Innovative entrepreneurial sectors all need dedicated investment funds, and the global education technology industry is no different. Indeed, it’s presently worth approximately $9.5 billion. While new investment funds are not uncommon, one new education technology investment fund—Exceed Capital—is really drawing a lot of attention for the surprising size of its investment pool.
While Exceed is new, its team has a strong track record in this field. Victor Hu, co-founder of Goldman Sachs’s education division, leads Exceed. Also on the team is James Tieng, who according to EdSurge, was “previously a principal at Quad Partners, a private equity firm that specializes in education deals.” Advisors Louise Rogers (former CEO of UK-based TES Global), Hesong Tang (former head of M&A at Baidu, Chip Paucek (CEO at 2U), Tom Davidson (CEO at EVERFI) and Dennis Yang (former chief of Udemy) round out this powerhouse. Clearly, there is a plethora of experience in education innovation behind this investment.
Underlying this mission is a commitment from a non-U.S. family fund to the tune of nine figures (that’s right, hundreds of millions of dollars). Hu refuses to disclose the exact amount, and he does not intend to rest on this commitment, either, as he intends to continue raising money.
The project will focus on investing in companies seeking to grow rather than on true startups. However, they do plan to invest in the full range of education—from Kindergarten to college, lifelong learners, consumers, and businesses—anything that builds human capital. These efforts will include applying machine learning to education or even the Storyball smart ball with which children can play and interact. China’s strong market will also be examined and considered, since education technology endeavors are international, and China comprises a huge portion of the market.
