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LearnZillion, now operating as Imagine Learning Classroom, provides comprehensive and coherent curricula for K-12 English language arts and mathematics. The platform delivers these high-quality instructional materials, empowering educators to implement effective lessons and engage students. Its technical approach streamlines content delivery, allowing teachers to focus less on material development and more on student-specific needs.
The company was co-founded by Eric Westendorf, a former school principal at the EL Haynes Public Charter School in Washington D.C. Westendorf identified a critical need for accessible, standards-aligned educational resources that could support teachers and enhance student learning outcomes. This insight into improving instructional consistency and quality led to the development of the original LearnZillion platform.
Imagine Learning Classroom primarily serves K-12 school districts and their educators, offering tools that connect instructional content with classroom practice. The company's vision is to foster learning by empowering educators, deeply engaging students, and connecting families to the educational process, ultimately striving to facilitate impactful teaching and learning experiences across various grade levels.
LearnZillion has raised $22.4M across 3 funding rounds.
LearnZillion has raised $22.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
LearnZillion has raised $22.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
LearnZillion's investors include Owl Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, DCM, Omidyar Network, Peter Moran, Calvert Social Investment Fund, DC Community Ventures, Maura Marino, O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Karim Zia, Learn Capital, NewSchools Venture Fund.
LearnZillion is an edtech portfolio company that builds a digital curriculum and software platform delivering high-quality, customizable K-12 instructional materials, primarily in math and English, to empower teachers with lesson plans, video lessons, assessments, and professional development tools.[1][2][4] It serves teachers, students, and districts by solving the problem of inaccessible, non-personalized curricula, reducing reliance on static textbooks through data-driven, classroom-ready resources that boost student outcomes and teacher efficiency.[1][2][5] Founded by educators, it earned top ratings from EdReports and reached 1 in 4 U.S. teachers by 2015, raising $22.4M before its 2020 acquisition by Weld North Education (now part of Imagine Learning), marking strong growth momentum in digital core instruction.[1][2][3]
LearnZillion was founded in 2011 by Eric Westendorf, a former principal at E.L. Haynes Charter School in Washington D.C., and Stanford classmate Alix Guerrier, both ex-educators inspired by creating math instructional videos with staff to address teaching challenges.[2] The idea emerged from Westendorf's hands-on experience scaling short, teacher-made videos that gained traction organically among educators, evolving into a full open K-8 math curriculum aligned with Common Core standards, emphasizing conceptual understanding, procedural skill, and application.[1][2] Early pivotal moments included 2013 statewide professional development contracts in Delaware and Connecticut, rapid expansion to English content, and nationwide adoption, with 25% of U.S. teachers registered by 2015.[2]
LearnZillion rides the edtech shift from print textbooks to digital core curricula, capitalizing on post-Common Core demands for data-rich, personalized K-12 instruction amid remote/hybrid learning trends.[1][2][3] Timing was ideal in the 2010s with standards adoption and teacher-led innovation, positioning it as a bridge to reduce textbook dependency while integrating with intervention tools post-acquisition by Weld North/Imagine Learning.[1] Market forces like rising edtech investment ($22.4M raised), nonprofit validations, and needs for teacher PD amid digital divides favor its model, influencing the ecosystem by open-sourcing high-quality content and empowering 1 in 4 U.S. teachers to prioritize student needs over material creation.[2][3][5]
Post-2020 acquisition, LearnZillion (now Imagine Learning Classroom) will likely expand via Weld North's resources, enhancing AI-driven customization, real-time data, and multi-state standards alignment to dominate digital core markets.[1][3][5] Trends like personalized learning, teacher retention tools, and hybrid classrooms will propel growth, potentially evolving its influence through broader Imagine Learning integrations and global edtech scaling. This educator-born platform, transforming classrooms since short math videos in 2011, exemplifies how teacher-led innovation drives lasting student impact.[1][2]
LearnZillion has raised $22.4M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $13.0M Series B in September 2015.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2015 | $13.0M Series B | Owl Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, DCM, Omidyar Network | |
| Apr 1, 2013 | $7.0M Series A | Peter Moran | Qualcomm Ventures, Calvert Social Investment Fund, DC Community Ventures, Maura Marino, O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures |
| Mar 29, 2012 | $2.4M Series A | Karim Zia | Calvert Social Investment Fund, Learn Capital, NewSchools Venture Fund, O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Ulu Ventures |
