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Shoelace Learning develops an adaptive educational platform that transforms reading comprehension practice into an engaging game experience for students. Its core product, the Shoelace Learning Engine, uses game mechanics, adaptive difficulty, and stealth assessment to deliver personalized learning. This approach disguises rigorous reading exercises as play, continuously adjusting content to each student's ability while fostering engagement through progress, rewards, and character interactions, leveraging neuroscience principles to tap into the brain's reward system.
The company was co-founded in 2018 by Leah Skerry, a seasoned entrepreneur, and Julia Rivard Dexter, a former Olympian and tech entrepreneur. The inspiration for Shoelace Learning emerged from Julia Rivard Dexter's personal experience observing one of her children struggling with reading skills. This insight highlighted a critical need for an educational tool that could motivate reluctant learners to actively engage with complex texts, leading to the creation of their game-based learning solution.
Shoelace Learning primarily serves students in grades three through eight, as well as educators, schools, and districts. The platform aims to make students choose to read complex texts, addressing what it identifies as a "stamina problem" in literacy rather than solely a curriculum gap. Its long-term vision is to deliver one billion learning moments, emphasizing that engagement itself is the most effective intervention for improving reading outcomes.
Shoelace Learning has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round.
Shoelace Learning has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Shoelace Learning has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Seed in February 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2023 | $4M Seed | — | BDC Venture Capital, Next47, Real Ventures, White Star Capital, Xfund, Anil Dharni, Jennifer LUM, Patrick S. Chung | Announced |
Shoelace Learning has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Shoelace Learning's investors include BDC Venture Capital, Next47, Real Ventures, White Star Capital, Xfund, Anil Dharni, Jennifer Lum, Patrick S. Chung.
Shoelace Learning is an edtech company that builds Dreamscape, an immersive video game platform enhancing reading comprehension for students in grades 3-6 through personalized, game-based learning rooted in Science of Reading principles.[1][2][6] It serves over 7 million users across 100+ countries—primarily in the US—targeting teachers, schools, and reluctant readers by solving literacy crises with hyper-engaging content that adapts to skill levels, integrates with Google and Clever, and offers teacher dashboards for progress tracking.[1][2][5] The freemium model ensures accessibility, with in-app purchases subsidizing free play, driving measurable gains like improved literacy after 30 minutes weekly over 15 weeks; revenue reached $800K, with sales doubling from 2021-2022 and teacher conversion rates tripling.[1][3][4]
Founded in 2019 in Nova Scotia, Canada, by Julia Rivard Dexter—a former Olympian kayaker, single mother, and tech entrepreneur who overcame her own fourth-grade reading struggles and speech impediment—Shoelace emerged from her son's reading difficulties and her prior success building Squiggle Park, backed by ACOA since 2015.[1][2][5] Dexter, previously Google's first North American Apps Premier Partner for Enterprise, spotted the gap in outdated edtools amid kids' gaming habits, collaborating with literacy experts, teachers, psychologists, and developers to launch Dreamscape.[1][3] Early traction built via Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency support for R&D and hiring, evolving from her first platform into a global hit recognized as a top 20 edtech startup at ASU+GSV Summit.[3][5]
Shoelace rides the edtech gamification wave, capitalizing on post-pandemic literacy crises—exacerbated by school disruptions and UN SDG-aligned needs—where kids demand high-entertainment media over boring tools.[3][4][5] Timing aligns with rising AI-personalized learning and global English literacy demands, especially US-focused expansion while eyeing Canada via University of Calgary studies.[1][5] Market forces like teacher burnout and parental tech adoption favor its freemium scalability, opening to third-party devs for 10M new users and new games by 2024; BDC Capital investment fuels this, proving Canadian edtech's international punch.[3][5] It influences ecosystems by redefining engagement, subsidizing access for marginalized learners, and partnering with giants like Google.
Shoelace's momentum—fueled by viral engagement, BDC scaling capital, and 2023 awards—positions it to hit 10M+ users via new games, third-party integrations, and Canadian classroom penetration.[3][5] Trends like AI-driven personalization, gamified SDGs, and US literacy mandates will accelerate growth, evolving its influence from niche innovator to ecosystem leader subsidizing equitable edtech. With Julia's grit at the helm, expect Dreamscape to redefine "fun learning," turning literacy laggards into critical thinkers worldwide—proving games aren't distractions, but the future of education.[2][4]
