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Zen Educate operates a technology platform that connects schools with a pool of qualified educators and support staff. The company's core offering streamlines the staffing process, enabling schools to fill vacancies efficiently while managing administrative tasks, compliance, and payroll through a W-2 employment model. This approach aims to provide schools with reliable staffing solutions and educators with stable employment and professional support.
The company was co-founded in 2017 by Slava Kremerman and Oren Cohen. Their insight stemmed from recognizing the inefficiencies and high costs associated with traditional education staffing agencies. They sought to leverage technology to create a more direct and transparent marketplace, believing that a better connection between educators and schools would ultimately benefit student learning outcomes.
Zen Educate serves both educational institutions seeking staff and individual teachers and support professionals looking for placements. Its vision centers on improving educational continuity by ensuring every student has consistent access to quality teaching. The company strives to empower educators and build resilient school communities through its streamlined staffing model, fostering an environment where both teachers and students can thrive.
Zen Educate has raised $75.0M across 4 funding rounds.
Zen Educate has raised $75.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Zen Educate has raised $75.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Zen Educate's investors include Christian Czernich, Simon Rogerson, Adjuvo, Ascension Ventures, Brighteye Ventures, FJ Labs, Alaya Capital, Alpha Capital Acquisition Company, Collaborative Seed & Growth Partners, Firework Ventures, Hoxton Ventures, Kalei Ventures.
Zen Educate has raised $75.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $37.0M Series B in May 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2024 | $37M Series B | Christian Czernich | Simon Rogerson, Adjuvo, Ascension Ventures, Brighteye Ventures, FJ Labs | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2022 | $23M Series A | — | Alaya Capital, Alpha Capital Acquisition Company, Brighteye Ventures, Collaborative Seed & Growth Partners, Firework Ventures, FJ Labs, Hoxton Ventures, Kalei Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, LearnStart, OWL Ventures, Reach Capital, Rivet Ventures, TCV, Wayra Hispam, Fabricio Bloisi, Jonathan Wasserstrum, ZAC Zeitlin, Chris Hulatt, Simon Rogerson, TIM Throsby, Ascension Ventures | Announced |
| Sep 24, 2019 | $7M Venture Round | Brighteye Ventures | Nick Hungerford, Adjuvo | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2019 | $8M Seed | — | Brighteye Ventures, Collaborative Seed & Growth Partners, Firework Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, LearnStart, OWL Ventures, Reach Capital, TCV, ZAC Zeitlin | Announced |
Zen Educate is a technology platform that connects schools directly with vetted teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) for temporary staffing, eliminating expensive agency fees and outdated phone-based systems.[1][2][4][7] It serves schools and districts in the UK and US facing staffing shortages, while enabling educators to find work quickly, earn more through fair pay, weekly payouts, and career support like free training.[2][6][7] The platform solves the education recruitment crisis—where schools waste over £300m annually on agency margins—by offering instant matching based on proximity, skills, availability, and feedback, with added services like W-2 compliance, payroll, and onboarding.[1][2][4][7] Founded in 2017, it has grown to over 300 employees, achieved triple-digit growth, raised $64.7M in funding (including a $37M round), generated $52.5M in revenue, and saved schools $52M+ to date through acquisitions like Opus Education (2023) and Aquinas Education.[1][3][7]
Zen Educate was launched in 2017 in London by experienced technology entrepreneurs passionate about fixing education's broken recruitment system, inspired by a family member's frustrating experience as a supply teacher dealing with analog, inefficient agency processes.[1][2][3][4] The founders identified core issues: agencies prioritize commissions over quality matches, leading to high fees (£1.3bn spent yearly by UK schools, £300m wasted), poor transparency, and temptations for unethical practices due to lax regulation.[1][4] Early operations focused on the UK, building a platform for direct school-educator connections; pivotal moments included navigating COVID disruptions by launching a new vertical and serving schools amid lockdowns.[1] Expansion hit the US, fueled by $21M in Series A extension funding for growth, acquisitions of Opus Education (Feb 2023) and Aquinas Education (bringing on ambassador Jermaine Jenas), and scaling to multinational impact.[1][3]
Zen Educate rides the edtech wave of marketplace disruption in labor-intensive sectors, targeting the global school staffing crisis exacerbated by teacher shortages, post-COVID recovery, and rising costs.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with digital transformation trends—15 years after online booking upended travel/hotels, education recruitment is digitizing for transparency and efficiency, much like Uber for rides or Airbnb for housing.[4] Market forces favoring it include £1.3bn UK agency spend (with massive waste), US expansion amid similar shortages, and regulatory gaps enabling tech incumbents to capture share.[1][3][4] It influences the ecosystem by reinvesting agency savings into classrooms, upskilling supply staff, and fostering stable learning environments, potentially setting standards for direct-hire platforms in public services.[2][4][7]
Zen Educate is poised for 5x growth in the next 24 months through US dominance, further acquisitions, and platform enhancements like AI matching or new verticals.[1] Trends shaping it include worsening teacher shortages, edtech funding rebound, and AI-driven personalization in staffing; influence may evolve by pressuring agencies to adapt or consolidate, while exporting its model globally.[1][3] As a direct connector slashing inefficiencies, it exemplifies how tech restores equity to essential services—transforming outdated systems into engines of educator and student success, much like its origins promised.[2][4]
