Panorama Raises $60M Series C Funding to Support Student Success

Panorama Education Secures $60 Million in Series C Funding

Panorama Education, a provider of K-12 educational software, has successfully completed a $60 million Series C funding round. The investment was spearheaded by General Atlantic.

Previous investors, including Owl Ventures, Emerson Collective, Uncork Capital, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Tao Capital Partners, also contributed to this financing. This brings the total funding raised by the Boston-based company since its founding in 2012 to $105 million.

Growth and Market Penetration

The company has not disclosed the valuation associated with the Series C round, nor has it released specific financial growth figures. However, CEO and co-founder Aaron Feuer revealed that Panorama currently supports 13 million students across 23,000 schools nationwide.

This represents a significant market share, with 25% of all students in the United States now attending schools within districts utilizing Panorama’s services.

Over half of the 100 largest school districts in the country, along with numerous state education agencies, rely on the platform. More than 1,500 school districts are currently customers.

Notable clients include the New York City Department of Education, the Clark County School District in Nevada, Dallas ISD in Texas, and the Hawaii Department of Education.

Since March 2020, Panorama has onboarded 700 new school districts, effectively doubling its customer base from the 800 it served 18 months earlier.

Core Functionality and Data Collection

Panorama’s core offering centers around collecting actionable data through surveys administered to students, parents, and teachers.

The company was founded by former Yale graduate students, Aaron Feuer and Xan Tanner, with the goal of improving how schools gather and interpret feedback from their student populations.

Addressing Social-Emotional Learning Needs

The rise in virtual learning, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has underscored the critical importance of addressing students’ social and emotional well-being.

Many students have experienced increased levels of depression and anxiety due to social isolation, potentially impacting their mental health more profoundly than academic setbacks.

Student surveys explore areas such as feelings of safety at school, trust in teachers, and perceptions of their own potential.

“We facilitate surveys for students, teachers, and parents to gain insights into the school environment and experiences,” Feuer explained to TechCrunch. “Furthermore, we assist schools in measuring social and emotional development, providing data comparable to that available for academic subjects like mathematics.”

Data Integration and Actionable Insights

In the past year alone, 25 million individuals nationwide have participated in Panorama surveys, generating a substantial amount of data.

The platform integrates seamlessly with existing district data systems, creating a comprehensive “panorama” of student information.

“This integration empowers teachers to access a complete view of each student’s profile in a single location,” Feuer stated. “More importantly, we equip teachers with the tools to develop targeted interventions and support plans.”

Demonstrated Benefits

Districts utilizing Panorama’s software have reported positive outcomes, including:

• Improved graduation rates
• Reduced behavioral incidents
• Increased student engagement
• Strengthened relationships between students and educators

Future Plans and Investment Strategy

The newly acquired capital will be allocated to ongoing product development, strengthening partnerships with school districts, and expanding the company’s workforce.

Panorama currently employs approximately 250 individuals.

Interestingly, the company had not sought additional funding in recent years, as it did not deem it necessary.

“Our engagement with General Atlantic revealed the potential to significantly amplify our impact on schools,” Feuer shared with TechCrunch. “However, it was crucial that we only raise capital when it wasn’t a necessity, but rather a strategic choice to accelerate investment in our business.”

General Atlantic’s Perspective

Tanzeen Syed, Managing Director at General Atlantic, highlighted the firm’s strong focus on the edtech sector.

“Our assessment of the U.S. education system revealed a significant opportunity to leverage software and technology to enhance the student experience,” he said. “We believe we are still in the early stages of realizing this potential.”

Syed emphasized that Panorama is more than just a business venture.

“The company demonstrates a genuine and profound commitment to providing students and administrators with the tools needed to improve the learning environment,” Syed told TechCrunch. “Their unwavering focus on product development to achieve this goal is remarkable. Furthermore, feedback from schools and districts consistently validates their approach.”