Digital Promise
Digital Promise is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that convenes K-12 educators, districts, researchers, and edtech developers to advance AI in education, micro-credentialing, and digital equity through national networks, research frameworks, and grant-funded programs reaching 4.4M+ students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Digital Promise does
Digital Promise is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a second office in Redwood City, California. It operates at the intersection of education research, classroom practice, and technology, serving K-12 educators and school districts in the United States and 26 other countries. Through its national networks — notably the League of Innovative Schools (165+ districts across 35 states) and the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program (693 schools, 738K+ students, 35,561 teachers) — Digital Promise convenes superintendents, district leaders, researchers, and product developers to co-design and scale innovations addressing personalized learning, digital equity, AI literacy, and educator capacity. The organization is led by President and CEO Jean-Claude Brizard and operates four wholly-owned centers: the Center for Inclusive Innovation, the Center for Learner Pathway Innovations, the Center for Learning Sciences Research, and the Micro-credentials Platform.
The portfolio spans research frameworks, AI tools, credentialing, and grant-making infrastructure. Core technology products include the Learner Variability Navigator (a free, open-source research-based web app), Digital Promise Yourway (an AI-powered instructional tool suite built on the Navigator), U-GAIN Reading (a national R&D center for generative AI in elementary reading instruction), EngageAI (a four-university coalition for AI-powered story-driven learning), and the Micro-credentials Platform with its open-source Badge Engine. Strategic commercial offerings include the Edtech Procurement Framework, AI Champion Onboarding Program, Vision-Setting for AI Literacy, and Collaborative Innovation Studio engagements sold to districts via multi-year contracts. The K-12 AI Infrastructure Program ($26M, ~30 grants over four years) is funding openly shared datasets, models, and benchmarks for K-12 formative assessment, including first-cycle grants to Learning Equality, Princeton, Cornell, and Stanford.
Digital Promise's revenue model blends grant-funded programs, fee-based professional services, and freemium micro-credential licensing. Major funders include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google.org ($30M commitment in 2025), Verizon, Overdeck Family Foundation, Valhalla Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Learning Commons, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education. GTM motion combines network-based community engagement, direct enterprise sales to districts for professional services, and self-serve access to the open-source navigator and micro-credentials platforms. The organization has reached 4.4M+ students and 180K+ teachers across its programs.
Digital Promise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Digital Promise
- Legal name
- Digital Promise Global
- Website
- https://digitalpromise.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Digital Promise is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 that convenes K-12 educators, districts, researchers, and edtech developers to advance AI in education, micro-credentialing, and digital equity through national networks, research frameworks, and grant-funded programs reaching 4.4M+ students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Digital Promise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Technology
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Teacher-Led Digital Lesson Packages & Instructional Resources (EDAFACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- K–12 Digital Curriculum & Interactive Lessons (EDAGAEAA), STEM Assessment, Badging & Competition Platforms (EDAFANAJ), Digital Skills & Tech Upskilling (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAE)
Keywords
Where Digital Promise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Digital Promise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Philanthropic Funding: Digital Promise operates as a nonprofit organization primarily funded through grants and donations from foundations, corporations, and government sources. Major funders include Gates Foundation, Overdeck Family Foundation, Valhalla Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Google.org, Verizon, and others. The organization publishes annual reports and financial documents publicly.
- Professional Services: Digital Promise offers fee-based professional services to schools and districts including micro-credentials development and issuance packages, consultation services, workshops, and training programs. These services are sold directly to educational institutions.
- Micro-credentials Platform Services: The micro-credentials platform provides competency-based credentialing services with assessment and issuance capabilities. The platform hosts hundreds of micro-credentials for various topics, with no- to low-cost options for learners combined with organizational licensing for partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Learner micro-credentials platform with no- to low-cost options |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Professional services custom packages |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Digital Promise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Digital Promise is a global nonprofit that advances education through research-based frameworks, AI-powered instructional tools, and a micro-credentialing platform. It develops products such as the Learner Variability Navigator, Digital Promise Yourway AI suite, and U-GAIN Reading R&D institute, while operating national educator and district networks including the League of Innovative Schools.
Product overview
Digital Promise is a global nonprofit that shapes the future of learning by bringing together solutions across research, practice, and technology. The organization operates a multi-product portfolio centered on AI in education and competency-based credentialing. Key products include: the Learner Variability Navigator (whole-child research framework web app), Digital Promise Yourway (AI-powered instructional tools built on the Navigator), U-GAIN Reading (national R&D institute for GenAI in elementary reading), and EngageAI (AI-powered story-driven learning coalition). Supporting infrastructure includes the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program ($26M grant initiative for AI datasets and benchmarks), the Micro-credentials Platform with Badge Engine (nonprofit credentialing technology), and Responsibly Designed AI Product Certification. Professional services encompass AI literacy training, Vision-Setting for AI Literacy, and the AI Champion Onboarding Program. The organization also operates networks and programs including the League of Innovative Schools (165+ districts) and the Edtech Procurement Framework. Centers of Excellence include the Center for Inclusive Innovation and the Center for Learner Pathway Innovations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Learner Variability Navigator: A whole child framework and research-based web app that puts research to work for practitioners and edtech product developers to understand and address learner variability.
- League of Innovative Schools
- Verizon Innovative Learning Schools
- Edcamp Community
- Challenge Map
- K-12 AI Infrastructure Program
- Badge Engine
Products and services
- Learner Variability Navigator
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.4M+ students served across all programs
- +9 more outcomes
Companies that use Digital Promise
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Digital Promise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability9 records
Feature7 records
Digital Promise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Learning Data InsightscoreCore partner in the $26 million K-12 AI Infrastructure Program. Learning Data Insights provides expertise in data science approaches, contributing to selection of grantees and evaluation of AI tools for education.
