ENGLISH CENTRAL: Online English learning program EnglishCentral has received $1.3 million in an investment round led by Japanese textbook provider Kirihara Shoten K.K.. According to a press release, the money will be used to integrate EnglishCentral’s video- and online-based English language course modules with Kirihara Shoten textbooks, which are used in more than 400 high schools in Japan.
With Tokyo 2020 on the horizon, the deal comes as part of a broader effort Japan is making to revamp its English-language education. “EnglishCentral’s expansion into the high school market is part of a larger program the Japanese government has to introduce Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into the classroom to enable innovative new technologies in Japanese K-12,” the release reads.
Based in Arlington, Mass., EnglishCentral has been adopted by more than 400 schools and corporations in more than 100 countries. The company’s total funding is $15.25 million, according to Crunchbase.
