Thinkwell

Thinkwell was co-founded in 1997 by Amy Bryant with the mission to provide students access to high-quality teaching talent. The company develops video-based educational materials for subjects in middle school through college, including math, science, economics, and American government.

The firm's business model is centered on providing its educational content directly to consumers and institutions. Clients include homeschoolers, students engaged in independent study, and traditional educational institutions using the platform for distance learning, classroom courses, or in computer labs. Revenue is generated through the sale of 12-month subscriptions to its online courses. Thinkwell's courses are structured to be self-paced and include features like automatically graded exercises, quizzes, tests, and printable worksheets.

Thinkwell's core product is a suite of online courses that feature award-winning professors delivering lessons in short, 5-10 minute video segments. These courses are designed to build upon previous knowledge, reinforcing key concepts throughout the curriculum. Students receive immediate feedback on exercises, with step-by-step solutions provided for review. While the platform is primarily online, optional printed workbooks and notes are available for most math courses. The company also offers grade tracking, allowing students to monitor their progress on exercises, quizzes, and exams.

Amy Bryant, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, co-founded the company out of a desire to bring great teachers to a worldwide student audience and oversees the production and editorial departments. The company has received venture capital funding, including a Series A round in February 1999 for $3 million and a Series B round in April 2000 for $5.16 million.

Keywords: edtech, online learning, video-based courses, homeschooling curriculum, math education, science education, distance learning, self-paced learning, online assessment, educational multimedia, middle school education, high school education, college courses, independent study, online tutoring, digital textbook, e-learning platform, virtual classroom, educational software, online video lessons