EdTech app platform Clever raises $30 million

The funding came from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, GSV Capital and Peter Thiel

One of the more interesting spaces to watch over the last few years has been EdTech. It's one that is ripe for innovation and, as such, it has been growing rapidly: in 2013, EdTech startups raised $616 million across 115 deals, according to the National Venture Capital Association. Compare that to 2008, when startups raised $260 million across 55 deals.

Not everyone is convinced that putting money into ed-tech is a worthwhile or wise investment, though. Peter Thiel has been outspoken about his views of the education system in general. In fact, at Vator's recent Postseed conference, Thiel specifically said that he is reticent to even invest in EdTech companies due to the fact that it education is "an incredibly corrupt institution at the core," and so many startups in the space are "predicated working on with these institutions." 

So it must be a pretty special company that would get him to sit up and take notice.

Educational app platform provider Clever, which announced on Tuesday that is has raised another $30 million in funding. The funding came from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, GSV Capital and, of course, Peter Thiel.

This is the second funding the company has raised this year; it bagged $10.3 million in March. This latest round brings its total venture capital funding to $43.3 million. 

Founded in 2012, Clever's platform allows schools to manage a number of different education apps from a single dashboard, which integrates with any K-12 school’s Student Information System. It helps developers work better with school districts by automating the integration process and simplifying the use of their apps in the classroom,

Clever also provides a single sign-on experience, called “Instant Login,” to help classrooms save time and resources.

The platform is now being used in 30,000, or one-in-five, schools across the United States, including eight out of the top ten districts. There also now over 150 software applications that are integrated on the Clever platform, including those from Scholastic, Amplify, DreamBox, The College Board, CK-12 and GlassLabs.

Clever revealed that it has been seeing tremendous growth, with the app installs on the platform growing by more than 220% in the past year.

The company says that it will use the new funding to "accelerate growth and meet increasing demand for its app platform."

2014 EdTech investments

Clever is one of many EdTech startups to receive funding this year.

In recent months education technology company KnowRe raised $6.8 million; Minerva Project, an online learning institution that combines it with real-world college experiences, raised $70 million; LTG Exam Prep Platform, a mobile gmAT brain trainer, raised $3 million; Education software provider FreshGrade raised $4.3 million; and online-education startup Desire2Learn raised $85 million.

VatorNews has reached out for further comment from both Clever and Thiel. We will update this story if we learn more. 

(Image source: clever.com/developers)