Toddle

High-Level Overview

Toddle is an AI-powered teaching and learning platform (LMS) for K-12 schools, particularly those following IB and progressive curricula. It builds tools for curriculum planning, assessments, progress tracking, personalized learning, portfolios, visual reports, family communication, and accreditation support, replacing multiple platforms and saving teachers 2-5 hours weekly.[1][2][3][4] Serving over 2,000 schools in 100+ countries—including the US, UK, Australia, China, and UAE—Toddle targets educators in public districts, independent, and international schools, solving fragmented edtech workflows by streamlining instruction, student engagement, and community collaboration.[1][2][3][4] With $20M raised and a ~$100M valuation, it shows strong growth, including awards for Best LMS and Best AI Implementation in 2024.[1][2]

Origin Story

Founded in 2019 in Bengaluru, India, by five educators—Deepanshu Arora (CEO), Gautam Arora, Misbah Jafary, Nikhil Poonawala, and Parita Parekh—Toddle began as a passion project in their school's ICT lab to address daily teaching challenges.[1][2] The team grew from 5 to over 400 employees across 17 countries in five years, launching a platform initially for IB schools that expanded globally.[1][2] Early traction came from independent schools adopting it for curriculum mapping and feedback tools, with pivotal growth in markets like Australia (100+ school partnerships in year one) and the US public sector.[1][2][3]

Core Differentiators

• AI-First Design: AI guides curriculum building, cuts assessment creation/grading time by 80%, drafts reports/comments, summarizes communications, and personalizes learning (e.g., math via Battleship), while ensuring safe student interactions.[2][3][4]
• All-in-One Ecosystem: Replaces 3+ tools with 100+ integrations for SIS, attendance, gradebooks, portfolios (photos/videos tagged to standards), behavior tracking, and accreditation dashboards for 15+ bodies like IB/NEASC.[3][4][5]
• Teacher-Centric Experience: Multimodal feedback (audio/video), visual progress reports with embedded evidence, real-time analytics, and community features like Toddle Connect for chats/announcements, saving time and elevating practice.[1][2][4]
• Compliance and Reliability: FERPA/COPPA/GDPR/SOC 2 compliant, 99.9% uptime, encrypted data, and educator-led support, built by teachers for progressive K-12 environments.[3][5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Toddle rides the AI-edtech wave, capitalizing on post-pandemic demand for hybrid learning, personalized instruction, and efficiency amid teacher shortages. Timing aligns with rising adoption of AI in K-12 (e.g., 2024 awards highlight this), as schools seek unified platforms over fragmented tools like competitors Teachmint or Classplus.[1][2] Market forces favor it: global edtech growth, US district digitization, and progressive curricula expansion (IB in 100+ countries), with Toddle's 2,000-school footprint influencing ecosystems by standardizing teacher workflows and data-driven insights.[1][3][4] It shapes the landscape by prioritizing teacher agency and privacy, enabling schools to focus on holistic student growth over administrative burdens.[2][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Toddle is poised for US district dominance and global scale, leveraging AI to hit its "Big Hairy Audacious Goal" of saving teachers 10 hours weekly while expanding features like immersive learning and well-being tools.[2][3][4] Trends like AI personalization, accreditation automation, and family engagement will propel it, potentially pushing valuation beyond $100M with more funding. Its educator roots ensure sustained differentiation in a crowded LMS market, evolving influence from niche IB tool to essential K-12 infrastructure—streamlining education where fragmented tech once hindered progress.[1][2]