CleanEdison
Cleantech education provider offering online, in-classroom, and hands-on vocational training services.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Acquisition | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
CleanEdison operated as a vocational training provider in the clean technology sector, established in February 2009 by founder and CEO Avi Yashchin. Based in New York, the company focused on delivering job skills training and certification programs in fields like energy efficiency, sustainable building, and solar installation. Yashchin, a computer science graduate from Johns Hopkins University with an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, drew from his prior experience in fixed-income trading at Barclays to build the company. He identified a gap in the market for accessible, high-quality green job training.
The firm's business model encompassed direct-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B), and business-to-institution (B2I) strategies. It provided services directly to individuals, corporations, and governmental bodies, as well as through partnerships with colleges and universities. CleanEdison developed a "School-as-a-Service" platform, which offered a blended learning model combining online coursework with hands-on vocational training. This platform managed everything from marketing and student recruitment to content delivery and graduation, often operating on a revenue-share basis with partner institutions. The curriculum spanned over 80 disciplines, including residential energy auditing, solar thermal and photovoltaic systems, and LEED certification preparation. By the time of its acquisition, the company had trained over 20,000 individuals.
In late 2014, Kaplan, Inc., a prominent international provider of educational services, agreed to acquire CleanEdison, and the deal was finalized in November 2015. Following the acquisition, CleanEdison was rebranded as Kaplan Clean Technology Education. The move allowed Kaplan to integrate CleanEdison's specialized clean energy curriculum into its broader educational offerings. Yashchin's entrepreneurial journey continued after the sale, as he went on to found other technology ventures.
Keywords: clean energy education, vocational training, green jobs certification, sustainable building training, solar installation courses, energy efficiency programs, LEED training, Avi Yashchin, Kaplan Clean Technology Education, School-as-a-Service, blended learning, professional certification, energy auditing, renewable energy training, workforce development, corporate training solutions, government training programs, edtech, cleantech services, BPI certification