Digital Promise

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.

Name

Digital Promise

Legal name

Digital Promise Global

Website

https://digitalpromise.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 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

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

• Education technology
• Micro-credentials platform
• AI in education
• Learner variability research
• Educator professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Learning Data InsightscoreTechnology or Integration · 29 June 2026Core 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.
• DrivenDatacoreTechnology or Integration · 29 June 2026Core partner in K-12 AI Infrastructure Program bringing data science expertise to evaluate and support AI educational tool development.
• Massive Data Institute at Georgetown UniversitycoreTechnology or Integration · 29 June 2026Academic research partner in the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program contributing data science expertise and research capabilities.
• Catalyst @ Penn GSEcoreTechnology or Integration · 29 June 2026Education research partner in the K-12 AI Infrastructure Program based at University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
• Yourway LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Collaboration 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.
• TNTPflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026Three-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.
• PearsoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025Digital 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.
• VerizonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Since 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.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partnership 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.
• HPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHP 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.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft co-sponsors the Reinvent the Classroom initiative with Digital Promise, HP, and Intel to support innovative educators through Teaching Fellows and Learning Studios programs.
• IntelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntel co-sponsors the Reinvent the Classroom initiative with Digital Promise, HP, and Microsoft to celebrate powerful teaching and learning with technology.
• National Education AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference partner offering over 175 educator-created microcredentials alongside Digital Promise's competency-based framework. Both organizations support teacher professional development through stackable credentials.
• Maker EdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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

Broad 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/digitalpromise
• Facebookfacebook.com/digitalpromise
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digital-promise
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitalpromise
• Xx.com/DigitalPromise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Digital Promise