PAPER Valuation, Funding & Investors

PAPER is valued at $1.2B as of February 2022.

See full PAPER profile

Last PAPER valuation

$1.2B

Series D · Feb 2022

Last PAPER funding round

$270M

Series D · Feb 2022

Cumulative funding PAPER raised

$390M

across 5 funding rounds

Key investors in PAPER

  • Bullpen Capital
  • Reach Capital
  • Birchmere Ventures
  • Salesforce Ventures
  • Real Ventures
  • Framework Venture Partners

PAPER Overview

About PAPER

Paper is a New York-based edtech platform connecting K-12 students with live tutors for math, science, and English. Certified educators provide on-demand video sessions and feedback on homework via its app, serving over 100 school districts including New York City public schools. Founded in 2014, it partners with Khan Academy for supplemental resources and offers college counseling modules.


Founded

2014

HQ

CanadaMontreal

Website

paper.co

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Subscription

Valuation

$1.2B (Feb 2022)

PAPER Valuation

PAPER is currently valued at $1.2B, based on its Series D in February 2022.

The $270M round was led by Sapphire Ventures and SoftBank Group, with participation from Salesforce Ventures, Reach Capital, IVP, Bullpen Capital, Framework Venture Partners and 2 other investors.

PAPER valuation by funding round

PAPER valuation by funding round
DateStageValuation
Feb 2022Series D$1.2B

PAPER Funding History

PAPER has raised a total of $390M across 5 funding rounds.

PAPER's first fundraising round was a $2M seed round in August 2016. The most recent completed round was a $270M Series D in February 2022.

PAPER funding rounds

PAPER funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Feb 2022Series DSapphire Ventures (lead); SoftBank Group (lead); Salesforce Ventures; Reach Capital; IVP; Bullpen Capital; Framework Venture Partners; BDC Capital Corporation; Red House Education$270M$1.2BPaper is a Montréal-based EdTech company providing unlimited, 24/7 academic support software for K-12 students, aiming to democratize access to education amid inequities highlighted by the founder's teaching experience and amplified by COVID-19-driven digital transformation. On February 15, 2022, it closed a $270 million USD ($343 million CAD) Series D round led by Sapphire Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund 2, with participation from returning investors including IVP, Salesforce Ventures, Framework Venture Partners, Bullpen Capital, Reach Capital, BDC Capital, and Red House Education. The round included both primary and secondary capital, with early investors selling portions of shares but none fully exiting, bringing total funding to approximately $390-496 million CAD and marking Paper as Canada's newest unicorn. The funding addresses surging demand for Paper's remote tutoring platform, particularly from US schools, with the company doubling its student base from 1 million to 2 million in under a year following its $123 million Series C. Primary capital will fuel expansion to meet needs in innovative school systems, scaling operations, and transforming education systemically to support unfinished learning from remote education. Paper's growth aligns with accelerated edtech adoption post-pandemic, positioning it against challenges like penetrating Canadian markets and maintaining service quality during rapid scaling. Investors like Sapphire, with a focus on enterprise software scaling, and SoftBank Vision Fund II, targeting disruptive tech, back its potential for market impact. Future rounds may support further hires, acquisitions, or new services, building on seven total rounds raising $379-390 million USD.
Jun 2021Series CIVP (lead); Salesforce Ventures; Reach Capital; Bullpen Capital; Framework Venture Partners; Business Development Bank of Canada; Birchmere Ventures$100M--
Dec 2020Series BFramework Venture Partners (lead); Salesforce Ventures; Reach Capital; Bullpen Capital; Real Ventures; Birchmere Ventures$11M-PAPER raised $11 million in its Series B funding round in December 2020, led by Framework Venture Partners, with participation from investors including Birchmere Ventures, Bullpen Capital, Reach Capital, Real Ventures, and Salesforce Ventures. The funding aimed to expand the company's educational support services. This followed a Series A round of $7.5 million in March 2020 led by Reach Capital to enhance the platform and support more students. PAPER later raised $270 million in its Series D round in February 2022, led by Sapphire Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund, to meet growing demand for its educational support system amid digital transformation in education due to COVID-19. The company has raised a total of $390.1 million across its funding rounds.
Mar 2020Series AReach Capital (lead); Anges Quebec; Bullpen Capital; Real Ventures; Red House Education; Edovate Capital; Business Development Bank of Canada; Birchmere Ventures; Alphabet$8M-Paper is an EdTech company providing personalized tutoring and academic support for K-12 students, partnering with school districts to enhance learning outcomes. Founded in 2014 and based in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, it operates in education and tutoring sectors. In March 2020, Paper (formerly GradeSlam) raised $7.5 million in Series A funding led by Reach Capital, with participation from investors including Anges Quebec, Birchmere Ventures, Bullpen Capital, Business Development Bank of Canada, Edovate Capital, Google, Real Ventures, and Red House Education. The funding aimed to enhance the platform and support more students.
Aug 2016SeedBirchmere Ventures (lead); Philip A. Cutler; Anges Quebec; FounderFuel; Real Ventures; BDC Capital$2M--

Who has invested in PAPER?

