Milwaukee-based edtech startup Fiveable is one of eight companies selected for an accelerator produced by telecom giant AT&T.
The startup, which develops live-streamed learning sessions and online communities for high school students preparing for Advanced Placement exams, was accepted into an exclusive accelerator organized by AT&T for companies focused on digital learning. As one of the eight startups in the AT&T Aspire Accelerator, Fiveable will receive $125,000, of which $100,000 is an investment from AT&T Aspire.
In addition to mentorship opportunities, Fiveable will also be exposed to 5G capabilities with AT&T experts, with a focus on “specifically how wireless technology may enhance educational outcomes and reach more students.” The accelerator begins this month and culminates in December with a demo day.
Joining Fiveable in the AT&T cohort are:
- Almost Fun (Brooklyn, NY): reinvents test prep for underserved students by providing questions based on culturally relevant news, relatable situations and the careers of diverse professionals.
- GiveTHX (San Francisco): builds student wellbeing and school culture using digital thank you notes to recognize positive behaviors that nurture relationships.
- Immersed Games (Buffalo, NY): helps students through online gaming to build science literacy by directly engaging with science phenomena through hands-on experiences, like collecting data to determine if something is an invasive species.
- KlickEngage (Miami, Fla): empowers students to report their emotional state daily and receive the support they need more efficiently, in order to feel safe and supported in every environment.
- Purpose Project (San Francisco): builds much needed 21st century skills such as creativity, self-direction and community contribution in youth and young adults through a curriculum and digital platform.
- Social Cipher (Los Angeles): creates video games that give players who are autistic a safe space to practice social situations and build social-emotional skills through play.
- TechRow Inc. (New York City): aims to solve the disengagement challenge in classrooms by leveraging immersive technology such as virtual reality.
Earlier this week, Fiveable received a $25,000 investment as part of a virtual competition put together by ECMC Foundation and Chloe Capital. Fiveable founder and CEO Amanda DoAmaral was one of five women-led companies vying for up to $250,000 in investments for their ideas in education and workforce development.
The opportunity connected Fiveable with other top-tier investors and additional funding is likely.
"This is a really unique time," DoAmaral said. "For us, being in edtech, next year is not going to look the same. It’s going to be disrupted and (online learning) is going to look a lot different at different schools and different regions. Things are going to have to shift to include more remote learning, and that’s where we live. This is a lightning-strike-time for any investor to be interested in edtech, or anything that’s the online version of what happens offline."
