Education Technology · Profile from Education Technology Research Companion
Edmodo, Inc. (later Edmodo LLC, a NetDragon subsidiary)
The Facebook-style "social learning network" for K-12 classrooms. Two Chicago-area school IT staff founded it in 2008. It grew to tens of millions of registered teachers, students and parents worldwide and raised ~$77–100m of venture capital, but never found a business model. It suffered a 77-million-record data breach in 2017, was sold to China's NetDragon for $137.5m in 2018, shut down in September 2022, and was the subject of a landmark 2023 FTC order on children's data in EdTech.
At a glance
- Founded
- 2008, in the Chicago area (Illinois); later headquartered in San Mateo, California
- Founders
- Nic Borg and Jeff O'Hara, school district technology staff; Crystal Hutter is also credited as a co-founder and later served as CEO
- Headquarters
- San Mateo, California (from ~2010); after 2018, operated as a NetDragon subsidiary with US and Asia teams
- Ownership / structure
- Venture-backed private company (2008–2018); acquired by NetDragon Websoft Holdings (HKEX: 0777) in 2018 and held within its education business (Elernity / Promethean group); service shut down September 22, 2022
- Leadership (2026)
- Defunct. Historic CEOs: Nic Borg (2008–~2013), Crystal Hutter (~2013–2014), Vibhu Mittal (2014–~2019, verify end date); later NetDragon-appointed management (not well documented)
- Segment and buyer
- K-12 teachers, students and parents (free); attempted paid offerings for publishers, app developers and districts
- Scale
- Claimed ~78m registered members in 2017 and ~90m+ by 2018–2020 (registration counts, not active users; company claims). Strong international use, notably Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Latin America. Revenue ~$1m in 2017, with a ~$19.5m net loss (reported in acquisition disclosures)
- Capital raised / valuation / market cap
- ~$77.5m (CB Insights) to ~$87.5m across roughly 8 rounds; some reports say close to $100m. Series D ~$30m (2014) at a reported ~$236m valuation (verify). Sold for $137.5m (2018), ~$15m cash and ~$122m in NetDragon education-subsidiary equity (reported)
- Signature moves
- Free teacher social network (2008). Venture-funded growth (2010–2014). Edmodo Store / Spotlight marketplace (2013–2015). Snapshot assessments and Series D (2014). 77m-record data breach (2017). Sale to NetDragon (2018). Shutdown (2022). FTC COPPA order (2023)
8 strategic moves analysed
Each one gets a full strategy file in the companion: context, the decision, the financing, what happened, and the lesson.
2008
Founding as Teacher Social Network
Launch
2011
Venture Rounds and Free Scale Strategy
Funding round (Series B and C)
2013
Store and Spotlight Marketplace
Launch / monetisation attempt (marketplace)
2014
Snapshot and Series D
Launch / funding round / leadership change
2017
Data Breach
Security crisis and response
2018
Sale to NetDragon
Acquisition (exit)
2022
Shutdown
Shutdown
2023
FTC COPPA Order
Regulatory settlement (consent order)