Dive Brief:
- McGraw-Hill Education on Wednesday announced an investment in Education Design Studio, Inc., a $2.1-million education technology startup incubator launched with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
- Four to six startups that were finalists in a business plan competition sponsored by Penn GSE and the Milken Family Foundation will receive year one financial capital, consultation and market insight as part of McGraw-Hill Education's investment.
- EDSi's program lasts six months and requires participants to engage in a weeklong intensive training session each month via a custom LMS.
Dive Insight:
It makes sense on several levels that McGraw-Hill Education would enter such a partnership, given its views on startups' place in encouraging innovation and competition. McGraw-Hill's partnership is currently only set to last 6 years, but during that time, it will also be able to directly access early-stage companies innovating the field of education—companies it might one day like to acquire.