MakerKids Selected to the GSV Cup Elite 200

Will Compete for $1 Million in Prizes in World’s Largest Pitch Competition For EdTech Startups

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Jan 18, 2022) — MakerKids has been selected to The Elite 200, the acclaimed list of semifinalists in The GSV Cup — the world’s largest pitch competition for EdTech startups run by female-led, multi-stage venture capital firm GSV Ventures. Companies selected to The Elite 200 represent the top pre-seed and seed stage startups in digital learning across the “Pre-K to Gray” space. MakerKids will now compete for up to $1M in cash and prizes in San Diego this April at the ASU+GSV Summit, the annual education technology event hosted by Arizona State University and GSV Ventures.

MakerKids was selected from a global applicant pool of 750+ companies, the largest application pool for the GSV Cup yet. More than 175 judges from leading venture capital firms and strategic partners in digital learning like Accel, General Atlantic, Reach Capital, and Owl Ventures, among others, used rigorous criteria to determine the 200 most promising companies.

“We are very excited to have been selected to The Elite 200 semi-finalists list in The GSV Cup. We are looking forward to connecting with fellow EdTech innovators, leaders and funders. We envision a future where kids have greater access to building the skills and mindsets to change the world – and we believe that being part of this prestigious competition will help us do our part in getting there.” – Jennifer Turliuk, CEO of MakerKids

“We’re at a critical and exciting time for the future of society,” said Deborah Quazzo, managing partner of GSV Ventures. “The pandemic has made it increasingly clear that Ed is on The Edge — on the edge of innovation, transformation, globalization. We’ve always imagined a new era in which ALL people have equal access to the future, and this year’s Elite 200 companies are emblematic of that vision. We’re proud to name the 200 semifinalists in the GSV Cup competition and look forward to having them pitch live at the ASU+GSV Summit.”

The Elite 200 companies serve learners from Pre-K to Gray, with companies well-distributed across the following categories: Early Childhood, K-12, Higher Education, Adult Consumer Learning, and Adult Enterprise Learning. The 2022 Elite 200 continue to break barriers, comprised of an increasingly diverse and global group:

58% of companies have female founders
51% of companies have founders that identify as people of color
44% of companies are based outside the United States

The GSV Cup is powered by Google Cloud, HubSpot for Startups, HolonIQ, and GSV Ventures.

See MakerKids and the rest of the companies selected to the GSV Cup Elite 200 at https://www.asugsvsummit.com/gsv-cup-elite-200

ABOUT MAKERKIDS

MakerKids is an award-winning learning platform that is building core technical, programming, and social-emotional skills for kids. Parents use MakerKids to augment their childrens’ core curriculum with small group project-based learning programs that have won the endorsement of psychologists, Intel, and other child education advocates. It’s been featured by Wired, Forbes, Popular Science and more. Kids have started businesses, won prizes from NASA, been featured in magazines, and more. MakerKids’ STEM programs in coding, robotics and Minecraft empower children to be creators, not just consumers.

ABOUT GSV VENTURES

GSV Ventures is a female-led, multi-stage venture capital firm focused on the $7+ trillion education sector. The fund is currently investing out of GSV Ventures Fund III and backs innovative entrepreneurs around the world in the “Pre-K to Gray” Arc of Learning. GSV manages over $675 million in global EdTech investments. Portfolio holdings include Andela, Class Technologies, ClassDojo, Coursera, Course Hero, Degreed, Guild, MasterClass, Outlier, Photomath, Quizizz, Lead School, Brightchamps, and ClassPlus, among others.

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For Media Relations contact:

Jennifer Turliuk, jenn@makerkids.com