In K-12 dealmaking news, K12 Inc. has acquired Galvanize, a technology training company, while an education recruitment company in the U.K. has acquired a similar business.
Brexit will motivate the United Kingdom to forge closer ties with global partners in the area of ed tech, the country’s science minister recently predicted.
Ed-tech startup accelerator LearnLaunch will feature EdWeek Market Brief experts at its conference Jan. 30 and 31 in Boston, and is also accepting applications for its accelerator program.
North America accounted for 52 percent of the $4.2 billion school furniture market in 2018, according to a report from Grand View Research.
The Texas Education Agency is looking for a producer of large-print materials, while Nevada’s state education department wants an impact and validity study of Nevada’s teacher and administrator performance evaluation framework. The city of Santa Fe, N.M. is looking for an after-school program.
Pearson announced a $25 million acquisition of an Australian digital learning company, and China-based VIPKid’s raised $80 million in new venture capital funding.
The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance “is not looking for any old proposal,” a major contractor told attendees of the recent ED Games Expo.
The Clayton County district in Georgia is looking for book jobber services from qualified firms. Delaware’s Department of Education needs PD services for teachers, while the St. Louis Board of Education is looking for instructional materials and training in mathematics for grades 3-8.
Many companies designing games for the education space are falling short in anticipating the demands of special-needs populations, attendees of the recent ED Games Expo said.
Where K-12 Venture Capitalists Will Likely Invest in 2020
Products around the future of work, after-school programs, and social-emotional learning could benefit

Investors are likely to set a higher bar for financially backing education companies over the next year, even as they look to put their money behind new product areas.