7 STEM Startups Win Big at Silicon Valley Software Competition

Seven ed tech startups have won a Silicon Valley competition for STEM software developers and will get the chance to pilot their creations in local Bay Area schools.

Modeled after the TV show "Shark Tank," the iHub Pitch Games let a dozen game makers -- plucked from an initial 41 applicants -- pitch their software to a panel of educators and business leaders, including Jed York, the CEO of the San Francisco 49ers, Mike Smith, former undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education, and administrators from local school districts.

The winners are:

  • BrightLoop, a web-based tool for tracking student progress;
  • CodeMonkey, an online game that teaches computer programming;
  • MathChat, which lets students collaborate on homework or classwork;
  • TeachMe, an educational games and apps engine;
  • Mathspace, a tablet-based math app;
  • Mosa Mack Science, a middle school science program; and
  • Tuva Labs, which empowers students to learn basic data science skills.

As part of their prize, the developers will collaborate with 24 teachers in 12 different school districts, who will test various pieces of winning software with their students and provide feedback -- an invaluable opportunity for budding ed tech entrepreneurs.  

The competition is a part of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation, whose mission is to connect developers and teachers to test new technologies.

About the Author

Stephen Noonoo is an education technology journalist based in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter @stephenoonoo.

Featured

  • classroom scene with students gathered around a laptop showing a virtual tour interface

    Discovery Education Announces Spring Lineup of Free Virtual Field Trips

    This Spring, Discovery Education is collaborating with partners such as Warner Bros., DC Comics, National Science Foundation, NBA, and more to present a series of free virtual field trips for K-12 students.

  • glowing padlock shape integrated into a network of interconnected neon-blue lines and digital nodes, set against a soft, blurred geometric background

    3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year

    In an annual survey from education identity platform Clever, 74% of administrators admitted that they believe a security incident is likely to impact their school system in the coming year. That's up from 71% who said the same last year.

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • pattern of icons for math and reading, including a pi symbol, calculator, and open book

    HMH Launches Personalized Path Solution

    Adaptive learning company HMH has introduced HMH Personalized Path, a K-8 ELA and math product that combines intervention curriculum, adaptive practice, and assessment for students of all achievement levels.