Charlotte-based global education technology company Discovery Education announced plans to acquire one of its top competitors, DreamBox Learning, a move that is expected to broaden Discovery Education’s suite of innovative classroom solutions.
DreamBox Learning is a Washington-based PK-12 education technology provider serving more than 6 million students and 600,000 educators nationwide. Discovery Education’s learning platform offers curricula in science, social studies, math and coding. The company says it serves about 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide.
The acquisition of DreamBox Learning supports Discovery Education’s mission to prepare learners for tomorrow by creating innovative classrooms connected to today’s world. DreamBox Learning’s products complement Discovery Education’s other successful digital solutions, which include Discovery Education Experience, the company’s award-winning K-12 platform, the Techbook series of digital textbooks, Mystery Science, and more, in supporting student achievement.
“Discovery Education is excited to welcome DreamBox Learning, a brand synonymous with quality, research-based math and reading edtech solutions to our growing family of services,” Discovery Education Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Cowdrey said. “Through this latest acquisition, Discovery Education is better positioned to broaden its impact on student success by providing our existing network of partner school systems access to DreamBox Learning’s collection of supplemental math, reading, and professional learning solutions.”
The acquisition of DreamBox Learning comes at a time when school districts are seeking comprehensive, yet consolidated platforms to address a wide range of core and supplemental learning needs, backed by research that underscores meaningful gains in achievement. The addition of DreamBox Learning’s intelligent adaptive learning technology to the Discovery Education suite will provide educators and students with more options for engaging, personalized learning experiences across a variety of disciplines.
“DreamBox Learning was founded in 2006 with the mission to transform the way the world learns through our pioneering intelligent adaptive learning technology, and today’s announcement represents a significant next step to achieving that mission,” DreamBox Learning President and CEO Jessie Woolley-Wilson said. “Building upon our existing math and reading solutions, we can now leverage Discovery Education’s highly scalable global footprint to reach more students and deepen our partnerships with educators around the world.”
DreamBox Learning will be Discovery Education’s most recent acquisition, joining Pivot Interactives and DoodleLearning, which were acquired in August of 2022, and Mystery Science, which was acquired in 2020.
Discovery Education is backed by private equity firm Clearlake Capital Group. DreamBox Learning’s current investors Elliott Investment Management L.P. and TPG’s The Rise Fund will retain minority stakes in the company. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, pending regulatory approval.
