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Codeverse scores $10M seed round to expand nationally next year

August 23, 2018

- Category : Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

If you want to teach a billion kids to code, you’re going to need some funding.

Children’s coding school Codeverse announced on Thursday that it has raised a $10 million seed round. The company operates studios where children ages six to 13 learn KidScript, a language the startup developed to teach the fundamentals of coding.

“The goal was to start in Chicago and then expand to around 40 studios across the country,” said co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer Katy Lynch. “This round is going straight into our expansion plans, starting with Naperville and Wilmette. In 2019 we’ll be looking to launch in an additional market.”

“A big part of this round is the expansion of the brick and mortar, but also to invest in KidScript.”

Lynch, the former CEO of Techweek, and her husband, Belly co-founder Craig Ulliott, opened Codeverse’s first brick-and-mortar location in 2017 in Lincoln Park. Lynch said expanding to Wilmette and Naperville “just makes sense” given the demand for Codeverse — both new locations currently have wait lists — and the support the company has received from the communities.

“Prior to launching our studio in Lincoln Park, we spent some time in the North Shore and west suburbs demoing KidScript at schools,” said Lynch. “The chambers of commerce, city officials and schools there have been very supportive of our mission since day one.”

At the company’s studios, children build mobile games and applications that give them control over everything from the facility’s lights to its 3D printers and drones. Powering all this play is KidScript, which is designed to teach children the core concepts of popular coding languages like JavaScript, Ruby and Python.

In addition to growing its physical footprint, Lynch said the company’s seed round will be used to accelerate the development of its kid-friendly coding language.

“A big part of this round is the expansion of the brick and mortar, but also to invest in KidScript,” said Lynch. “Right now, KidScript is only available to students at our studios, but in the future it will be available as a standalone service.”

To support its growth the buildout of KidScript, Codeverse will do some serious hiring. The company will make over 100 new hires in the next 12 months, the majority of which will be studio managers, assistants and instructors. The hiring spree will drastically increase its headcount, which currently sits at 34 full-time employees.

Codeverse also made several leadership hires over the past few months, including a director of programming, VP of North America and VP of product.

“The new talent we’ve brought on, including leaders from the STEAM and education space, is a testament to our commitment to our students, providing the best on-site support to enable their education,” said Lynch in a statement.

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Codeverse Raises $10M to Open Two New Coding Studios in Chicagoland

By admin on

August 23, 2018

- Category : Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

Codeverse, the Chicago-based startup that launched last year to teach children to code, has raised a new round of funding to help it open two new learning studios in Chicago’s suburbs.

The tech company announced Thursday that it has raised more than $10 million in venture capital funding in a round that closed at the end of July. Katy Lynch, the co-founder and chief marketing officer at Codeverse, declined to disclose who the investors were, but said they are from a range of areas, including the Midwest, some coastal cities and even overseas.

With the new funds, Codeverse is opening two new studios by the end of this year, one in Wilmette and one in Naperville. The expansion is part of a larger initiative to operate 40 studios throughout the country.

“It’s super exciting,” said Lynch, who is also the founder of Social Katy, which was acquired by Manifest Digital. “Our big mission ultimately is to teach 1 billion kids to code, starting in Chicago.”

Children at Codeverse’s learning studio in Lincoln Park. (Photo via Codeverse)

Codeverse already has one learning studio in Lincoln Park, at 819 W. Eastman St., which opened in July 2017. Using Codeverse’s proprietary coding language Kidscript, kids can begin writing code in as little as 15 minutes.

“They’re able to build their own apps and games based on what they are learning in our curriculum,” Lynch said.

The classes, which last for 75 minutes and can accommodate up to 32 students, are designed for children ages six to 12. A four-month commitment for weekly classes costs $175 per month, and paying month-to-month costs $225.

Lynch said though Codeverse’s programs are targeted toward all children, the company understands that not all can afford it. To help make Codeverse accessible to as many students as possible, it has partnered with charities and nonprofits that financially assist students who need it most.

Lynch said Codeverse’s instructors range from certified teachers to working professionals with design and coding backgrounds. The startup also hires those with backgrounds in the arts, Lynch said.

Right now, Codeverse has about 40 full-time employees, 21 of which are instructors at the company’s studios. But over the next three months, Lynch said Codeverse plans to hire 60 more people.

Just recently, Codeverse has made significant leadership hires, including Chris Bordeaux, the former COO at Techweek, who is serving as its vice president of partnerships, and Priya Mathew, a former product developer at Google, who is now Codeverse’s senior vice president of product.

Link to original article : https://www.americaninno.com/chicago/funding-chicago/codeverse-raises-10m-to-open-two-new-coding-studios-in-chicagoland/

“We’re dedicated to bringing our students the absolute best experience to enable them to learn code through our platform,” Lynch said. “The new talent we’ve brought on including leaders from the STEAM and education space is a testament to our commitment to our students, providing the best on-site support to enable their education.”