- DrivenDatacoreCore partner in K-12 AI Infrastructure Program bringing data science expertise to evaluate and support AI educational tool development.
- Massive Data Institute at Georgetown UniversitycoreAcademic research partner in the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program contributing data science expertise and research capabilities.
- Catalyst @ Penn GSEcoreEducation research partner in the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program based at University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
- Yourway LearningcoreCollaboration to bring expanded access to Digital Promise Yourway, an AI-powered suite of instructional tools for K-12 educators. The platform is built on Digital Promise's Learner Variability Navigator research framework.
- TNTPflagshipThree-year partnership to develop AI guidance for schools, aiming to impact up to 15 million students by 2028. Represents a national effort to influence AI integration in educational settings through collaborative development.
- PearsoncoreDigital Promise and Pearson released a joint report titled 'Portraits in Progress: Emerging Future-Ready Skills Assessment Strategies' examining how U.S. school districts assess future-ready skills in K-12 education.
- VerizonflagshipSince 2012, Digital Promise and Verizon have partnered on the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program, which provides internet-connected devices to students and enhances teacher technology use. The program has reached 738,110+ students, 35,561 teachers, and 693 schools. The partnership addresses digital equity by combining Digital Promise's expertise with Verizon's resources.
- GooglecorePartnership through the Dynamic Learning Project (2017-2019) where Google and EdTechTeam collaborated with Digital Promise on a classroom-based coaching program helping teachers use technology more powerfully.
- HPcoreHP partners with Digital Promise and Microsoft/Intel on the Reinvent the Classroom initiative, which includes HP Teaching Fellows, HP Spotlight Schools, and Learning Studios programs celebrating powerful teaching and learning with technology.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft co-sponsors the Reinvent the Classroom initiative with Digital Promise, HP, and Intel to support innovative educators through Teaching Fellows and Learning Studios programs.
- IntelcoreIntel co-sponsors the Reinvent the Classroom initiative with Digital Promise, HP, and Microsoft to celebrate powerful teaching and learning with technology.
- National Education AssociationminorReference partner offering over 175 educator-created microcredentials alongside Digital Promise's competency-based framework. Both organizations support teacher professional development through stackable credentials.
- Maker EdminorPartnership contributing research findings to the maker learning field, developing resources, and supporting capacity building for maker educators.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Digital Promise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pearson: Global education publisher and assessment company. Recent partner (joint report on future-ready skills assessment) and a broader incumbent whose K-12 curriculum and assessment products overlap with Digital Promise's frameworks.
- Google for Education: Google's K-12 and higher education division offering Workspace for Education, Chromebooks, and AI tools. A broader incumbent that Digital Promise both partners with and competes against for district AI adoption decisions.
- Microsoft Education: Microsoft's K-12 and higher education business offering Teams, Azure-based AI tools, and devices. A broader incumbent partner (Reinvent the Classroom co-sponsor) that also shapes district AI strategy.
- Instructure (Canvas): Commercial LMS provider serving K-12 and higher education. Adjacent as a platform whose adoption patterns shape where Digital Promise's micro-credentials and instructional frameworks integrate.
Direct peers
- ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education): Member-based nonprofit serving educators with technology integration standards, professional learning, and conferences. Directly comparable as a peer nonprofit driving K-12 edtech adoption through networks and educator capacity building.
- Common Sense Media: Nonprofit focused on media and technology's impact on families and schools, including digital citizenship curriculum and edtech reviews. Comparable as a peer nonprofit influencing K-12 edtech evaluation and adoption.
- EdSurge: Edtech information and community resource serving educators and district leaders with product reviews, research, and events. Comparable in mission to inform K-12 edtech purchasing and integration decisions.
- EdTechTeam: Education organization providing professional development, Google Certified Educator programs, and edtech coaching to districts. Closely comparable as a partner (Dynamic Learning Project) and peer in educator capacity building.
- NewSchools Venture Fund: Nonprofit venture philanthropy funding education innovation, with portfolios of edtech tools and school models. Comparable as a peer education-innovation nonprofit operating across research, practice, and technology.
- Khan Academy: Large nonprofit providing free digital learning tools, AI tutoring (Khanmigo), and educator resources. Comparable as a peer nonprofit delivering AI-enabled K-12 instructional tools at scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Digital Promise social profiles
Digital presenceDigital Promise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Digital Promise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Digital Promise subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Digital Promise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Digital Promise 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 Digital Promise
What does Digital Promise do?
Digital Promise is a global nonprofit that advances education through research-based frameworks, AI-powered instructional tools, and a micro-credentialing platform. It develops products such as the Learner Variability Navigator, Digital Promise Yourway AI suite, and U-GAIN Reading R&D institute, while operating national educator and district networks including the League of Innovative Schools.
Is Digital Promise a public or private company?
Digital Promise is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Digital Promise founded?
Digital Promise was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Digital Promise based?
Digital Promise is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Digital Promise make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grants and Philanthropic Funding is the primary driver. The others are professional Services and micro-credentials Platform Services.
Who are Digital Promise's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pearson, Google for Education, Microsoft Education and Instructure (Canvas). Direct peers are ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), Common Sense Media, EdSurge, EdTechTeam, NewSchools Venture Fund and Khan Academy.
Does Digital Promise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Digital Promise.
What industry is Digital Promise in?
Digital Promise's product category is Education Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFACAL, Teacher-Led Digital Lesson Packages & Instructional Resources, with a secondary code of EDAGAEAA, K–12 Digital Curriculum & Interactive Lessons. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.