Dive Brief:

• U.S. ed tech startups set a record high in 2015, raising $1.85 billion dollars in 198 deals, according to Ed Surge.
• Some $537 million of that went to K-12 products, while $711 million was spent on companies providing higher ed tools and solutions.
• The Edtech Index chart, created by Ed Surge, looked at “all investments in technology companies whose primary purpose is to improve outcomes for all learners, regardless of age,” finding that the majority of money was spent on post-secondary solutions, as well as tools aimed at helping business professionals, parents, or other groups outside of K-12 or higher-ed institutions specifically.

Dive Insight:

Over the last five years, the total annual amount of ed tech investment has continued to rise. Yet some investors also see the ed tech space as overvalued, citing the existence of an “ed tech bubble” that may eventually burst. Among the most likely buyers for ed tech companies are Google, Pearson, McGraw-Hill, Amazon, and LinkedIn.