What EdTech Evidence Exchange does

EdTech Evidence Exchange was a nonprofit initiative founded to help K-12 educators and school districts make evidence-based decisions about education technology, with the explicit goal of reducing edtech spending waste and improving student outcomes through better-matched implementations. Its core deliverables were the EdTech Genome Project Report (2021) — which introduced the Context Framework defining ten variables that influence edtech implementation and the Context Inventory, a validated survey tool to measure across those dimensions — and the BIRD-E Blueprint (Core and Advanced versions, 2022), a standardized data schema for education R&D modeled on healthcare research infrastructure. All artifacts were produced through large cross-sector collaborations: a 140+ organization working group for the Genome Report and a 70+ stakeholder coalition (including researchers, practitioners, and federal agency partners) for BIRD-E.

Technically, the organization built a domain-specialized framework stack rather than a software product: taxonomies (Context Framework), measurement instruments (Context Inventory), and interoperability schema (BIRD-E). Distribution is entirely digital and free — reports are hosted on Google Drive and the bird-e.org website, targeting an enterprise/research audience with no pricing or licensing model disclosed. The business model is nonprofit grant- and partnership-funded rather than commercial; no revenue, pricing, or paying customers are disclosed.

In 2023, EdTech Evidence Exchange was acquired by InnovateEDU Inc. (a nonprofit operating in education technology), and the project continues as part of InnovateEDU's Edtech and Markets portfolio. The entity operates nationally in the United States, is headquartered in Arlington, VA, and has a headcount of 1-10.

Name

EdTech Evidence Exchange

Legal name

InnovateEDU Inc.

Website

https://edtechevidence.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EdTech Evidence Exchange is a nonprofit initiative that built the Context Framework, Context Inventory survey tool, and BIRD-E data schema to help K-12 educators and researchers make evidence-based edtech implementation decisions; acquired by InnovateEDU in 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Research and EdTech Evaluation

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Research, Evaluation & Program Effectiveness Reporting (EDADAIAM)

Keywords

• Education research
• Edtech evaluation
• Learning analytics
• Education data schema
• Evidence-based edtech

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The EdTech Evidence Exchange develops research-backed frameworks, validated survey instruments, and standardized data schemas to help K-12 educators and school districts make evidence-based decisions about education technology. Its core deliverables include the EdTech Genome Project Report (2021), the Context Framework (defining ten variables influencing edtech implementation), the Context Inventory (validated survey tool), and the BIRD-E Blueprint (Core and Advanced versions, 2022), a standardized data schema for education research infrastructure.

Product overview

EdTech Evidence Exchange was a single focused initiative/project that aimed to help educators make evidence-based edtech decisions appropriate for their context. The core offerings consisted of the EdTech Genome Project Report (a landmark 2021 publication), the Context Framework (defining ten variables influencing edtech implementation), and the Context Inventory (a validated survey tool). These products worked together as a unified resource for reducing edtech spending waste and transforming learning experiences. The Exchange was acquired by InnovateEDU in 2023, which continues to advance the Context Framework through its Edtech and Markets portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The EdTech Genome Project: A project that articulated a common language to help describe effective edtech implementation, including the Context Framework and Context Inventory.

Products and services

• EdTech Genome Project Report A landmark research report and framework that articulates a common language for describing effective edtech implementation, created through collaboration with a cross-sector working group of more than 140 organizations. Targeted at educators, districts, and policymakers.
• Context Framework A framework providing definitions for the ten variables influencing edtech implementation, providing a common language for educators and districts to describe effective edtech implementation.
• Context Inventory A validated survey tool to measure across the ten dimensions of the Context Framework, enabling assessment of edtech implementation contexts.
• BIRD-E Blueprint (Core Version)

Quantifiable outcome

• EdTech Evidence Exchange acquired by InnovateEDU in 2023 to continue advancing context-based edtech implementation research

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 70+ Stakeholders (BIRD-E Collaboration)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Over three years, more than 70 stakeholders including researchers, practitioners, and federal agency partners collaborated to outline key education data elements and pilot their use across diverse real-world research projects. This resulted in the BIRD-E Blueprint published in spring 2022.
• 140+ Cross-Sector Organizations (EdTech Genome Project Working Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021A cross-sector working group of more than 140 organizations collaborated to create The EdTech Genome Project Report, which articulated a common language to help describe effective edtech implementation. The working group developed the Context Framework and Context Inventory tools.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• EdSurge: Information platform covering edtech products, research, and industry news. Adjacent ecosystem player that disseminates edtech evidence and product information to district buyers.
• LearnLaunch: Nonprofit edtech innovation network supporting entrepreneurs, districts, and educators. Adjacent as a convening and ecosystem player in edtech adoption rather than a direct framework-builder.

Direct peers

• Digital Promise: Nonprofit focused on edtech research, innovation, and evidence-based tools for educators. Most directly comparable as a research-driven nonprofit building frameworks and resources that help districts adopt technology more effectively.
• EdReports: Independent nonprofit that produces rigorous reviews of instructional materials to support district purchasing decisions. Closely comparable mission of producing evidence-based review frameworks for K-12 procurement.
• EdTech Hub: Global research and innovation organization producing evidence on how edtech can improve learning in low- and middle-income contexts. Closely aligned as an evidence-generation and dissemination organization for edtech decision-making.

Emerging players

• TNTP: Nonprofit focused on teacher effectiveness and education system improvement through research and practice. Partial overlap as an evidence-driven education nonprofit addressing district-level outcomes and decision-making.
• Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE): Research and policy organization focused on K-12 innovation and evidence-based reform. Overlaps in producing research that informs district and system-level decision-making about educational technology and practice.

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Large research institution conducting policy-relevant education research for federal agencies and foundations. Comparable in producing education evidence infrastructure and research frameworks, though much broader in scope.
• SRI International: Research organization conducting education program evaluations and developing tools for districts and federal agencies. Comparable as a research-and-evaluation partner producing structured data and frameworks for education R&D.
• Common Sense Education: Larger nonprofit providing edtech ratings, privacy evaluations, and instructional resources to schools and districts. Overlaps in producing evidence-based edtech evaluation content for K-12.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 EdTech Evidence Exchange