Bloomington, MN – Renaissance, a global leader in student-centered, pre-K–12 personalized practice and assessment, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Nearpod, the leader in teacher-facilitated instructional delivery, to unlock an unparalleled level of student insights.
“In the past year, seismic shifts have changed education as we know it,” said Chris Bauleke, chief executive officer at Renaissance. “With the rise of COVID-19, this shift crossed a crucial threshold and created a demand for the edtech industry to provide solutions that don’t supplement or replace the teacher, but instead, pave the way for a new way to teach and learn. The combination of Renaissance and Nearpod will empower teachers to drive the full learner experience with a deep set of real-time data, content, and tools to accelerate learning and growth for all students.”
Nearpod offers an interactive instructional platform that merges real-time formative assessment and dynamic media for live and self-paced learning experiences, both inside and outside of the classroom, giving educators the ability to adjust in real-time, while easily seeing how their students are progressing. Teachers can choose from more than 15,000 interactive lessons, videos, and activities created in partnership with leading organizations like Common Sense Education and Smithsonian to quickly enhance their existing content.
Nearly a decade ago, Nearpod’s founders, Guido Kovalskys, Felipe Sommer, and Emiliano Abramzon, observed an influx of 1:1 devices entering the classroom. They recognized a need for a platform that could help teachers and students better connect with one another. Five years later, Nearpod raised financing from third-party investors and hired a team of industry experts, former educators, and engineers to create the platform that is now used by teachers in 75% of US school districts. In 2019, Nearpod acquired Flocabulary, a learning platform that engages students in academically rigorous K–12 concepts while promoting literacy through hip-hop videos. In 2020, teachers launched 19.5 million Nearpod lessons, collecting approximately 1.5 billion real-time insights into student learning.
“We’re thrilled to join Renaissance and to support the mission of accelerating learning for all,” said Pep Carrera, chief executive officer at Nearpod. “Connecting Renaissance’s deep insights of over 20 million students to the 1.2 million Nearpod teachers delivers on the full promise of personalizing learning across remote, hybrid, and in-person classrooms.”
Nearpod customers will continue to receive the support, service, and innovation they have come to expect and love from the company. Existing Renaissance customers can look forward to learning more about Nearpod in the months ahead.
UBS Investment Bank served as financial advisor to Nearpod in this transaction.
About Renaissance
As a global leader in assessment, reading, and math solutions for pre-K–12 schools and districts, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. Renaissance solutions are used in over one-third of US schools and in more than 100 countries worldwide. The Renaissance portfolio includes Star Assessments, for reliable, accurate insights into K–12 student learning; myIGDIs, for accurate assessment of early learning; myON, to increase students’ access to high-quality reading materials; Accelerated Reader, to support independent reading practice; Freckle, for teacher-led differentiated instruction; and Schoolzilla, to give educators actionable insights into trends in student attendance and achievement. For more information, visit www.renaissance.com.
About Nearpod
Nearpod offers an interactive instructional platform that merges real-time formative assessment and dynamic media for live and self-paced learning experiences inside and outside of the classroom. Nearpod works with any classroom technology, from tablets and smartphones to laptops and Chromebooks. The platform helps engage students with activities such as Virtual Reality, PhET simulations, and Desmos, and with more than 15,000 ready-to-run interactive lessons, videos, and activities created in partnership with leading organizations like Common Sense Education and Smithsonian. In 2019, Nearpod acquired Flocabulary, a learning platform that engages students in academically rigorous K–12 concepts while promoting literacy through hip-hop videos. Together, Nearpod and Flocabulary reach educators in 100 of the largest school districts in the US. In 2018, Nearpod was named EdTech Digest’s Company of the Year. To learn more, visit www.nearpod.com.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
