INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Computer science curriculum startup Codelicious announced a close to its $940,000 financing round, oversubscribing the $500,000 goal. Investors included Collina Ventures, GRE Capital and Elevate Ventures, among others.
Across the state, computer science positions are in high demand and the need to educate students earlier in this field continues to rise. However, elementary and middle school teachers often cite challenges related to a lack of skills, a lack of resources (lesson plans) and a lack of professional development. Codelicious helps alleviate all three of these pain points, providing instant access to computer science curriculums for grades 3-8 that educators can teach in the classroom.
The platform enables instructors to build their coding skills while building skills in their students. Utilizing a patent-pending technology, Codelicious’ full-semester, interactive, comprehensive skills-building curriculum ensures that teachers are always connected with the most current technology. Through their model, Codelicious strives to build confidence in educators and students in the classroom.
“At Codelicious, we are creating access and removing barriers to teaching and learning computer science,” said Christine McDonnell, Codelicious CEO. “We believe in the importance of building foundational skills early to prepare the workforce of tomorrow. This belief drives our focus to develop courses that any educator can confidently teach, regardless of their computer science background and that engage students of all learning styles.”
Codelicious has been building its curriculum since 2016, driven by a desire to provide elementary and middle school students with a foundational skills building, interactive and collaborative experience. In January 2017, Codelicious began to offer computer science curriculum through a SaaS subscription model, calling it Curriculum as a Service. Codelicious landed their first school district in spring 2017, and has been adding private, charter and public schools ever since.
A growing number of states, including Indiana, are advancing initiatives to integrate computer science into the classroom. Codelicious’ mission aligns with one of Governor Holcomb’s priorities, which requires all schools to offer at least one computer science course by 2021.
“Under Governor Holcomb’s leadership, Indiana is committed to equipping its workforce with the skills needed to fill jobs in high-wage, high-demand sectors like technology,” said Elaine Bedel, president of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). “Startup companies like Codelicious play a critical role in these efforts, helping Hoosier educators integrate computer science training in the classroom. As a graduate of the first gBETA Indy program, we are excited to see Codelicious leveraging Indiana’s entrepreneurial network to fuel its development and reinvest in our growing, high-tech ecosystem.”
Codelicious was also one of five Indiana-based startups to participate in gBETA Indy, a free, seven-week accelerator program co-hosted by gener8tor and the IEDC. In strategic partnership with the IEDC, Elevate Ventures invests in early-stage companies like Codelicious through the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, which promotes economic growth and innovation-driven public-private partnerships in Indiana.
"Codelicious has a rare opportunity. The startup is poised to impact not only the state's current entrepreneurial ecosystem, but also its future one. Through the platform, students are better poised to fill high-demand tech positions and perhaps build their own future startups here in Indiana,” said Chris LaMothe, Elevate Ventures CEO. “Our decision to invest in Codelicious’ long-term goals is validated by the state’s and Governor Holcomb’s priorities to focus on the growth of our talent.”
Codelicious will use the funding raise to accelerate growth through scaling sales and marketing efforts, building out intellectual property and adding critical personnel that will drive scalable growth. Currently, Codelicious has 10 paying clients with additional clients in the pipeline.
About Codelicious
Codelicious builds confidence in educators and students in the classroom by providing instant access to computer science curriculum for grades 3-8 that any educator can teach. Utilizing a patent pending technology, Codelicious’ full-semester, interactive, comprehensive skills-building curriculum ensures that teachers are always connected with the most current technology. Since launching their curriculum-as-a-service model in January of 2017, Codelicious has secured paying clients with revenues of over $100,000.
About Elevate Ventures
Elevate Ventures is a private venture development organization that nurtures and develops emerging and existing high-growth businesses into high-performing, Indiana-based companies. Elevate Ventures accomplishes this by providing access to capital, rigorous business analysis and robust advisory services that connect companies with the right mix of resources businesses need to succeed long term. To learn more about Elevate Ventures, visit elevateventures.com.
About IEDC
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts, helping businesses launch, grow and locate in the state. Governed by a 15-member board chaired by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, the IEDC manages many initiatives, including performance-based tax credits, workforce training grants, innovation and entrepreneurship resources, public infrastructure assistance, and talent attraction and retention efforts. For more information about the IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.