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San Francisco, California-based Abl Schools develops cloud-based master scheduling and analytics software that helps K-12 school districts optimize student course placements and allocate staff resources. The enterprise operates on a business-to-business software-as-a-service model, charging educational institutions subscription fees ranging from $3 to $7 per student annually depending on the specific products utilized. The platform primarily targets secondary education systems and school districts with enrollments between 10,000 and 50,000 students to track graduation readiness and identify demographic opportunity gaps in advanced course enrollment. To support its expansion, the company has raised over $27 million in total venture funding, which includes a $12 million Series B round, and is backed by institutional investors such as Owl Ventures, First Round Capital, Reach Capital, and Rethink Education. Abl Schools was founded in 2015 by former Yammer co-founder Adam Pisoni.
Abl Schools has raised $13.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Abl Schools has raised $13.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Abl Schools has raised $13.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Abl Schools's investors include Rethink Education, Define Ventures, The General Partnership, Louis Beryl, First Round Capital, Owl Ventures, Reach Capital, Sinovation Ventures, Jed Smith.
Abl Schools (Abl) is an edtech company providing scheduling software, analytics, and guided action plans to optimize school resource allocation, staffing, and course placements for K-12 districts.[1][2][5] It serves school districts across 19 states, impacting 81 districts, 2.4 million students, and 26 million course enrollments by addressing poor scheduling that places 56% of students in mismatched classes annually, limiting access to rigorous coursework and costing districts billions.[5] With $6.9 million in revenue, 37-588 employees (estimates vary), and $7.8 million in total funding, Abl drives growth by aligning resources with student needs to boost graduation rates and college readiness.[1][2]
Founded in 2015, Abl emerged in the edtech space to tackle inefficiencies in school scheduling and resource management.[1] Headquartered initially linked to Virginia and now in San Francisco, California, the company is led by CEO Howard Bell.[1][2] Early focus centered on automation tools for classroom management, teacher scheduling, and student information systems, evolving into a comprehensive platform with data-driven insights as districts sought better academic outcomes.[1][3][5] Pivotal traction came from partnerships with 4 states and expansion to serve millions of students, fueled by two funding rounds totaling $7.8 million.[2][5]
Abl stands out in the crowded edtech market through its integrated scheduling toolkit and emphasis on actionable insights:
Abl rides the edtech wave, where technology enhances educational equity amid post-pandemic recovery and rising demands for personalized learning.[4] Timing aligns with market forces like labor shortages in education, budget pressures (poor scheduling costs billions), and data analytics maturation, positioning Abl to capitalize on the rapidly expanding edtech sector projected for sustained growth.[1][3][4][5] By influencing district-level decisions on staffing and courses, Abl shapes the ecosystem, competing with tools like Schoology or ClassDojo while partnering with states to standardize efficient practices that amplify student success.[1][5]
Abl is poised for expansion as districts prioritize data-informed scheduling to meet accountability goals and integrate AI for predictive optimizations. Trends like personalized learning paths and hybrid models will amplify demand, potentially scaling to more states amid edtech funding resurgence. Its influence may evolve toward deeper analytics and policy advocacy, solidifying Abl as a key enabler of equitable education—transforming every scheduling minute into student opportunity.[2][4][5]
Abl Schools has raised $13.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $8.0M Series A in June 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2017 | $8M Series A | Rethink Education | Define Ventures, The General Partnership, Louis Beryl, First Round Capital, OWL Ventures, Reach Capital, Sinovation Ventures | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2016 | $5M Seed | JED Smith | Define Ventures, The General Partnership, Louis Beryl, First Round Capital, Reach Capital | Announced |
