| Paper | |
| Type: | Private Company |
| Foundation: | 2014 |
| Location City: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Industry: | Educational Technology, e-learning, |
| Key People: | Phil Cutler CEO, Roberto Cipriani CTO/COO |
| Num Employees: | 2000+ (2023) |
Paper is an educational technology company that partners with school systems to offer access to academic support such as tutoring, coaching, college and career support, and practice in core curricula.
The company is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, and operates across North America, with a second headquarters in Las Vegas, NV.
In 2023, due to reduced pandemic funding being provided to school districts, Paper's revenue and bookings significantly lagged expectations.[1] This resulted in multiple rounds of layoffs in 2023, which saw a reduction of 273 corporate staff. In April 2023, Paper reduced its corporate workforce by 81. Deeper cuts followed in August and September 2023. Those rounds saw the respective dismissals of 105 and 87 corporate employees. Hundreds of tutors have been cut from its workforce throughout 2022 and 2023 as well.
Originally named GradeSlam, Paper was founded in 2014 by McGill University graduates Philip Cutler and Roberto Cipriani. In 2022, Paper acquired Figure Math, and in 2023, Paper acquired career and college readiness platform MajorClarity and AI-based reading software provider Readlee.[2] [3]
Since 2016, the company has been venture-backed.[4] They have raised $389.6 million dollars from investors, including Google, Salesforce, Softbank, IVP, Sapphire Ventures. Paper received tens of millions of dollars of contracts from schools trying to help students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and had more than three million users across the United States at the height of the pandemic.
Paper provides students in partner districts with 24/7 access to chat-based tutors. Tutors working for Paper are often regarded as extensions of each school’s teaching staff. Teachers are granted access to see their students' interactions on Paper. [5]
Paper's Review Center feature allows students to submit written work to be reviewed and given annotated feedback by a tutor with the aim of helping students advance writing skills. In November 2023, the company announced the launch of its GenAI-powered Review Center, a writing review service that combines the intelligence of professional human tutors and GenAI to provide students with on-demand feedback across a broad range of writing assignments.
Initially intended for language arts classes, the Review Center feature has been adapted for use in multiple subjects, as well as for resumes and other personal writing pieces. In 2020, Paper introduced the “plagiar-eyes” badge which appears on reviewed essays to indicate to students and teachers that work is required to remove tutor-perceived instances of plagiarism. [6]
In March 2020, Paper launched an education industry-focused blog. The Paper blog includes educator spotlights, industry interviews, and a series about coping with school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
The company has released a series of White Papers and guides for the education and edtech industry. These documents highlight research and analysis across a spectrum of issues and ideas in education.[8]
Paper has conducted a number of efficacy studies to identify the educational impact of their Educational Support System (ESS). A study conducted with 5th-grade students saw students using Paper experience 30% more growth in English language development than peers without access to the ESS.
A study with Hillsborough County Public Schools found statistically significant academic gains among students who used Paper for ELA. Students of Hispanic descent and those below the poverty line were the two groups who saw the largest gains.[9]
During the extended school closures caused by COVID-19, Paper was heavily depended upon by schools looking to provide remote teaching and learning for students. The company reported record months of student engagement in March 2020 and April 2020 as a result of distance learning initiatives.[10] The company is reported to have large penetration in major US markets including the Bay Area where over a dozen school districts have implemented the service.[11]
In June 2021, the company reported supporting over 1 million students and employing 1000 tutors and 130 staff.[12] As of 2023, Paper reported supporting over three million students on the platform. School districts partnering with Paper included many of the largest in the US including Los Angeles Unified School District, Clark County School District, Hillsborough County Public Schools, School District of Palm Beach County, Boston Public Schools, Atlanta Public Schools; however, Hillsborough County Public Schools and Boston Public Schools have severed ties with Paper.[13]
Paper has been featured on Bloomberg News, CNBC, Cheddar, NBC News, The National (CBC) for its role in the education and technology markets.
In 2015, the company was selected by Tourism Montreal as one of the Top 10 Startups In Montreal.[14]
Paper is the winner of many awards including the 2022 Canadian EdTech Company of the Year, 2020 EdTech Award for Best Tutoring Solution. [15]
The company has been labeled one of the fastest-growing companies in North America. It was listed as the 21st fastest-growing company in Canada in 2020.[16]
Paper was selected to the GSV EdTech 150 in 2021 and 2022. The GSV EdTech 150 recognizes the 150 "most transformational growth companies in digital learning". The list highlights companies that are selected based on their impact finding innovative and scalable ways to serve learners around the world.[17]