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§ Private Profile · 1620 Eucalyptus Hill Road Santa Barbara, California 93103 United States
StudySoup is a technology company.
StudySoup provides an educational platform with learning resources for college students. Initially a peer-to-peer marketplace for notes and study guides, its offerings now include curated video content for general education and core curricula. It also provides textbook solutions and specialized STEM academic support, enhancing learning.
Founded in 2014, StudySoup emerged from its founders' college observations of varied student performance and resource access. This insight led to a platform empowering proficient students to share and monetize study materials. The goal was to foster collaborative learning via distributed strategies.
StudySoup primarily serves university and college students seeking academic improvement. It engages learners throughout their educational path, offering resources tailored to diverse learning styles. Its vision empowers students beyond graduation, instilling deep understanding, preparing them for successful futures.
StudySoup has raised $4.0M across 3 funding rounds.
StudySoup has raised $4.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
StudySoup has raised $4.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $1.7M Seed in August 2016.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2016 | $1.7M Seed | — | Jacob Gibson, John Katzman, Leonard Lodish, 1776, 500 Startups, Canyon Creek Capital | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2015 | $2M Seed | — | 1776, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Collaborative Seed & Growth Partners, Expa, LearnStart, Noodle | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2014 | $300K Seed | — | 1776, Expa | Announced |
StudySoup has raised $4.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
StudySoup's investors include Jacob Gibson, John Katzman, Leonard Lodish, 1776, 500 Startups, Canyon Creek Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Collaborative Seed & Growth Partners, Expa, LearnStart, Noodle.
StudySoup is an edtech company founded in 2014 that operates a digital peer-to-peer learning marketplace for college students, offering purchasable academic content like lecture notes, study guides, textbook solutions, and exam prep videos.[1][2] It serves higher education students seeking coursework assistance, solving the problem of note-taking challenges and academic support through crowd-sourced, student-generated resources from "Elite Notetakers" who submit weekly notes and pre-exam guides.[1][2][3] With $1.7M raised in seed VC funding (last round ~2016), the company reports revenue around $10M–$152.5M (estimates vary), employs 51–200 staff, and has expanded products like video textbook solutions while competing with platforms like Slader and OneClass.[1][3][4]
StudySoup was co-founded in 2014 by Sieva Kozinsky, a UC Santa Barbara environmental studies graduate, and Jeff Silverman, stemming from Kozinsky's frustration with keeping up on lecture notes as a student.[2] Headquartered initially in Santa Barbara, California (1620 Eucalyptus Hill Road), it later associated with San Francisco addresses, the platform quickly gained traction: within one year, 1.5 million U.S. students used it, leading to expansions into Singapore and Canada in 2016.[1][2][4] Early growth relied on "Campus Marketing Coordinators" to recruit notetakers and build on-campus presence, though the company faced controversies like unauthorized use of university logos (e.g., Florida State University warnings).[2]
StudySoup rides the edtech democratization trend, capitalizing on rising college enrollments, remote/hybrid learning post-pandemic, and demand for affordable, peer-validated alternatives to pricey textbooks amid student debt pressures.[1][2][3] Timing aligns with mobile-first education tools, as 1.5M early users showed demand for quick-access notes in fast-paced lectures; market forces like AI tutoring rivals amplify its human-sourced authenticity edge.[2] It influences the ecosystem by empowering student creators (e.g., scholarships for women in tech) and competing in a 3,400+ company EdTech space, though controversies highlight regulatory risks around university partnerships.[2][3]
StudySoup's momentum—video expansions, diversity initiatives, and steady revenue—positions it for growth in personalized edtech, potentially integrating AI for note enhancement or global scaling beyond early international pushes.[3] Trends like gamified learning and VR study tools could shape its path, evolving from notes marketplace to full academic platform if it navigates competition and legitimacy issues. As a seed-stage player with untapped potential, it exemplifies how student-led innovation sustains in higher ed's crowded arena.[1][2]