San Francisco edtech investors promoting education technology in 2026

San Francisco edtech deals hit $2.1B across 180+ rounds in 2025. Most capital went to AI tutoring platforms and corporate learning tools. K-12 edtech is harder to fund now than in 2020 - investors want proof of school district contracts before Series A. You'll compete with 40+ edtech companies raising simultaneously in SF, so your metrics need to be cleaner than other verticals.

Quick list

Why San Francisco for edtech fundraising

San Francisco has the highest concentration of edtech capital in the US. You'll find 30+ dedicated education investors within a 5-mile radius of downtown. Average seed round is $3.2M and Series A is $12-18M, both higher than Austin or NYC edtech deals.

The Bay Area advantage is access to education experts who worked at Coursera, Khan Academy, or Google for Education. Most SF edtech investors led consumer internet deals in the 2010s and understand viral growth better than Boston's education establishment. Corporate learning gets funded more easily here than K-12 - investors saw too many school district sales cycles die in procurement.

Competition is brutal. You're pitching against founders who sold their last edtech company and professors from Stanford's ed school. SF investors expect 40%+ month-over-month growth at seed stage. That's unrealistic for school year cycles, so many edtech founders struggle to meet SF's SaaS benchmarks.

Picking the right San Francisco edtech investor

Local presence matters less in SF edtech than other verticals since most deals happen over Zoom anyway. What matters is whether they understand education buying cycles. Check if their portfolio includes companies selling to schools versus direct-to-consumer. Those are completely different businesses and most investors only understand one model.

Portfolio companies tell you everything. If they've only backed corporate learning, don't pitch your K-12 product. If every portfolio company is AI tutoring, they won't fund your school administration SaaS. Look for 3-4 companies in your specific education category - not just "edtech" broadly.

Check sizes in SF edtech range from $500K pre-seed to $20M Series B. Dedicated edtech funds like Reach and Owl write $3-8M Series A checks. Generalist funds like Cowboy typically do $1-2M seeds then hand off to specialists. Corporate learning companies raise 30-40% more than K-12 at every stage because revenue is more predictable.

Local network in SF edtech means intros to Coursera executives, Khan Academy product leaders, and Google for Education partnership managers. The best SF edtech investors can connect you to school superintendents through portfolio companies. Share your deck with our trackable links so you know which investors actually review your school district pipeline before meetings.

Follow-on capacity is critical in edtech because rounds take 6-9 months to close. Most SF edtech funds reserve 50%+ of their fund for follow-ons. Ask explicitly if they lead Series B. If not, you'll need to establish East Coast relationships during your Series A since SF has fewer late-stage edtech specialists than general SaaS.

How to find and approach San Francisco edtech investors

Research local deals by checking ASU+GSV Summit attendee lists and speaker rosters from past years. Every edtech investor in SF attends. Cross-reference their recent investments on Pitchbook with your specific category. Don't waste time on funds that haven't done edtech deals since 2022.

Leverage local ecosystem through NewSchools Venture Fund events even if you're not in their portfolio. They host SF edtech meetups where investors actually show up. Imagine K12 and EdSurge connect founders to investors through their networks. Most SF edtech intros happen through other founders, not cold emails.

Build relationships first because SF edtech investors meet 5-10 education companies weekly. They won't remember you from one meeting. Attend GSV Cup competitions and ASU+GSV conference sessions where investors are judges. Comment thoughtfully on their LinkedIn posts about education. Three months of consistent interaction beats a cold intro.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with unique tracking links for each SF investor. You'll see exactly who opens your deck and how long they spend on your retention metrics versus market size. Most edtech investors skip straight to your customer acquisition cost and payback period slides.

Attend local events including ASU+GSV Summit in April and EdTechXGlobal in June. Those two conferences generate 60%+ of SF edtech deals. Skip smaller meetups unless you're pre-seed. Investors scout at Arizona State's LaunchPad competition and SXSW EDU where SF funds send partners.

Connect with portfolio founders from your target investors' education portfolios. Message them on LinkedIn explaining you're raising and ask what they wish they'd known about that investor. SF edtech founders are helpful because the community is smaller than SaaS. They'll tell you which funds actually respond within a week versus ghost for months.

Organize due diligence materials in an Ellty data room before first investor meetings. SF edtech investors want to see your school district contracts, state compliance documentation, and student data privacy policies immediately. Having this ready signals you understand education regulations that trip up most first-time founders. Security issues are usually invisible until they become costly.

Understand local pace because SF edtech deals close in 4-6 months for Series A, faster than Boston but slower than SF SaaS rounds. Investors need to reference-check your school district customers and that takes 3-4 weeks. Budget 8-10 investor meetings before term sheets. Most SF edtech funds want to see you present to their full partnership which adds 2-3 weeks.

