GSV Capital is the first publicly traded security giving growth equity investors access to the world's most dynamic, VC-backed private companies.
More about GSV Capital
Founded
2012Capital Raised
$43 millionInvestors
GSV Capital along with Bessemer Venture Partners, GSV Acceleration, GV, Kapor Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel and others.GSV Investment Theme
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Cloud/Big Data
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Marketplaces
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Sustainability
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Education
Overview
Clever has built an app platform that makes it easier to roll out learning software in schools. Clever’s APIs (Application Program Interface) allow 3rd party software products to seamlessly integrate with existing school district data systems – SIS (Student Information System) and SSO (Single Sign-on). Schools can adopt Clever at no charge; the software vendors who integrate with Clever are its customers.
- GSV Thesis
- People
- Product
- Potential
- Predictability
Why We Like Clever
Clever is at the heart of the Software and Big Data revolution underway in education. By serving as the single channel through which all education software deployment may best flow, Clever can generate massive network effects and exceptional insights into how software is used most effectively inside a school district.
People
CEO Tyler Bosmeny (co- founder) named to Forbes 30 under 30 list; CPO Dan Carroll (co-founder) is a Teach for America alumnus; CTO Rafael Garcia was formerly a machine learning specialist at Jump Trading.
Product
Scalable integration platform for third-party education apps, driving efficiencies to schools (simplified software product management) and vendors (better, faster deployments). Enables single sign-on capabilities that dramatically improve the experience for all constituents, most notably learners inside the educational institution.
Potential
In less than 3 years, Clever is on a path to becoming ubiquitous in K-12 education, and the preferred way for any school district or vendor to roll out learning software. The data and analytics available from of Clever’s platform should prove very valuable to both vendors and schools, and thus to Clever itself as a business line.
Megatrends
Big Data; Brands; Cloud; Freemium; Mobile; Personalization; ROE
How Big Can This Be?
By acting at the “Switzerland of SIS/SSO” in education, Clever can be the central distribution hub for every piece of educational software used, and can serve as the central source of learning analytics for every student using educational software, from pre-K through lifelong learning.
Predictability
Recurring integration / licensing fee charged to vendors that are selling education apps to school and district buyers; school districts often request vendors integrate with Clever’s plaftorm to accelerate deployments, enabling Clever to become the de facto conduit for educational software transactions.
Risks
Clever’s data is highly sensitive (as is all educational user data), which Clever must take great care to protect. If software vendors formed a deployment consortium, they could potentially go around Clever, although we have not seen this happen to date. Clever’s business model also relies on a reputational element of neutrality for software deployments, which Clever needs to carefully guard.
GSVC percentage figures are based upon the fair value of each holding as of the quarter ended December 31, 2017, or the cost basis of the holding (exclusive of transaction costs) if the investment closed subsequent to December 31, 2017. In either case, these values are divided by the fair value of total portfolio investments of GSV Capital as of December 31, 2017.
