Edia, an innovative AI-driven math education platform, guarantees improved student math outcomes within one year of implementation or a full refund. This bold commitment underscores the company's confidence in its holistic solution that uses artificial intelligence to deliver personalized student feedback, empower teachers with real-time data, and facilitate targeted interventions. Recently, Edia secured $9.4 million in a Series A funding round led by Felicis, with contributions from 8VC, Inspired Capital, Susa Ventures, and notable angel investors, including JD Ross, founder of Opendoor.
“Edia is not just a single-use product where students practive for 20 minutes; it offers a comprehensive solution,” said co-founder and CEO Joe Philleo in an exclusive interview. “We work with each district to understand their goals. By implementing Edia across grades 6 to 12, if you don't see better outcomes within one year, our service is completely free.”
A standout feature of Edia is its capability for students to type and demonstrate their math work directly on Chromebooks. This adaptation was inspired by tools designed for typing complex characters in Chinese and Japanese. “For example, when typing an exponent, you simply start with 'exponent' or 'e-x-p', and it appears automatically. Just hit enter, and it's done,” Philleo explained. “This makes typing math on a computer seamless.”
Edia's AI also offers step-by-step assistance if a student encounters difficulties, providing detailed, personalized feedback on their submissions. “The platform analyzes a student’s work against the correct solution,” Philleo noted. “It highlights specific mistakes, such as pointing out that they added exponents instead of multiplying them, rather than a generic ‘you got it wrong’ message.”
Real-Time Proficiency Predictions
In addition to feedback, Edia's AI assesses students' proficiency concerning state standards based on their platform interactions. During the 2017-2018 school year, students answered over 200 million questions on Edia. “We can train the AI to accurately predict how well students are likely to perform on any given standard, based on their history with the program,” said Philleo. “The accuracy is impressive.”
This real-time, predictive data equips teachers to promptly form small groups for focused support and interventions. School administrators can swiftly identify students who may need additional resources, like tutoring, contrasting sharply with the quarterly benchmark assessments that many districts currently utilize.
“Many districts rely on quarterly assessments to gauge student performance,” Philleo explained. “As the CTO of Dallas ISD puts it, that data is ‘post-mortem’ since it’s often too late to take action by the time it arrives. With Edia, teachers receive immediate insights.”
Challenging Established Competitors with a Bold Guarantee
Edia aims to leverage the substantial digital transformation occurring within K-12 education. Post-pandemic, districts are equipped with Chromebooks for every student and are investing significantly in learning interventions to bridge achievement gaps. Edia has already found success, with school districts in Virginia using the platform for the state’s $400 million tutoring initiative.
However, Edia competes against established players like Khan Academy, IXL, and DreamBox Learning, who have maintained dominance in the digital math education space for years. The company must prove its effectiveness to earn the trust of these districts. Philleo believes Edia's modern, mobile-first design and focus on empowering teachers will set it apart from competitors rooted in earlier technological frameworks. “Many existing programs were developed for the 'computer lab era,'” he said. “Edia represents a new paradigm, providing a comprehensive infrastructure that supports teachers and districts in teaching math.”
If Edia’s AI consistently enhances student performance on state math assessments, it could emerge as a frontrunner in the evolving landscape of algorithm-driven education. School districts should closely monitor Edia's outcomes to determine if it can fulfill its ambitious promise.
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