Education Technology · Profile from Education Technology Research Companion
Amplify Education, Inc.
The Brooklyn K-12 curriculum and assessment company that began in 2000 as Wireless Generation, putting DIBELS reading assessment on handheld computers (mCLASS). News Corp bought it in 2010 for $360m and spent hundreds of millions more on a tablet-based digital-curriculum bet that failed. A management team backed by Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective bought it in 2015, and it rebuilt around science-of-reading assessment (mCLASS/DIBELS 8), knowledge-rich core curricula (CKLA, Amplify Science) and, since buying Desmos's curriculum business in 2022, math.
At a glance
- Founded
- 2000, as Wireless Generation, Brooklyn, New York
- Founders
- Larry Berger and Greg Gunn
- Headquarters
- Brooklyn, New York (DUMBO)
- Ownership / structure
- Private. Owned by management and private investors led by Emerson Collective since September 2015; growth investors added in 2021 ($215m round) and 2023 (Series C including Cox Enterprises). News Corp owned 90% from 2010 to 2015
- Leadership (2026)
- Larry Berger, CEO since the 2015 buyout (and of Wireless Generation 2000–2010); confirm for 2026 (verify). Joel Klein led Amplify as CEO under News Corp (2011–15)
- Segment and buyer
- K-12 (strongest in K-8). Districts and states buy early-literacy assessment, core curriculum (ELA, science, math) and intervention; teachers and students use it
- Scale
- 10m+ students in all 50 states (2023, company-reported); ~4m students and ~$125m revenue reported in 2018 (Fast Company). Current revenue not disclosed
- Capital raised / valuation / market cap
- News Corp paid $360m for 90% (2010) and invested ~$540m more by its own account (reported); wrote down ~$371m (2015, reported). Sold to management in 2015 for undisclosed terms. $215m growth round (October 2021); Series C (May 2023), amount and valuation not disclosed
- Signature moves
- mCLASS handheld DIBELS (2000s). NYC ARIS and state data contracts (2007–11). News Corp acquisition (2010). CKLA partnership with the Core Knowledge Foundation (~2012–13). Amplify Tablet (2013, failure). Sale to management and Emerson (2015). Amplify Science with Lawrence Hall of Science (2016). $215m growth round and science-of-reading surge (2021). Desmos curriculum acquisition (2022). Misses: tablet recall in Guilford County, cancelled New York State no-bid contract, ~$1bn News Corp loss, Amplify Games shutdown
9 strategic moves analysed
Each one gets a full strategy file in the companion: context, the decision, the financing, what happened, and the lesson.
2000
Wireless Generation and mCLASS
Launch
2008
NYC ARIS and State Data Contracts
Contract / product expansion (government data systems)
2010
News Corp Acquisition
Acquisition (company acquired)
2012
Core Knowledge CKLA Partnership
Partnership (content development and publishing)
2013
Amplify Tablet Launch
Launch (hardware and subscription bundle) — failure
2015
Sale to Management and Emerson
Divestiture / management buyout
2016
Amplify Science Launch
Launch / partnership
2021
Growth Round and Science of Reading
Funding round
2022
Acquires Desmos Curriculum
Acquisition