A-Street Ventures Makes Debut Investment in Teaching Strategies

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A-Street Ventures ("A-Street"), an investment fund focused on seeding and scaling innovative student learning and achievement solutions for students, families, and schools, today announced it will be making a strategic investment in Teaching Strategies, the leading provider of curriculum, assessment, professional development and family engagement tools to the early childhood education ("ECE") market, marking the debut investment for A-Street. The minority investment is being made alongside KKR's agreement to acquire Teaching Strategies from Summit Partners, which was announced in July. Financial details of the investment and transaction were not disclosed.

A-Street Ventures, which launched in June, plans to invest in a mix of early-, growth- and late-stage ventures, with a focus on improving student outcomes and closing equity gaps through digital instructional materials, curriculum and new paradigms for student assessment.

"The A-Street team knows education. They will bring not just capital and a strong mission alignment, but a deep understanding of the field to bear on the next chapter of our story," said John Olsen, CEO of Teaching Strategies. "We know that their collaboration will not only help to sustain and drive our growth and impact, but it will also benefit the children, educators, and families we serve."

Teaching Strategies connects educators, children and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences through its early learning platform. Teaching Strategies' research-based resources are found in over 270,000 classrooms and have served more than 15 million children across the globe during the critical, formative years from birth through third grade. Teaching Strategies employs a whole-child teaching philosophy designed to support and nurture all areas of children's development and learning, from social-emotional and cognitive skills to literacy, math and science.

"Founded by an early childhood educator, Teaching Strategies has for more than 40 years developed resources that support the critical work of early childhood educators, parents and families in ways that are deeply aligned with our focus on education as a powerful engine of social mobility," said Marc Sternberg, Founder and Managing Director of A-Street Ventures. "Teaching Strategies' research-based digital solutions are empowering and inspiring early childhood educators and helping children in their formative years receive a higher-quality learning experience. We look forward to supporting the company as it continues on this critical mission and unlocks new and innovative ways to teach our youngest learners."

"We are proud to be working together with A-Street Ventures, a pioneering supporter of innovation in education, whose guiding principles align perfectly with those of Teaching Strategies: to empower our teachers and their students through the best possible content and services," said Richard Sarnoff and Webster Chua, Partners at KKR.

About A-Street Ventures

A-Street Ventures is a privately sponsored investment fund with a strategic focus on seeding and scaling innovative K- 12 student learning and achievement solutions for students, families, and schools. A-Street intends to invest in a mix of early-, growth- and late-stage ventures, with a current focus on digital-first instructional materials in curriculum and new paradigms for student assessment. A-Street was founded because the time is now for big leaps forward in how students learn, and for what teaching and learning can look like; for lifting up the teaching profession by reorienting the teacher to his or her most sacred task: the human-centered work of facilitating learning; for leveraging digital-forward tools to accelerate learning; and for leaning into the surging digital access, breakthrough, and platforms that can transform at long last the Industrial Age classroom and into the modern hub of learning. For additional information about A-Street Ventures, please visit https://www.astreet.ventures/ and on Twitter @astreetventures.

About Teaching Strategies

With a strong belief that a child's first eight years form a critical foundation for success in school and in life, Teaching Strategies has been an advocate for the early education community for over 40 years. Today, Teaching Strategies connects teachers, children and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences, informative data, stronger family partnerships, and professional learning through the leading early learning platform. Its products, including the most widely-used curriculum and assessment solutions The Creative Curriculum® and GOLD®, are found in over 270,000 classrooms and have served more than 15 million children across the globe. To learn why thousands of early childhood programs and many states choose to partner with Teaching Strategies to help ensure children's success in school and in life, visit teachingstrategies.com and follow us on Twitter @TeachStrategies.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

SOURCE A-Street Ventures