A growing share of the population is telling their virtual assistants to play favorite songs, set a timer in the kitchen and even order groceries.
So it makes sense that such interaction would become a valuable asset for college students who are, often for the first time, asked to balance a wide array of responsibilities.
Upswing, an Austin edtech startup, has developed an app that is specially designed for non-traditional and diverse students. And, after being awarded with a grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation last year, the company now has additional runway to expand its offerings and help 50,000 college students graduate by 2020.
To support that effort, Upswing announced Monday it has raised a $2 million round of funding from Impact America Fund, Rethink Education, Lumina Foundation and Strada. It has previously raised $3 million, dating back to a seed round in 2014, according to Crunchbase.
“Upswing is proud to be working with our valued education partners to provide the vital resources we need to sustain and impact more campuses and connect more students with success, and that’s a win-win for students and their future careers and society,” Upswing co-founder and CEO Melvin Hines said in a news release.
Upswing has been focused on historically black colleges and universities and colleges in rural settings. It has partnered with about 75 schools, including 10 percent of the 107 HBCUs in the nation. Among them are: Houston Community College, Winston-Salem State University, Durham Tech and Utah Valley University.
Its Ana program sets students up with a virtual assistant upon enrollment, and they can use it through to graduation. The company says it finds students are five to 10 times more likely to engage with its assistant than with traditional email outreach.
The company was co-founded by Hines, along with Chris Webb and Alex Pritchett in 2013.
Earlier this month, Upswing updated its platform with new notifications and expanded features. It also recently named Christine Wyatt as its chief revenue officer. She was previously chair of the board of directors at Upswing and CEO of TWG Plus, an Austin higher education marketing firm.
