HOMEWARD BOUND: Homeroom, a San Francisco-based developer of an online management platform for after-school enrichment programs, has raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by Forerunner Ventures. Other investors include Felicis, Precursor, Kapor Capital, Deborah Quazzo, Tyler Bosmeny, Jared Simon and Max Rhodes.
Launched in 2018, Homeroom offers after-school program organizers a platform that streamlines administrative tasks including scheduling, enrollment, insurance, communication and payment processing. Classes are usually organized by parents and local PTA groups, and held on school campus.
Homeroom joins a host of other well-funded startups that also aim to help people run and manage their own education businesses outside of school. For early-childcare providers, companies including Brightwheel, Tinkergarten and Wonderschool have all bagged substantial sums of venture capital. For tutoring providers, there’s Clark.
“Dual income homes have become the norm in the U.S., and after-school programs are an expensive necessity for many families,” Homeroom’s co-founder and CEO Casandra Stewart said in a press release. “We’ve taken an inefficient, fragmented market and brought it online, creating a streamlined platform that provides ease of access for everyone.”