Zaption
We make videos interactive & give you powerful analytics to inform instruction. Share with us how you're using Zaption to be an #edtech innovator!.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | investor investor | €0.0 | round |
| investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Acquisition | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Zaption operated as a video learning platform targeting the education and corporate training sectors. Founded in 2012 by the father-son team of Jim and Charlie Stigler, the company provided tools to transform passive video viewing into an active learning experience. Charlie Stigler, a recipient of the Thiel Fellowship, left his computer science studies at Columbia University to establish the company, bringing a fresh perspective to educational technology. His father, Jim Stigler, contributed a background as a UCLA professor and experience from a previous video learning venture, LessonLab, which was acquired by Pearson. Chris Walsh, an educator and entrepreneur, joined as CEO in 2013.
The company's core product was a publishing platform that allowed users, primarily teachers and trainers, to embed interactive elements such as images, text, quizzes, and discussions into videos from sources like YouTube and Vimeo. These enriched video lessons, or "learning tours," could be shared privately or integrated into various learning management systems (LMS). A key feature was the platform's analytics, which provided instructors with real-time, actionable data on learner engagement and comprehension, enabling personalized instruction. Zaption operated on a freemium business model and generated revenue through subscriptions. By 2015, the platform had attracted over 200,000 users.
Zaption secured approximately $1.8 million in total funding through a combination of seed rounds and grants. Notable investors included NewSchools Venture Fund, Redcrest Enterprises, and Scion Capital. The U.S. Department of Education also awarded the company $1 million in grants. In a strategic exit, Zaption was acquired by Workday, an enterprise cloud applications provider, on June 30, 2016. Following the acquisition, the Zaption platform was shut down on September 30, 2016, with the team and technology being integrated into Workday's new corporate training environment, Workday Learning.
Keywords: Zaption, interactive video, video learning, edtech, corporate training, learning management system, LMS integration, video analytics, learner engagement, flipped classroom, online learning, educational software, Workday acquisition, Charlie Stigler, Jim Stigler, personalized learning, video quiz, active learning, K-12 education, higher education