There is a new startup based out of Silicon Valley that is getting a lot of attention. Investors, parents, kids, and onlookers are all peering in the windows of a new business on the block, dubbed ‘AltSchool’. This modern look at traditional elementary education is gaining ground. Focused on re-engineering the infrastructure of education as we know it, and transitioning to a personalized student pacing model (with the help of technology) is what AltSchool is all about. AltSchool was founded by an ex-Googler, Max Ventilla. He has managed to acquire quite a bit of money ($133 million to be exact), and a quite a bit of talent (mainly coming from Google and Uber). So far, this sounds like the typical startup story. However, the growth could be much more challenging than say a tech company down the street – AltSchool has to contend with multiple investors wanting disruption, and a current school system that hasn’t shown the desire to change. Could they break through this old, dusty, and heavily regulated industry?
The primary thesis of AltSchool is to drive student success by first determining the specific areas of educational interest of each child. From there, they and base the curriculum off how that specific child learns and absorbs the information given to them. All along, AltSchool searches for the most effective teaching styles available, and tracks student improvement with good ol’ Silicon Valley software. AltSchool is open to students ranging from kindergarten to 8th Grade. Expansion into high school is a logical next step for AltSchool, and one that we would predict given the amount of investor dollars. With a total funding of over $133 million, it’s clear that the top talent across Silicon Valley has identified AltSchool has the best case scenario for the future of education. They have positioned themselves in the startup hot seat, and their presence in Silicon Valley will produce either a public success, or a public failure. Priced at over $20,000 per year per child, AltSchool is looking for the rich (and open-minded). Introducing a new style of education, and charging a pretty penny will pose a tough marketing challenge for AltSchool when compared against the well-known private school alternatives down the road.
So what do you think? Is AltSchool the future of education? Or are they simply another tech fad that will eventually fade into oblivion due to expectations from investors? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @StarterNoise using the hashtag #AltSchool.
