inquirED
inquirED is a Chicago-based education technology company that develops and licenses standards-aligned, inquiry-based social studies curricula for K-5 and middle school districts in the United States, bundled with professional learning and implementation coaching services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What inquirED does
inquirED is a Chicago-based, privately held education technology company founded in 2017 that develops standards-aligned social studies curricula and professional learning services for K-12 schools and districts in the United States. Its core products are Inquiry Journeys, an elementary (K-5) social studies curriculum built around the inquiry process, and Middle School World History, a secondary curriculum applying the same methodology to world history content. The company also plans to launch Integrated ELA & Social Studies (branded Inkwell) and offers Professional Learning Services, including implementation coaching and tailored professional development that is bundled with curriculum adoption.
The underlying technology is a web-accessible curriculum platform that delivers inquiry-based instructional materials, rather than a model-driven or adaptive learning engine. Distribution is direct-to-district through a consultative enterprise field sales motion, supported by content marketing (blog, downloadable guides), webinars, and a partnership with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed tiers, consistent with B2B curriculum licensing and recurring subscription contracts. The company had 51-100 employees as of the most recent data and filed an SEC Form D in November 2023 for an exempt securities offering of approximately $6.16 million under Rule 506(b), confirming private ownership and providing growth capital.
inquirED firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- inquirED
- Legal name
- inquirED Inc.
- Website
- https://inquired.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- inquirED is a Chicago-based education technology company that develops and licenses standards-aligned, inquiry-based social studies curricula for K-5 and middle school districts in the United States, bundled with professional learning and implementation coaching services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
inquirED industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Curriculum Software
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Project-Based/Inquiry-Based Learning (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAN), K–12 Digital Curriculum & Interactive Lessons (EDAGAEAA), K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA)
Keywords
Where inquirED is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
inquirED business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Curriculum Licensing/Subscription: Revenue from licensing or subscription-based access to Inquiry Journeys (K-5) and Middle School World History curricula to schools and districts. The SEC filing indicates a $6.16 million securities offering, suggesting significant capital needs for growth.
- Professional Learning Services: Implementation coaching and professional development services bundled with curriculum adoption, customized to district and school needs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
inquirED product offering
Product offeringCore offering
inquirED develops and sells inquiry-based social studies curricula for K-12 schools and districts, delivered through a web-accessible instructional platform. Its core offerings include Inquiry Journeys (K-5 elementary social studies) and Middle School World History, supported by bundled professional learning and implementation coaching services.
Product overview
inquirED is an education technology company offering a portfolio of high-quality social studies curriculum products built on inquiry-based learning principles. The core offerings include Inquiry Journeys (K-5 elementary social studies curriculum) and Middle School World History, both designed to build deep content knowledge and develop student inquiry skills. An upcoming Integrated ELA & Social Studies curriculum will pair English Language Arts instruction with social studies content. The company also provides Professional Learning Services as an add-on offering, including implementation coaching and tailored professional development to support districts in adopting their instructional materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Inquiry Journeys (K-5) Elementary social studies curriculum (K-5) designed around the inquiry process, where students build deep conceptual understanding while developing inquiry skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creative problem solving. Sold to K-12 schools and districts.
- Middle School World History Middle school social studies curriculum focused on world history, built on inquiry-based learning principles to help students build deep content knowledge. Sold to K-12 schools and districts.
- Professional Learning Services Implementation coaching and tailored professional learning services that support districts and schools in adopting and implementing inquirED instructional materials, including building implementation plans and ongoing problem-solving support. Sold to K-12 districts and schools.
Quantifiable outcome
- Social studies made a driver of deeper learning and community connection
Companies that use inquirED
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
inquirED technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
inquirED partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NCSS (National Council for the Social Studies)corePartnership with NCSS for webinar series titled 'Coast to Coast and Classroom to Classroom' examining social studies instruction from state-level decisions to classroom realities. The collaboration explores how instructional materials, inclusive inquiry, and elementary priorities intersect.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
inquirED competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TCI (Teachers' Curriculum Institute): TCI provides K-12 social studies and science curricula with a strong inquiry-based pedagogy focus, including elementary and middle school programs. It is the most direct functional peer to inquirED, competing for the same district adoption budgets.
- Studies Weekly: Studies Weekly publishes standards-aligned K-6 social studies curriculum (print and digital) and is widely adopted in US elementary districts. It is a direct competitor inquirED must displace in elementary social studies procurement decisions.
- Actively Learn: Actively Learn is a digital reading platform that integrates ELA instruction with social studies and science content, closely matching inquirED's planned Integrated ELA & Social Studies product. It is a direct peer in the integrated ELA/SS category inquirED is moving into.
- Newsela: Newsela provides leveled nonfiction and current-events content heavily used in ELA and social studies classrooms. It competes with inquirED for district ELA/SS content budgets and shares the B2B K-12 sales motion and subscription model.
- BrainPOP: BrainPOP offers animated, standards-aligned content across subjects including social studies. It competes for the same supplemental curriculum budgets inquirED targets and is often evaluated in the same district EdTech procurement cycles.
Emerging players
- iCivics: iCivics provides civics-focused curriculum and games for K-12, with a particular strength in middle school. It overlaps with inquirED's inquiry-based social studies mission, especially around civic thinking, and is an emerging competitor in the civic education sub-niche.
Broad incumbents
- Discovery Education: Discovery Education provides a broad K-12 digital curriculum platform including social studies content. As a large incumbent with established district relationships, it is a broader competitor inquirED must position against in social studies procurement.
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH): HMH is a large, established K-12 publisher with social studies curriculum alongside ELA, math, and science. It is a broad incumbent competing for district-wide instructional materials adoptions that include elementary social studies.
- McGraw-Hill Education: McGraw-Hill publishes K-12 social studies and adjacent subject curricula at scale. As a broad incumbent with national sales coverage, it competes with inquirED in district-level curriculum adoption cycles.
- Amplify Education: Amplify provides K-12 curriculum including social studies and ELA, with a strong digital delivery model. It is a broad incumbent that often appears alongside inquirED in district curriculum reviews.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
inquirED social profiles
Digital presenceinquirED financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
inquirED leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
inquirED funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
inquirED M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about inquirED
What does inquirED do?
inquirED develops and sells inquiry-based social studies curricula for K-12 schools and districts, delivered through a web-accessible instructional platform. Its core offerings include Inquiry Journeys (K-5 elementary social studies) and Middle School World History, supported by bundled professional learning and implementation coaching services.
Is inquirED a public or private company?
inquirED is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was inquirED founded?
inquirED was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is inquirED based?
inquirED is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does inquirED make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Curriculum Licensing/Subscription is the primary driver. The others are professional Learning Services.
Who are inquirED's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TCI (Teachers' Curriculum Institute), Studies Weekly, Actively Learn, Newsela and BrainPOP. iCivics is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Discovery Education, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), McGraw-Hill Education and Amplify Education.
Does inquirED have an API?
No public API is recorded for inquirED.
What industry is inquirED in?
inquirED's product category is K-12 Curriculum Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAD, Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAJAFAN, Project-Based/Inquiry-Based Learning (School-Delivered). Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.