What is RaiseMe?
RaiseMe operates as an innovative platform connecting high school and community college students with scholarship opportunities based on their academic performance and extracurricular involvement, starting as early as the 9th grade. This initiative particularly aims to support students from lower-income backgrounds by offering financial incentives for their dedication and participation. By partnering with universities, RaiseMe facilitates scholarship discovery and alignment with student aspirations, thereby demystifying the college funding journey for students, parents, educators, and counselors.
How much funding has RaiseMe raised?
RaiseMe has raised a total of $38.1M across 5 funding rounds:
Private Equity
$5.6M
Series A
$4.5M
Private Equity
$12M
Series B
$15M
Debt
$1M
Private Equity (2015): $5.6M, investors not publicly disclosed
Series A (2015): $4.5M led by Owl Ventures, First Round Capital, and SJF Ventures
Private Equity (2017): $12M supported by First Round Capital, SJF Ventures, Owl Ventures, GSV Acceleration, and Redpoint Ventures
Series B (2018): $15M featuring Strada Education Foundation, Teamworthy Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, and The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Debt (2020): $1M backed by PPP
Key Investors in RaiseMe
First Round Capital
First Round Capital is a venture capital firm known for investing in early-stage technology companies, providing strategic guidance and capital to help startups scale and achieve market leadership.
Owl Ventures
Owl Ventures is a leading venture capital firm focused exclusively on the education technology sector, supporting innovative companies that aim to transform learning and access to education globally.
Strada Education Foundation
Strada Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving lives by creating clearer pathways between education and employment, utilizing research, philanthropy, and strategic investments.
What's next for RaiseMe?
With substantial enterprise-level backing and a recent strategic investment, RaiseMe is well-positioned to expand its reach and enhance its platform capabilities. The company's focus on democratizing access to higher education funding through micro-scholarships suggests a trajectory towards deeper integration with educational institutions and a broader outreach to underserved student populations. Future developments are likely to involve scaling partnerships, refining the scholarship matching algorithms, and potentially introducing new financial aid discovery tools to further support students navigating the complex landscape of post-secondary education financing.
See full RaiseMe company page
