VIDCODE, a New York-based startup that lets children code special effects on their own photos and videos, has raised $1.5 million in a seed round. Investors include ZhenFund, Rethink Education, Y Combinator, NYU Ventures, CoVenture, Evan Korth Syndicate, Stephano Kim and Cherry Ventures.
Founded in 2014 at a Startup Weekend event, Vidcode offers project-based lessons that also allow students to code memes, video filters and games. The company claims users in 25,000 schools including those in Arkansas, a new state law requires every 7th and 8th grader to work on a 4-5 week coding block. Vidcode sells its software, curriculum and training directly to schools and through strategic partnerships with companies like BrainPOP, which also invested in the round.
