By Riley Kaminer
The problem is clear and simple: There is a major lack of early career educators in our country.
The solution? Well, it’s less clear and less simple.
Nevertheless, Miami startup EarlyDay has – in just a few years of operation – already made a dent in solving this conundrum. The startup has developed a marketplace with 56,000 pre-screened and qualified teachers. This solution gives talent more flexibility while providing schools with a much-needed supply of educators.
Today, EarlyDay announced that it has been acquired by San Francisco-based Wonderschool, a childcare platform founded and led by Miami native Chris Bennett.
“We’ve always admired Wonderschool as a leader in the space,” EarlyDay co-founder and co-CEO Emma Harris told Refresh Miami. “There aren’t that many tech companies that are really moving things forward in the childcare industry. And so when we had the opportunity to meet with him and learn a bit more about what they’re focused on right now, it just started to feel like this really great opportunity that it could be a home for EarlyDay.”
Details of the deal have not been shared publicly. The entire 14-person EarlyDay team will become Wonderschool employees, including Harris and co-founder and co-CEO Melissa Tran.
Harris underscored the opportunity the partnership with Wonderschool presents for EarlyDay.
“They sell their software into governments at the city and state level,” she said, contrasting this approach with EarlyDay’s more ad hoc “door knocking” strategy. “That was great but the growth was slower than the opportunity that we have.”
Being part of Wonderschool will enable EarlyDay to more easily connect with these governmental organizations, Harris explained. “We will then be able to access and support all childcare centers in that state if that’s what the contract consists of. So it’s really going to help us expedite our growth by tagging onto their strategies.”
“We are excited to partner with EarlyDay’s mission-driven team, which will empower early educators in establishing sustainable businesses and ensure high-quality childcare is accessible for families,” Bennett, Wonderschool’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.
“This presents an opportunity to enhance stability and ultimately expand opportunities for teachers to thrive while also increasing access to top-tier care and early education for all young children,” he continued.
EarlyDay raised a $3.25 million seed round in September 2022 and a $1 million pre-seed round in July 2021. In early 2022, Wonderschool raised a $25 million Series B.
Harris moved to Miami in 2019. Harris and Tran met while working together at fitness studio platform GuavaPass, which was acquired by ClassPass around that same time.
“We’re really excited,” Harris said of EarlyDay’s acquisition. “We’ve always identified as a Miami based company. It’s cool that Chris was from here originally also. So I’m happy that there is another win for Miami’s startup ecosystem.”
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- EarlyDay secures $3.25M to expand education staffing marketplace
- EarlyDay’s marketplace connects educators and schools, driving better outcomes for all – children included
- Chilean-born EdTech expands to the US with Mati Barbero at the helm
- Only up from here for EducUp, a rising star in Miami EdTech
- We’ve got the juicy details on one of Miami’s hottest edtech startups. AWS thinks so, too.
- Kiddie Kredit, the Miami startup that teaches children about credit, raises $1.4M to expand the app’s impact
