(ROCKVILLE, MD) April 5, 2021 — AmplioSpeech (“Amplio”), a developer of a digital platform that connects students, educators and therapists with advanced technologies to help students with special needs, announced today that it has raised $27 million in funding. Quad Partners, a private equity firm focused on high-quality education companies, led the investment, and was joined by existing investor Volos Investments, an operator of a group of special education schools.
“Amplio utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to improve student outcomes in various areas of need – speech-language deficits, dyslexia and others” said Dr. Yair Shapira, founder and CEO, who established it to help his son who stutters.
“Studies show that student progress is highly correlated to the level of intensity in the interventions. Amplio’s platform equips students with individualized, outcomes-focused instruction so they can meet their goals and make faster progress, especially in light of the learning loss accumulated through the pandemic,” Shapira added.
The funding will be used for product development and to expand the company’s marketing, sales and customer success operations. Tens of thousands of students have received services and interventions using the Amplio platform since the solution was launched in 2019.
“Our mission is to help students with special needs maximize their potential, and we’re thrilled that this funding will enable us to reach more children,” Shapira said.
According to the US Department of Education, 14% of the total students in schools, 7.1 million students, are treated under the federal special education laws. These children face various challenges that interfere with their academic capabilities, including specific learning disabilities, language and communication deficits, autism, intellectual disabilities, physical impairments and others. The law requires education systems to treat students with special needs and to include them in the least restrictive environment. U.S. school districts spend around $100B annually on special education. Despite the huge expenditure, special education in schools is still suboptimal, with low efficiency, and a chronic shortage in therapists. All these lead to slow progress, accumulative learning loss and stigmatization.
“We’ve been investing in Education Technology for years,” says Connor O’Keefe of Quad Partners. “While education systems have adopted a variety of technologies, special education lags behind. Amplio revolutionizes this immensely important field, addresses an acute need of vulnerable students, educators and education systems, and has gained considerable recognition and buy-in from the market.”
Amplio’s solution enables educators and therapists to devote more time to direct work while making data-driven decisions regarding each student’s progress. Administrators gain a 360-degree view into student progress and programs, resources, compliance, and funding.
With offices in Haifa, Israel, and Rockville, Maryland, Amplio currently has approximately 50 employees and plans to increase its headcount significantly in the coming months.
About AmplioSpeech
Amplio’s digital platform connects students, educators, therapists and administrators with advanced technologies to help students with special needs maximize their potential and improve outcomes. Whether on-site or online, the platform equips students with individualized, high-fidelity interventions and enables educators to devote more time to direct instruction. Administrators gain a 360-degree view into student progress and programs, resources, compliance and funding. Our solutions are developed in conjunction with parents and a world-class advisory council, academics, and school administrators with expertise in special populations. Tens of thousands of students have received services and interventions using the Amplio platform since the solution was launched in 2019. For more information, please visit: http://www.ampliospeech.com
About Quad Partners
Quad Partners is a private equity firm committed to creating long-term value by investing in and building high-quality education companies. Founded in 2000, Quad has managed approximately $800 million and has invested in more than 60 education companies, either as platforms or add-on acquisitions. For more information, please visit: http://www.quadpartners.com
Contacts
Connor O’Keefe
connor@quadpartners.com
+1 917-261-3655
