Week in Edtech 6/11/25: OpenAI’s $10B Milestone, Meta’s AI Superteam, Grammarly’s $1B Raise, Ohio State’s AI Mandate, IXL & CodeHS Acquisitions, and More! Feat. Rod Danan of Prentus & Lars-Petter Kjos of We Are Learning

Jun 17, 2025

Rod Danan, Founder and CEO of Prentus, shares insights on bridging bootcamps to careers with community and coaching strategies to help job seekers thrive in an AI-driven world. Lars-Petter Kjos, Co-founder of We Are Learning, discusses how generative AI tools can revolutionize custom video content creation for educators. The conversation also touches on the impressive growth of OpenAI, AI regulation challenges, and innovative assessment methods, emphasizing how education and technology are evolving to meet the demands of a new generation.

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INSIGHT

Grammarly’s Big Acquisition Bet

Grammarly’s $1 billion non-dilutive funding suggests a strategic push for acquisitions but raises debt sustainability questions.
The rise of free AI-based writing tools challenges Grammarly’s market position, forcing innovation or consolidation.

ANECDOTE

Prentice’s Founder Story

Rod Danan started Prentice after struggling with job searching himself and seeing bootcamp grads face similar challenges.
He built a platform using AI and community to make job hunting fair, fast, and fun for diverse students.

INSIGHT

For-Profit Ed Innovates Career Outcomes

For-profit colleges innovate faster on career outcomes due to direct financial incentives tied to graduate success.
Traditional higher ed must evolve to meet growing demands for return on investment and workforce readiness.

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Join hosts Alex Sarlin and Ben Kornell as they explore the latest developments in education technology, from AI breakthroughs to high-stakes funding rounds and institutional shifts in AI strategy.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[00:02:45] OpenAI’s $10B Annual Run Rate: ChatGPT drives unprecedented growth
[00:05:12] Anthropic CEO criticizes proposed 10-year ban on state AI regulation
[00:08:04] Google.org Accelerator: New cohort tackling generative AI for good
[00:10:17] News Sites Struggle as Google AI Summarizes Content
[00:13:33] Zuckerberg’s Meta Bets Big: $14B stake in Scale AI and ‘Superintelligence’ team
[00:17:02] Microsoft’s Plan to Rank AI Models by Safety
[00:19:20] Apple Research Paper Questions AI’s Reasoning Power
[00:21:46] Harvard Gets Backing in DEI Lawsuit from Ivies, Alumni
[00:24:09] Education Secretary Suggests Harvard May Regain Federal Grants
[00:26:48] Ohio State Requires AI Fluency Across All Students
[00:30:20] IXL Learning Acquires MyTutor to Expand Global Tutoring Reach
[00:32:55] CodeHS Acquires Tynker to Bolster K-12 CS Content
[00:35:30] Grammarly Secures $1B in Non-Dilutive Funding for M&A

Plus, special guests:

[00:38:12] Rod Danan, Founder of Prentus, on bridging bootcamps to careers with community and coaching
[00:46:10] Lars-Petter Kjos, Co-founder and CPO of We Are Learning, on building generative AI tools for educators to create custom video content at scale

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This season of Edtech Insiders is brought to you by Cooley LLP. Cooley is the go-to law firm for education and edtech innovators, offering industry-informed counsel across the 'pre-K to gray' spectrum. With a multidisciplinary approach and a powerful edtech ecosystem, Cooley helps shape the future of education.

Innovation in preK to gray learning is powered by exceptional people. For over 15 years, EdTech companies of all sizes and stages have trusted HireEducation to find the talent that drives impact. When specific skills and experiences are mission-critical, HireEducation is a partner that delivers. Offering permanent, fractional, and executive recruitment, HireEducation knows the go-to-market talent you need. Learn more at HireEdu.com.