Amazon’s Bezos, Google’s Schmidt invest in DC startup EverFi

WASHINGTON — District-based education technology company EverFi is getting more backing from big name internet pioneers, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google chairman Eric Schmidt.

EverFi has raised $40 million in a new round of funding, led by Bezos’ investment arm, Bezos Expedition, Schmidt’s investor group Tomorrow Ventures and New Enterprise Associates.

It is the latest round of investments from Bezos and Schmidt, early investors in the company. EverFi has raised $61 million to date.

EverFi, founded in 2008, runs interactive online courses certifying students in a wide range of skills, from financial education and STEM career readiness, to alcohol responsibility and sexual assault prevention.

Since its founding, it has certified over 14 million students in critical skills areas through its subscription-based networks. Its customers include more than 3,300 companies, sports leagues, foundations and schools.

“EverFi has created one of the most powerful and innovative models in the education space,” said EverFi founder and CEO Tom Davidson in a statement announcing the new round of funding. “Our goal is to be the learning engine of every major corporation, university and school district around these critical topic areas.”

Earlier this month, EverFi acquired compliance-education provider LawRoom and its subsidiary CampusClarity, bringing its higher education customers to 1,300 institutions.

Other investors in the new round of funding include Rethink Education, Advance Publications and Silicon Valley Bank.

EverFi has 95 employees in the District and 300 employees total. The company has offices in Boston, Chicago and in the San Francisco Bay Area in Walnut Creek, California.

Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up