Welcome to the Reach Wire. Each month, we deliver fresh insights into the world of learning, health, and work — combining news and data we’re tracking, perspectives from the team at Reach Capital, and updates from our portfolio. Subscribe for the latest.

It’s spring break, and we’re taking anything but a break. From the shores of SoCal to the pages of the New York Times, our team has been out in full force! Here’s a peek at our recent itinerary:

• Conferencing: We’re still buzzing from ASU GSV Summit in San Diego, where our team traversed the expo halls in search of new edtech tools, connected with founders in our portfolio, and regaled audiences on three different panels. Our GPs Jennifer Carolan, Wayee Chu, and Shauntel Garvey received awards honoring women who continue to make a lasting impact in the education industry. And our ears may still be ringing after our after party with the Sugarhill Gang.
  

• Networking: Back at Reach HQ, we hosted our very first Breakfast Conversation for founders, operators, and investors shaping the future of work. A trio of founders — Jarah Euston (WorkWhile), Rafi Sands (Tandem), and Tushar Makhija (TeamOhana) — joined us for a panel on how AI-human collaboration is evolving in the workplace.
  

• Making Headlines: A recent New York Times feature on the opportunities and concerns around the growing use of AI in K-12 education spotlighted our market data and perspectives from our GP Jennifer Carolan.
  

• Growing Communities: We welcomed the fourth cohort of our Roadrunners, a group of 35 early-stage builders focused on health care and the future of work. Our Roadrunners have invested alongside us, joined our portfolio companies, started their own, and helped us identify incredible investment opportunities.

  
  We also welcomed Dr. Hannah Galvin to our healthcare advisor network. A physician and leader in clinical informatics and data privacy, Hannah’s expertise is invaluable as we seek solutions that improve care, build trust, and close access gaps.

From the portfolio

Latest Deals

Campus: Online community college with student supports and live classes led by top college professors • $46M Series B led by General Catalyst; Reach invested in the seed and Series A rounds (Blog).

CurvePoint: Combining Wi-Fi and spatially intelligent AI to enhance safety in schools and workplaces • Pre-seed round led by Reach (Blog).

Wins & News

Seesaw, the leading platform for feedback, assessments, and communications in elementary schools, has acquired Little Thinking Minds, a MENA-based provider of Arabic literacy solutions.

Pensieve was recently featured by Anthropic for using Claude to power its AI Teaching Assistant, which halves grading time, boosts midterm scores, and drives 5x more student questions in large college classes.

AI college counseling app Kollegio took home the Fan Favorite prize at this year’s GSV Cup, rising to the top of 1,900+ early-stage contenders.

Jarah Euston, Co-Founder and CEO of WorkWhile, co-authored a World Economic Forum piece on why flexibility is no longer just a perk but the new standard for hourly jobs. 

Aprende Institute CEO and founder Martin Claure was featured on Despierta América, the #1 morning show for Hispanic America, joined by students whose lives have been changed through upskilling and career training on the platform.

Derivita was named a finalist in the Digital Courseware and STEM Solution categories in this year’s EdTech Digest Cool Tool Awards.

Partner Perspectives

Our Frontline Work Thesis: For too long, the needs of the “deskless” workforce have been overlooked by modern software. Enzo Cavalie unpacks Reach’s latest thesis on how AI can support the 100M+ frontline workers powering our economy. From voice-first copilots to real-time coaching and agentic sidekicks, there is a massive opportunity to build new tools for construction workers, warehouse staff, and others who altogether contribute $4 trillion to the U.S. economy (and much, much more across the world).

AI and the Role of the Teacher: From grading essays to generating lessons, teachers are using AI even as they navigate complex questions about student use. Jennifer Carolan reflects on the fast rise of AI in schools and what it means for the people at the center of learning. Automating mundane, repetitive tasks can ease burnout, but human connections remain essential for child development.

How Top Interns Show Up and Stand Out. AI is rewiring employer expectations and the very nature of entry-level jobs, and many undergrads now face a challenging job landscape. But nothing will ever replace human hustle. In her letter to the Class of the Future, Wayee Chu outlines the preparation and mindsets that set top candidates apart. What value can you bring on Day 1?

Slacking off

Stories we’re buzzing about in the office.

The Male Reckoning

Boys are falling behind in school, opting out of college, and retreating into online spaces where rage feels easier than reflection. There’s a cultural shift around young men, raising urgent questions for educators, health providers, and anyone building for the next generation. The growing college gender gap is among the concerning trends we’re watching closely.

Boys have never lacked for feelings. But in this digital age, they’re lacking healthy spaces to discuss them. A New Yorker profile of a popular Twitch streamer explores how parasocial relationships have become powerful refuges; his stream offers a virtual room where loneliness fades, even if only temporarily. For many, it feels like a friendship. That illusion of intimacy matters, especially when more than a quarter of young men report having no close friends and struggle to open up (even to people they trust).

The renewed attention — and the buzz surrounding the recent Netflix hit Adolescence — is giving rise to new efforts to shape better paths. For his latest project, Business Dad, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian calls for a version of masculinity built not on status but on quiet excellence, responsibility, and showing up for the people around you. Colleges like the University of Vermont, where women outnumber men nearly 2-to-1, are trying to recruit more men through entrepreneurship programs, pitch competitions, outdoor recreation, and mentorship. We hope to see more efforts that celebrate agency and channel creative energies through communities. 

The data room

If you’re building solutions to move the needle on these figures, or in other areas across learning, health, and work, we’d love to hear from you!

Oh, the places we’ll go

Fika LA First Look

May 5-10 | Los Angeles, CA

Config

May 6-8 | San Francisco, CA

Langchain AI Agent Conference

May 13-14 | San Francisco, CA

Next Moves

Big moves start with bold clicks. Where will you go next?

There are 540 job openings across the Reach portfolio. Check them out here.