Remind (previously Remind101) is a private mobile messaging platform that aims to help teachers, parents, students, and administrators in K–12 schools communicate with everyone simultaneously.[1] The platform has over 20 million monthly active users across the United States.[2] As of September 2016, Remind is used in more than 50% of the public schools in the U.S.[3] [4]
Remind was founded in 2011 by brothers Brett and David Kopf to help bridge the communication gap in primary education.[5] [6] In 2016, they added former Bleacher Report CEO Brian Grey as CEO.[7]
When Brett Kopf was still in school, he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and dyslexia. To help him keep track of upcoming tests, his brother David created a system for school faculty to remind him. Brett credits this system with playing a part in his success in school.[4] [6] The two decided to make the system into a company, and it became part of the first class at the Imagine K12 incubator in Palo Alto, CA, which supports startups aiming to improve education.[8]
On June 16, 2014, Kopf announced that Remind101 would be changing its name simply to Remind.[9]
Remind was purchased by ParentSquare in November 2023. ParentSquare combined both products' leadership, teams, and communication platforms, retaining their best features. Existing Remind products were allowed to keep their names.[10]
The platform is designed to increase parental engagement which has been linked to increased student performance.[11] One study showed that teacher-to-family communication resulted in a 42% increase in homework completion, a 25% improvement in student focus on the task at hand, and increased participation among 6th-grade students involved in the study.[12]
In September 2013, Remind closed a $3.5 million round of Series A financing, led by Social Capital, with participation from Yuri Milner, Maneesh Arora, and other angel investors.[5] As part of the round, Chamath Palihapitiya joined Remind's board of directors.[5]
In February 2014, Remind raised $15 million in Series B funding led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers with additional participation from its previous investors, including Social Capital and First Round Capital.[1] [2] In coordination with the round, the company added John Doerr, a venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins, to its board.[13]
In September 2014, Remind raised $40 million in Series C funding from its previous investors, led by Kleiner Perkins and joined by the Social Capital and First Round Capital. The new round raised Remind’s total fund-raising to $59 million.[14]