Dive Brief:
- FiftyThree has landed $30 million in funding from New Enterprise Associates for education and enterprise tools.
- The company is probably best-known for its "Paper" app and subsequent "essential kit," which allowed users to get some of the benefits and style elements of writing, drawing, and coloring on traditional paper while using a tablet.
- NEA wants to see the consumer-oriented company bring some of this creativity to education.
Dive Insight:
Education apps don't have to be clunky or ugly. FiftyThree is beautifully designed with an attractive aesthetic, so why not push that into classrooms? Having students use apps could even turn them on to design and art subjects that unfortunately no longer have as heavy a presence in schools.
Of course, there is still the question of cost. While the Paper app is currently free, it sounds like the company is hoping to launch a premium set of tools, dubbed Think Kit. When classrooms are already tight on funds, it's difficult to prioritize something that doesn't have the same immediate value as, say, a new math curriculum or program. Of course, the counter is that programs like Paper or Think Kit allow a lot more flexibility for creativity, and for teachers to create new lessons that utilize those tools.
