Edsby

Edsby is an educational technology company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It is the developer and publisher of the Edsby platform, a web-based K-12 learning management system (LMS) and analytics platform, and Unison, an educational data aggregation product.

Edsby
Type of businessPrivate
Type of site
Learning management system, analytics, social networking, data aggregation
FoundedApril 2010
HeadquartersToronto, Canada
No. of locations3
Created bySteve Asbury, Jon Asbury, Scott Welch, John Myers
Key peopleSteve Asbury, Jon Asbury, Scott Welch, John Myers
IndustryK-12 education
ProductsEdsby, Unison
URLwww.edsby.com
RegistrationRequired
UsersUndisclosed
Current statusActive

Edsby is partnered with Microsoft and provides its services on the Microsoft Azure cloud service worldwide. The company was named Microsoft’s Education Partner of the Year in 2019.[1]

History

Edsby was founded in April 2010 by Steve Asbury, Jon Asbury, and Scott Welch, the three founders and architects of the software application FirstClass,[2] and co-worker John Myers.[3] After it gained popularity in the 1990s, millions of students and teachers used this software tool with messaging and collaboration features, and it is recognized as one of the earliest learning management systems.[4][5]

Edsby is privately held, and in 2014, the company acknowledged a funding round of around two million dollars.[6] In 2020, it received a $5.3 million Series A investment. In conjunction with the raise, investor Chris Besse, former CEO of educational technology company FreshGrade and former managing director of K-12 at education publisher Nelson Education, joined the company as Chief Commercial Officer.[7]

Products

Edsby platform

The Edsby platform is developed for K-12 school districts, private schools, and governments. It provides online social learning tools connected to their existing systems, including grade books, attendance-taking, parent-teacher communication features, classroom management, content management, and social classroom interaction.[8] Mobile applications are available for iOS and Android.

In September 2013, Hillsborough County Public Schools deployed Edsby to its students and teachers at the district's schools.[9] In 2015, other district-wide deployments included 3,450 staff and 34,000 students at Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. In 2016, it was adopted by 35,000 students and staff at Greater Essex County District School Board.[10] In 2017, it deployed at York Region District School Board, a 125,000-student district.[11]

Unison

In March 2019, the New Zealand Ministry of Education contracted with Edsby to develop a national student information-sharing exchange called Te Rito. Edsby’s technology, spun out in 2022 as a separate product called Unison, synchronizes the country’s thousands of student information systems, “securely storing and sharing information in a transparent and trusted way” for New Zealand learners, their families, and communities.[12][13]

Awards
  • 2022 LMS Platform of the Year, EdTech Breakthrough Awards[14]
  • 2021 Social-Emotional Learning Program New Product Award, THE Journal[15]
  • 2021 Best Remote & Blended Learning Tool for Primary (K-6) and Secondary (6-12), Tech and Learning[15]
  • 2020 EdTech Startup of the Year, MindShare Learning[16]
  • 2019 Innovator of the Year, City of Richmond Hill[17]
  • 2017 SIIA CODiE Award, Best Education Data Solution, SIIA[18]
  • 2016 SIIA CODiE Award, Best Classroom Management Solution, SIIA[19]

References
  1. Center, Microsoft News (2019-06-06). "Microsoft announces 2019 Partner of the Year Award winners and finalists". Stories. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  2. Sharma, Ashok (4 May 2015). "The History of Distance Learning and the LMS". elearnhub.org.
  3. Liberal, Dina Al-Shibeeb Richmond Hill (2019-06-24). "Richmond Hill's Edsby to cover all New Zealand's schools after landmark deal". YorkRegion.com. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  4. "History and Trends of Learning Management System (Infographic)". Oxagile. 12 April 2016.
  5. Ashok Sharma (4 May 2015). "The History of Distance Learning and the LMS". ELH Online Learning Made Simple.
  6. EdSurge, EdSurge. "Edsby Gets Funding to Help Districts Deploy Social Learning Tools". EdSurge.
  7. "EdTech startup Edsby raises $5.3 million Series A | BetaKit". 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  8. "Edsby Product Review – By Timothy Gard, Chief Learning Strategist". Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  9. Sokol, Marlene (2013-09-02). "Hillsborough school district rolls out Edsby grade book system". Tampa Bay Times.
  10. Schaffhauser, Dian (2016-02-08). "Edsby LMS Finds Home in Canadian Districts and on Azure". THE Journal.
  11. Sun-Tribune, Dina Al-Shibeeb Stouffville (2019-02-26). "Stouffville parents fear potential breach, want kids' information off education app". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  12. "Home Page | Te Rito". terito.govt.nz. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  13. Kronk, Henry (2019-06-24). "Edsby Is Creating a National Student Records Database for the Country of New Zealand. They Say It's the First of Its Kind". eLearningInside News. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  14. "2022 Winners". EdTech Breakthrough. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  15. TL, TL. "Best Remote & Blended Learning Tools 2021". TechLearningMagazine. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  16. "Canadian EdTech Leadership Summit Celebrates National Award Winners – Announces the Launch of the Canadian EdTech Alliance –". Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  17. "Innovators of the Year Award". www.richmondhill.ca. 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  18. "SIIA CODiE Award Winners - 2017". Software and Information Industry Association. 2017.
  19. "SIIA CODiE Award Winners - 2016". Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA). 2016.


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