Amira Learning, which delivers reading support through artificial intelligence, has merged with Istation, a provider of digital learning materials.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The newly merged businesses moving forward will be branded as Amira Learning. The companies predict that the deal will boost their collective market share in K-12 education and allow the newly formed organization to serve more than 1,800 school districts globally by the end of the year.
Istation’s CEO, Dick Collins, will transition into the role of co-chairman of the board.
“The intelligence of [Amira Learning’s] software using AI as backbone enables a life-like interaction for young students to feel like they’re being individually coached by a sophisticated reading tutor,” Collins said. “Combining this with our deep go-to-market expertise and the trust we’ve earned from educators is a perfect match.”
Headquartered in San Francisco, Amira Learning is known for its AI tutor, which functions with speech recognition and AI-driven tutoring software. The company has raised more than $40 million from investors, such as Owl Ventures, Authentic Ventures, and Vertical Venture Partners.
Amira was created by a team of former engineers and executives from Pearson, IBM, ACT, and Renaissance, drawing from research from Carnegie Mellon University.
The organization’s reading product will still be available through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and other partners, the company said in a statement.
Istation is a proprietary assessment platform that has been adopted by more than 1,000 school districts and offers gamified content and teacher resources. Its product will remain fully operational and independent of Amira.
Brazilian Ed-Tech Company Secures Funding. Somos Young, an ed-tech company based in Brazil, has secured $12.3 million in funding.
The investment round was led by BS2 and BPS Capital, and the funding will be directed into the company’s acquisition plans and partnerships.
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Somos Young was founded in 2021. The company provides market intelligence, marketing, relationship, capture, permanence, billing, and credit solutions for educational institutions.
Weatherford Capital Invests in Bus Safety Technology. Technology and business-to-government investment firm Weatherford Capital made an investment in BusPatrol, a safety technology company.
Will Weatherford, co-founder of Weatherford Capital and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, will join the board with GI Partners and FIT Ventures.
BusPatrol was founded in 2017. The company works with school districts, law enforcement agencies, and municipalities to combat illegal and dangerous passes of stopped school buses. Its technology also offers a platform for capturing and processing violations, as well as cloud-connected internal cameras and telematics data.
“We are excited to welcome Weatherford Capital to BusPatrol’s safety mission,” said BusPatrol CEO Karoon Monfared. “Their deep sector expertise and investment will further accelerate our industry-disrupting approach to delivering public safety with modernizing technology.”
Weatherford Capital’s investment into BusPatrol follows a significant investment from GI Partners earlier this year.
