Dreamit and Blackboard Announce Partnership to Accelerate EdTech Startup Success

Strategic Partnership Focused on Driving Innovation in EdTech

Press Release: Dreamit, a leading global startup accelerator, and Blackboard Inc., the world's leading education technology company, today announced a strategic partnership focused on driving innovation in EdTech. The partnership will provide mentoring, customer and partner development and marketing support to an exclusive group of high-potential startups participating in Dreamit EdTech.

Dreamit has launched more than 250 startups into health care, consumer tech, and other industries and, in partnership withPenn State, introduced Dreamit EdTech in March of 2016 with a mission to change the face of education by connecting passionate entrepreneurs with the commercial feedback and resources they need to achieve scale. Participating startups receive company-building support, networking guidance, real-world validation from key customers, and expertise from industry leaders. Dreamit is currently accepting applications for the next EdTech cohort. Interested companies can learn more and apply here; the deadline to apply is July 6.

"We're thrilled to be working with Blackboard, a leader in EdTech and a company that intuitively gets the power of acceleration," said Avi Savar, Dreamit CEO.  "Mentorship and industry validation from Blackboard will go a long way to breaking down barriers to innovation for our entrepreneurs."

Blackboard will participate in Dreamit's First Customer Network, hosting a customer immersion on-site with key Blackboard stakeholders, mentoring entrepreneurs and opening doors within the organization for possible pilot programs. Blackboard will also work with Dreamit to identify and mentor EdTech startups who provide compelling solutions that address current global industry trends focused on the evolution of the Learner and Learner Centric education models.

"Blackboard's partnership with Dreamit will not only provide support for EdTech innovators who are daring to change the trajectory of our educational system, but also encourage diverse thinking and idea generation across the industry," said Lily Ladd, Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Blackboard. "We are focused on reimagining education technology to solve the big challenges facing educators, administrators and learners wherever they are in the learning journey. We encourage EdTech entrepreneurs with the next big idea to apply to be part of the Blackboard/Dreamit collaboration."

Startups from Dreamit's Spring 2016 EdTech cohort will present at the Innovation Hub Showcase at BbWorld 2016, Blackboard's annual education technology event for educators and administrators taking place at The Venetian in Las Vegas from July 12-14. The startups will demonstrate their ideas, products, and services to industry leaders, customers and partners. Dreamit will also discuss the importance of early customer feedback in the development cycle during the BbWorld Live Rocket Session on July 14.

About Blackboard, Inc.  
Blackboard is the world's leading education technology company. We challenge conventional thinking and advance new models of learning in order to reimagine education and make it more accessible, engaging and relevant to the modern-day learner and the institutions that serve them. In partnership with our customers and partners in higher education and K-12 as well as corporations and government agencies around the world, our mission is to help every learner achieve their full potential by inspiring a passion for lifelong learning. For more information about Blackboard, follow us on Twitter @Blackboard.

About Dreamit
Ranked one of the top 10 accelerators in the world by Forbes and a top 20 most active venture investor by the National Venture Capital Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dreamit focuses on bringing the right people together to drive progressive innovation and real business velocity. Dreamit has launched over 250 startups that have gone on to raise in excess of $275M and are collectively worth in excess of $1.5B including LevelUp, SeatGeek, BioBots, Biomeme, Adaptly, Meerkat, and more.

Dreamit is currently seeking innovative edtech and digital health companies for its fall accelerator program. Applications are due July 6.