18 investors have backed PAPER across its funding rounds, including Bullpen Capital, Reach Capital, Birchmere Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Real Ventures and Framework Venture Partners.

Lead investors include Sapphire Ventures, SoftBank Group, IVP, Framework Venture Partners, Reach Capital and 1 other investor.


PAPER Investors

Investors in PAPER by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Reach CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA4LeadMar 2020
Bullpen CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA4ParticipantMar 2020
Birchmere VenturesUnited StatesPittsburgh, PA4LeadAug 2016
Salesforce VenturesUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA3ParticipantDec 2020
Real VenturesCanadaMontreal3ParticipantAug 2016
Framework Venture PartnersCanadaToronto3LeadDec 2020
IVPUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2LeadJun 2021
Anges QuebecCanadaQuebec City2ParticipantAug 2016
Red House EducationUnited StatesUnited States2ParticipantMar 2020
Business Development Bank of CanadaCanadaMontreal2ParticipantMar 2020
Philip A. CutlerCanadaMontreal1ParticipantAug 2016
SoftBank GroupJapanTokyo1LeadFeb 2022
FounderFuelCanadaMontreal1ParticipantAug 2016

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Acquisitions by PAPER

PAPER has acquired 2 companies to date.

Last acquisition by PAPER was on March 14th 2023. PAPER acquired Readlee for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by PAPER

Readlee
MajorClarity
Description
Readlee is an edtech company developing speech-integrated software for personalized reading instruction in K-12 classrooms across the United States. Its platform enables teachers to assess student reading in real-time, convert any text to speech, and deliver instant feedback, supporting literacy programs in districts nationwide.
MajorClarity is an edtech platform headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia, enabling high school students to explore college majors and careers through interactive assessments and virtual simulations. Acquired by EdUp Experience in 2021, it serves over 200 school districts with tools tracking student progress and generating counselor reports. The platform partners with institutions like Georgetown University for pathway recommendations spanning 1,000 programs.
HQ CountryUnited StatesUnited States
HQ City
-
Washington, DC
Deal Date14 Mar 202327 Feb 2023
Valuationundisclosedundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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PAPER Competitors

PAPER competitors include listed companies like FLOWSPARKS, Youdao and Alef Education, and private ones like LEAD, Amplify Education and Classplus.

Public and private companies comparable to PAPER
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
LEADIndiaMumbaiPrivate--$1.1B-
Amplify EducationUnited StatesNew York City, NYPrivate--$781M-
ClassplusIndiaNoidaPrivate$28M-$600M21.4x
FLOWSPARKSBelgiumBelgiumPublicly listed$12M$3M$57M-
YoudaoChinaChinaPublicly listed$881M$29M$1.7B2.0x
Alef EducationUAEUAEPublicly listed$210M$150M$1.9B7.8x

PAPER Public Comps

PAPER is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Afya, Coursera, Vitec Software, Cengage, American Public Education, Youdao, Docebo, Alef Education, Jiangsu Chuanzhiboke and Blackbaud.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Afya$719M$289M2.3x2.2x5.6x5.0x
Coursera$758M($49M)0.5x0.3x(7.7x)2.7x
Vitec Software$371M$151M3.7x3.5x9.1x9.0x
Cengage------
American Public Education$649M$64M1.1x1.1x11.6x7.8x
Youdao$881M$29M2.1x2.0x63.1x33.8x
Docebo$243M$26M2.6x2.4x24.8x12.3x
Alef Education$210M$150M8.2x7.8x11.5x11.1x

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Common questions about PAPER

When was PAPER founded?PAPER was founded in 2014.
Where is PAPER headquartered?PAPER is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
Is PAPER publicly listed?No, PAPER is a private, VC-backed company.
What is PAPER's valuation?PAPER was last valued at $1.2B in its Series D in February 2022.
How much funding has PAPER raised?PAPER has raised $390M across 5 funding rounds.
What was PAPER's last funding round?PAPER's last funding round was a $270M Series D in February 2022, led by Sapphire Ventures and SoftBank Group.
Who are PAPER's investors?PAPER's investors include Reach Capital, Bullpen Capital, Birchmere Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Real Ventures, Framework Venture Partners, IVP, Anges Quebec, Red House Education, Business Development Bank of Canada and 8 others.
Which companies are comparable to PAPER?Companies comparable to PAPER include LEAD, Amplify Education, Classplus, FLOWSPARKS, Youdao and Alef Education.
How many companies has PAPER acquired?PAPER has acquired 2 companies, including Readlee and MajorClarity.

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