In the latest dealmaking news, IXL Learning, a K-12 personalized learning platform, has acquired Education.com, an online provider of digital and printable learning resources for pre-K to 5th graders. Education management system ASSIST Education is partnering with Santillana, a Spanish education publisher and reseller, to market and implement the ASSIST U.S. High School Diploma program to K-12 schools throughout Brazil. U.K.-based Strictly Education, an education support services provider, acquired BM Education, another school support services provider. In Nigeria, ed-tech startup uLesson raised $3.1 million before launch, and in Mumbai, GreyAtom, another ed-tech startup, has raised $1.2 million in a pre-series A round.

IXL Learning purchases learning resources platform Education.com. IXL Learning, a K-12 personalized learning platform that the company said is used by 8 million students, announced it has acquired Education.com, an online education digital and printable learning resources provider that serves more than 23 million teachers, parents, and homeschoolers, according to the company.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Both companies are based in San Mateo, Calif.

“Everything we do at IXL is motivated by one thing: improving learning for all students,” said Paul Mishkin, CEO of IXL Learning, in an announcement. “With a high-quality and well-rounded collection of resources for educators and students, Education.com is a wonderful complement to IXL.”

Founded in 2006, Education.com offers more than 30,000 digital and printable learning resources for pre-K to 5th grade. Covering over 800 skills in math, language arts, science, social studies and more, Education.com’s materials are developed by experienced educators, are aligned to Common Core standards, and offer students multiple ways to engage with learning, including printable worksheets, online games, lesson plans, and a learning library with hands-on activities, educational songs, and interactive stories.

“Education.com’s mission is to create experiences that inspire curiosity and a passion for learning,” said Rich Yang, CEO of Education.com, in the acquisition announcement. “Joining forces with a like-minded organization such as IXL will better enable us to achieve this vision and help even more students reach their potential.”

This announcement follows IXL’s 2018 acquisition of ABCya, the creator of more than 400 educational computer games and apps for kids.

Founded in 1998, IXL Learning’s flagship product is IXL, a personalized learning platform that helps teachers and parents reach learners with the goal of helping them achieve more. It offers a comprehensive K-12 curriculum, the IXL Continuous Diagnostic, personalized guidance and real-time analytics.

ASSIST Education partners with K-12 Spanish publisher Santillana to offer its American high school diploma in Brazil. The integrated education management system, ASSIST Education, announced recently that it signed an agreement with textbook and general interest publisher Santillana to market and implement its ASSIST U.S. High School Diploma program to K-12 schools throughout Brazil.

Based in Reno, Nev., ASSIST Education has developed a cloud-based, education management system with built-in accredited school solutions. Founded by a team of experienced education professionals, ASSIST combines all aspects of student data through its student information system, a learning management system, and a curriculum management system.

English language acquisition and an American high school diploma are valued in Brazil, the fifth-largest market in the world, and internationally.

Operating in 22 countries, Santillana is a Spanish education publisher and reseller throughout Latin America and Spain, dedicated to the improvement of the quality of education and culture.

The ASSIST Integrated Education Management System includes English language curriculum for English language learners, online high school with general education courses, and a United States high school diploma program, as well as a new American Universities Pathway Program for international students. ASSIST’s new K-16 solution is designed to enable its international high school students to continue their education at an American university with guaranteed acceptance to 15 universities across 10 states in the U.S.

“We are really excited about this new partnership,” said Márcio Canto, commercial language manager at Santillana Group, Brazil in the official announcement. “ASSIST Education offers us an outstanding solution for a dual diploma program. It adds great value for our portfolio and complements our bilingual offering.”

“Santillana is a strong partner that understands the ASSIST platform and has the school relationships to leverage ASSIST’s resources and programs to make a significant impact improving students’ education options in Brazil,” said Michael Spencer, CEO of ASSIST Education, in the announcement.

U.K.-based Strictly Education acquires 3BM Education. In a move intended to strengthen its position as a single-source strategic solutions partner for schools, academies, and multi-academy trusts, Strictly Education has acquired 3BM Education, which provides special computing, safeguarding, governance, finance, and IT services to support schools.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Strictly Education is an education support services provider for schools with a vision to support the growth of schools by providing a robust “back office” solution. The acquisition of 3BM Education adds to Strictly Education’s existing HR, payroll, finance, school leadership, and other services with capabilities that include raising students’ computing standards and keeping children safe online, according to the acquisition announcement.

“Welcoming another school support services provider borne out of an innovative joint venture created by three London Boroughs into the organization is a great strategic fit,” said Amanda Fisher, CEO of Strictly Education in a statement.

“As a specialist services provider, we bring many years of education expertise, delivering strategic services that support schools to improve education and learning,” said Andy Rennison, managing director at 3BM.

Nigeria-based uLesson raises $3.1 million in pre-launch seed round. uLesson, a company building an app to help African students, has raised $3.1 million in advance of its February 2020 launch.

The funding was led by venture capitalists TLcom Capital, and uLesson’s CEO Sim Shagaya told African Business that it will be used to bring the app-based home tutor to the West African market.

uLesson offers a library of pre-recorded lesson content aligned with the curriculum in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Gambia, Shagaya told the publication. Plans are in the works to develop a curriculum for East Africa as well.

On its website, the company said it also provides adaptive and interactive tests to help students master concepts and recommends lessons for practice sessions.

India-based ed-tech startup GreyAtom raises $1.2 million in a pre-series A round. GreyAtom, an ed-tech company that has built a platform to teach technology courses, has received $1.2 million in a pre-series A round led by Montane Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund based in Mumbai and Bangalore, India.

The company provides education online and offline, and will use the funding to diversify its course offerings, according to a story in Inc42. Professionals who are accepted into their programs will not be charged upfront, but will commit a fixed percentage of their income once they accept a job using their new skills, the publication indicated.

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See also:

• K-12 Dealmaking: IXL Learning Makes Acquisition; Brightwheel Raises $21 Million
• Inside Brazil’s Huge, Complex K-12 Market
• 6 Tips for Making It in Developing African Markets
• Can Byju’s, India’s Ed-Tech Juggernaut, Conquer the U.S. Market?
• India’s Economy Is Soaring, But Breaking Into Its School Market Isn’t Easy