 months. The company is also working to forge more partnerships with school districts around the country. ThinkCERCA is already used by schools in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.
“We’re currently working with over 200 districts across 40 states,” said Murphy Buckley. “We’d like to make that 50 states.”
ThinkCERCA’s founder said the company is planning to hire salespeople and that it’s also on the lookout for new engineers, although an exact figure wasn’t given.
The company is headquartered in Chicago and has a current headcount of 45. With its Series B, ThinkCERCA has now raised $17.7 million since launching in 2012.
Images via Shutterstock.
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