San Francisco edtech considerations

SF edtech investors split into two camps - former teachers who understand schools and former product managers who understand growth. The first group funds cautiously and wants proof of district renewals. The second group pushes for consumer viral loops that rarely work in education. Figure out which camp your target investor is in before you pitch.

Corporate learning raises 2x faster than K-12 in SF because investors understand B2B sales cycles. If you're building for schools, expect 12-18 month fundraising timelines. Most SF funds passed on K-12 deals in 2023-2024 after seeing school budgets cut post-ESSER funding. You'll need strong unit economics and 90%+ net dollar retention to get meetings now.

18 top edtech investors in San Francisco

1. Reach Capital

Reach has backed more successful edtech exits than any SF fund and their partners actually taught in classrooms.

• Recent Deals: Numerade $12M Series A (2025), Caribu $12M Series A (2024), Quizlet growth equity (2023)
• LinkedIn: Jennifer Carolan
• Sector Focus: K-12 platforms, teacher tools, early childhood education, tutoring marketplaces
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Financial District, San Francisco
• Website: reachcap.com

2. GSV Ventures

GSV runs the biggest edtech conference and has portfolio access most funds can't match.

• Recent Deals: Degreed $32M Series D (2025), CourseHero growth rounds (2024), Coursera early investor
• LinkedIn: Deborah Quazzo
• Sector Focus: Corporate learning, higher education, skills platforms, career development
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: Presidio, San Francisco
• Website: gsvventures.com

3. Owl Ventures

Owl is the largest edtech-dedicated fund globally and leads most major SF education rounds.

• Recent Deals: Guild Education growth (2025), Handshake Series F (2024), Labster Series C (2023)
• Sector Focus: Workforce development, higher ed platforms, corporate training, bootcamps
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Palo Alto (South Bay)
• Website: owl.vc

4. Learn Capital

Learn Capital's network spans education nonprofits and Fortune 500 L&D departments better than generalist funds.

• Recent Deals: Outschool $75M Series C (2024), Age of Learning growth rounds (2023), Coursera early investor
• Sector Focus: Consumer learning, digital curriculum, school marketplaces, parent-facing products
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: SOMA, San Francisco
• Website: learncapital.com

5. Rethink Education

Rethink focuses on B2B edtech infrastructure and avoids consumer plays most SF funds chase.

• Recent Deals: Newsela $100M Series C (2024), Ellevation growth rounds (2025), PowerSchool early investor
• Sector Focus: School administration, learning management systems, assessment tools, analytics platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: FiDi, San Francisco
• Website: rethink-ed.com

6. Cowboy Ventures

Cowboy led Remind when it was just a teacher texting app and understands edtech network effects.

• Recent Deals: Remind growth rounds (2023-2024), Dropbox early investor, Dollar Shave Club (exited)
• Sector Focus: Communication platforms, teacher tools, parent engagement, classroom management
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Jackson Square, San Francisco
• Website: cowboy.vc

7. NewSchools Venture Fund

NewSchools operates between philanthropy and VC, funding riskier school models other SF investors avoid.

• Recent Deals: Summit Learning expansion (2025), KIPP school technology (2024), Rocketship Education support
• Sector Focus: Charter school networks, personalized learning, education equity, school operations
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Growth
• Office Location: Lake Merritt, Oakland
• Website: newschools.org

8. Fresco Capital

Fresco backed Brainly before consumer edtech was cool and understands viral student acquisition.

• Recent Deals: Brainly Series C (2024), Poshmark early investor (exited), Postmates seed (exited)
• Sector Focus: Consumer learning apps, study tools, peer-to-peer tutoring, student communities
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Embarcadero, San Francisco
• Website: frescocap.com

9. Emerald Technology Ventures

Emerald funds European edtech companies expanding to the US market through SF offices.

• Recent Deals: 360Learning US expansion (2025), Labster Series C (2024), Boclips growth investment
• Sector Focus: Corporate training, VR/AR learning, video platforms, enterprise learning systems
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Financial District, San Francisco
• Website: emerald.vc

10. University Ventures

University Ventures specializes in higher ed business models and income share agreements most SF funds don't understand.

• Recent Deals: Lambda School early rounds (2023), Flatiron School (acquired), multiple ISA platforms
• Sector Focus: Higher education, bootcamps, alternative credentials, student financing
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Mission District, San Francisco
• Website: universityventures.com

11. Firework Ventures

Firework backs edtech infrastructure serving school districts rather than direct-to-consumer plays.

