Wonderschool, a burgeoning startup with a mission to support and empower individuals and local governments in creating viable childcare businesses, has recently acquired EarlyDay, an early childhood educator marketplace.
TechCrunch has been following Wonderschool’s journey since its early stages, covering its seed rounds and Series A funding led by prominent investor firm Andreessen Horowitz.
The specific details of the acquisition have not been disclosed, but in an exclusive interview with TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, EarlyDay’s co-CEOs Emma Harris and Melissa Tan shared that the move was “opportunistic” and not motivated by fundraising needs. Wonderschool’s CEO, Chris Bennett, chose to keep the specifics of the transaction under wraps, but suggested that it was a significant investment.
We brought on Harris, Tan, and Bennett for a candid discussion on the acquisition, their future plans for the childcare sector, the ongoing childcare crisis in the U.S. and more. Don’t miss out on our enlightening conversation!
In early 2022, Wonderschool successfully raised $25 million in a Series B round, reaching a post-money valuation of $165 million according to Crunchbase data. Later in the same year, EarlyDay secured a seed funding of $3.3 million.
Despite the dominance of the AI technology sector in the past year, education technology, along with other startup categories, continues to thrive. There is a massive demand for improving childcare and early childhood services, and the market is ripe for new developments. As certain federal programs come to an end, parents have expressed concerns about the availability and affordability of childcare options. A simple search for “childcare crisis” can attest to the distress and limited choices faced by parents with young children.
If the Wonderschool-EarlyDay acquisition proves successful, we could witness a significant increase in the availability of childcare services. This not only benefits Wonderschool’s business but also provides a much-needed solution for parents.
