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Newsela operates an instructional content platform designed for K-12 education, delivering engaging and relevant content across subjects like ELA, social studies, and STEM. The platform provides articles at various reading levels to support differentiated instruction, complemented by interactive elements such as quizzes, writing prompts, and vocabulary tools. It also integrates assessment and analytics capabilities to help educators monitor student progress and inform teaching strategies.
The company was founded in 2013 by Matthew Gross and Dan Cogan-Drew, driven by the insight that traditional classroom materials often failed to engage all students effectively. They set out to create a solution that would deliver meaningful learning experiences for every student, initially by offering current event articles adapted to multiple reading levels, thereby connecting real-world topics to academic standards.
Newsela’s products are utilized by millions of teachers and students within school districts seeking to enhance classroom engagement and learning outcomes. The company’s long-term vision centers on continuously delivering powerful solutions that motivate students, empower teachers, and foster long-lasting educational growth, ensuring meaningful classroom learning is accessible to all learners.
Newsela has raised $172.0M across 5 funding rounds.
Newsela has raised $172.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Newsela has raised $172.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Newsela's investors include Chris Anderson, TCV, Catapult Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Brighteye Ventures, Byers Capital, Owl Ventures, Reach Capital, Susa Ventures, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, Benoit Wirz.
Newsela is an EdTech company that builds an online platform delivering differentiated news articles, assessments, and AI-powered tools to enhance reading literacy for K-12 students.[1][2][4] It serves teachers, schools, and millions of students—over 13 million in the US alone—by solving the problem of accessibility in reading comprehension through content rewritten at multiple Lexile levels, quizzes for skill assessment, and resources like Newsela ELA, Social Studies, STEM, Writing, and Formative.[1][2] The platform's growth is evident in its adoption by 90% of US schools, 500,000+ teachers, a 400+ employee base, and integrations with major EdTech partners, bolstered by recent AI enhancements like Luna for lesson planning and personalization.[1][2][3][4]
Newsela was founded in 2013 (with some sources noting 2012) in New York, NY, as an innovative EdTech startup aimed at democratizing access to written content for all learners.[1][4][6] Its backstory centers on addressing literacy gaps in K-12 education by repurposing high-interest news articles—from current events to science and literature—into multiple reading levels, making complex topics engaging and comprehensible.[1] Early traction came from partnerships with sources like Associated Press and EdTech distributors, leading to rapid scaling: today, it's headquartered at 568 Broadway, employs over 400 professionals worldwide, and powers learning in the majority of US schools.[1][4] Pivotal moments include expanding from core news literacy to full suites like AI-driven tools, reflecting evolution amid rising demand for personalized education tech.[2][3]
Newsela rides the wave of personalized learning and AI in EdTech, capitalizing on post-pandemic demands for flexible, data-driven tools amid teacher shortages and diverse student needs.[2][3][4] Timing is ideal as schools seek rigorous, engaging content to close literacy gaps—90% US school adoption underscores this—while market forces like AI adoption (e.g., Luna's focus on augmentation over automation) align with educator priorities for human-centered tech.[1][3] It influences the ecosystem by partnering with platforms like Duolingo and Coursera peers, standardizing differentiated instruction, and proving scalable models that boost engagement and outcomes in a $250B+ global EdTech market.[1][4]
Newsela is poised to deepen AI integration via Luna expansions, targeting broader K-12 subjects and global reach beyond its US stronghold, while trends like generative AI for content creation and real-time analytics will accelerate differentiation at scale.[2][3] Potential growth includes deeper school district embeds and international partnerships, evolving its influence from literacy pioneer to comprehensive classroom OS amid rising EdTech funding (e.g., peers like Coursera raising $250M).[4] As EdTech matures, Newsela's teacher-first philosophy positions it to lead in equitable learning, ensuring every student accesses high-quality, adaptive content—unlocking literacy's transformative power.[1][2][3]
Newsela has raised $172.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $100.0M Series D in February 2021.