• Recent Deals: SchoolMint growth rounds (2024), Frontline Education expansion (2025), district SaaS platforms
• Sector Focus: School operations, HR systems, student information systems, district technology
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: SOMA, San Francisco
• Website: fireworkvc.com

12. Educapital

Educapital is the European edtech fund with the strongest SF presence and cross-border deal flow.

• Recent Deals: OpenClassrooms US launch (2025), Lalilo acquisition by Renaissance (2024), EdTech France portfolio
• Sector Focus: Adaptive learning, language learning, workforce training, international expansion
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: Palo Alto (South Bay)
• Website: educapital.fr

13. Relay Ventures

Relay focuses on workforce development platforms as future of work reshapes corporate learning.

• Recent Deals: Multiverse US expansion (2024), workforce platforms serving hourly workers (2025)
• Sector Focus: Skills training, job placement, workforce development, apprenticeships
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Financial District, San Francisco
• Website: relayventures.com

14. Ajax Capital

Ajax backs B2B edtech tools that automate school administration and reduce district overhead.

• Recent Deals: School district SaaS platforms (2024-2025), procurement automation tools, compliance software
• Sector Focus: School operations, procurement, compliance, district management software
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Hayes Valley, San Francisco
• Website: ajaxcapital.com

15. Village Global

Village Global leads AI tutoring rounds and understands how LLMs will reshape personalized learning.

• Recent Deals: AI tutoring platforms (2025), adaptive learning startups, educational AI infrastructure
• Sector Focus: AI tutoring, personalized learning, educational AI, machine learning applications
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Mission Bay, San Francisco
• Website: villageglobal.vc

16. Authenticity Capital

Authenticity funds creator economy tools for teachers who monetize lesson plans and courses.

• Recent Deals: Teachers Pay Teachers growth (2024), creator platforms for educators (2025)
• Sector Focus: Teacher creator economy, curriculum marketplaces, educator tools, content monetization
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Marina District, San Francisco
• Website: authenticity.capital

17. Kapor Capital

Kapor only funds edtech addressing education equity and serving underrepresented student populations.

• Recent Deals: Code2040 support (2024), equity-focused learning platforms (2025), gap-closing tools
• Sector Focus: Education equity, underserved communities, gap-closing technology, accessibility tools
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Jack London Square, Oakland
• Website: kaporcapital.com

18. Impact Engine

Impact Engine leads social impact edtech deals serving low-income students and first-gen college students.

• Recent Deals: First-gen college platforms (2025), financial aid tools (2024), college access programs
• Sector Focus: College access, financial aid, first-generation students, impact measurement
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Dogpatch, San Francisco
• Website: theimpactengine.com

Start tracking your San Francisco edtech investor outreach

These 18 investors closed SF edtech deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to Bay Area education funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each San Francisco edtech investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your customer acquisition costs versus retention metrics. SF edtech investors typically skip your team slide and jump straight to unit economics and churn data.

When San Francisco investors ask for more materials during diligence, share an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your district contracts, student data privacy documentation, and state compliance certifications in one secure place with view analytics. Most SF edtech deals require 4-6 weeks of legal review, so having organized documentation speeds up term sheet negotiations.

Common questions

Do I need to be in San Francisco to raise from SF edtech investors?

No, but you'll close rounds 40% faster if you can take in-person meetings in SF. Most edtech investors want to meet 3-4 times before term sheets. Flying out for a week of back-to-back meetings works better than monthly trips. Remote fundraising works for Series B+ but seed rounds usually need face time.

How does San Francisco compare to Boston for edtech fundraising?

SF has 3x more edtech capital but Boston investors understand school district sales better. SF funds push for faster growth and higher valuations. Boston accepts slower growth if you have strong school renewals. Corporate learning raises easier in SF. K-12 administrative tools raise easier in Boston.

What's the average Series A size for SF edtech companies?

$12-18M for B2B edtech and $8-12M for consumer education products. Corporate learning companies raise at the high end. K-12 companies struggle to break $10M unless they have 100+ district customers. That's 40% higher than edtech Series A rounds in NYC or Austin.

Should I raise locally or pitch SF investors from another city?

Raise in SF if you're building corporate learning, AI tutoring, or consumer education apps. The capital concentration and expertise is worth relocating for. Stay local if you're selling to school districts in another region - Boston, Austin, and Denver have strong edtech communities and better school system connections than SF.

What industries get funded most in San Francisco edtech?

Corporate learning and workforce development dominate SF edtech funding in 2025-2026. AI tutoring and personalized learning platforms raised significant capital. K-12 classroom tools struggle unless you have proven district adoption. Higher ed platforms raise consistently if they focus on career outcomes over degrees.