Paper (company)

PAPER (formerly GradeSlam) is an educational technology company that provides schools and school districts with an Educational Support System. The platform has more than 300 thousand active users across the United States. The company is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec and has operations across North America.[1]

Paper Education Company
Type of site
Private Company
Founded2014
Headquarters
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Key peoplePhilip A. Cutler CEO, Roberto Cipriani COO
IndustryEducational Technology, Tutoring, e-learning, Online Tutoring
Products Homework Help, Online Tutoring
Employees250+ (2020)
URLpaper.co


History

Originally named GradeSlam, Paper was founded in 2014 by McGill University graduates Philip Cutler and Roberto Cipriani. Cutler, a former teacher and tutor, recognized that many of his students were seeking additional support through tutors or homework help programs. These services were reserved for the wealthiest of families, with hardly any options available for the general student population. He felt that education should be focused on access and equality, left teaching to start the company with a mission to deliver true educational equity and level the playing field for all students.

In August 2016, the company announced that it raised $1.6 million from venture capitalists in August 2016.[2] Over the following years, their product offering evolved beyond tutoring to include a comprehensive suite of tools to support both students and teachers.

The conversational nature of Paper's platform is designed for ease of use to ensure the widest net of accessibility for students. Google's AI Assistant fund led an investment into the company in 2019. [3]

The company officially announced a rebrand from GradeSlam to Paper in March 2020. At the same time they announced a $7.5 million dollar financing that was backed by investors including Reach Capital, Bullpen Capital, Birchmere Ventures, Google and others. [4] Paper is credited with the creation of the Educational Support System category.[5]

Software and product

Paper provides a comprehensive Educational Support System. The ESS consists of a number of student, teacher and administrator tools. They are best known for the online tutoring that provides 24/7 live help and essay review. For students, Paper provides schools with the ability to offer students with chat-based access to tutors. Tutors working for Paper are regarded as an extension of each school’s individual teaching staff. Teachers are granted access to see their student's tutoring interactions. Teachers also receive insights to help inform their teaching and have a pulse on their class' assessments.[6]

In March 2020, Paper launched an education industry focused blog. The Paper blog includes educator spotlights, industry interviews, and series about coping with school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

Educational impact

Paper has conducted a number of efficacy studies to identify the educational impact of their ESS. A study conducted with 5th grade students saw students using Paper experience 30% more growth in English language development than peers without access to the ESS.[8]

During the extended school closures caused by COVID-19, Paper was heavily depended upon by schools looking to provide remote teaching and learning for students. The company reported record months of student engagement in March 2020 and April 2020 as a result of distance learning initiatives.[9]

Media reception

Paper has been featured on Breakfast Television and The National (CBC) as an innovative and cost effective way for students to get ahead in school. Paper’s online tutoring component has also been written about in La Presse, Tech Crunch. Les Affaires, TechVibes and EdTech Review.[10][11][12][13][14]

In September 2015, the company was selected by Tourism Montreal as one of the Top 10 Startups In Montreal.[15] In July 2017, GradeSlam was selected by MindShare Learning as one of the Top Ten News Stories Of The Summer [16]

Paper is the winner of many awards including the 2020 EdTech Award for Best Tutoring Solution. [17]

References
  1. "Crunchbase: Paper". Crunchbase.com. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  2. "GradeSlam raises $1.6 million seed round". Montrealintechnology.com.
  3. "Google's AI Assistant Fund Invests in GradeSlam to Make Online Tutoring More Equitable". EdSurge.
  4. "Paper, formerly GradeSlam, Raises $7.5 Million to Grow Beyond Online Tutoring". EdSurge.
  5. "Introducing PAPER: The World's First Educational Support System". Paper Blog.
  6. "PAPER: The Leading Educational Support System for Schools". Paper Company Website.
  7. "Paper Blog: Equity in Action". Paper Blog.
  8. "GradeSlam: Powering Personalized Learning in Schools and Districts". CIO Bulletin.
  9. "PAPER Sees Record Student Engagement Amid COVID-19 School Closures". PR Newswire.
  10. "New 24/7 tutoring in Montreal". Breakfast Television.
  11. "Turning To Tutors: The Future of Tutoring". The National (CBC).
  12. Codère, Jean-François. "Huit jeunes entreprises à surveiller". La Presse.
  13. Brault, Julien. "La Montréalaise GradeSlam veut réinventer le marché du tutorat en ligne". Les Affaires.
  14. Serebrin, Jacob. "MakerBloks, GradeSlam and OfficeVibe Shine at TechCrunch Pitch Competition in Montreal". TechVibes.
  15. "10 Montréal startups you need to know about". Tourisme-montreal.org. 29 September 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  16. "MindShare Learning Report -- July Top 10 News Stories in Canadian EdTech ISTE2017 -- 8th Canadian EdTech Summit Early Bird Ends Aug 31st". Mindsharelearning.bmetrack.com. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  17. "PAPER Recognized as Best Tutoring Solution by 2020 EdTech Awards". Paper.co. Retrieved 3 June 2020.

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