Course Hero Acquires Pioneering Developer of AI for Mathematics Education, Symbolab

The strategic acquisition advances Course Hero's mission to help millions of students and educators succeed

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Oct 27, 2020, 06:00 ET

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Course Hero, an online learning platform for course-specific study resources, today announced the acquisition of Symbolab, a pioneer in the development of artificial intelligence to help students demystify the most vexing math challenges. One of the most advanced mathematics solvers in the world, Symbolab has been used by over 50 million students to work through and understand one billion questions and explanations in 2020 alone. This acquisition reflects Course Hero's commitment to identifying technologies and developing innovations in learning science.

"College-level math is among the most challenging subjects for students, but it's also one of the most important gateways to college success. This is about complementing great teaching by providing students with another way to ask and answer questions, practice, and master critical concepts," said Andrew Grauer, co-founder and CEO of Course Hero. "The Symbolab team is tightly aligned with our culture and values. They share our primary mission to provide access and equity to all students, helping them graduate, confident and prepared."

Founded by mathematicians and computer scientists in 2011, Symbolab helps students better understand and practice math problems across a range of educational levels and subjects, such as advanced algebra, trigonometry, calculus, chemistry and physics. Having launched a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered geometry solution today, Symbolab is the only math education platform in the world that can help students and educators solve complex geometry problems featuring detailed explanations and proofs. Symbolab's expertise in AI and learning science will amplify Course Hero's future development of cutting-edge resources and tools for learners.

"We are constantly exploring innovative ways to make mathematics accessible for students, reducing anxiety and equipping them with the understanding they need to persist at the next level," said Michal Avny, co-founder and CEO of Symbolab. "By joining forces with Course Hero, our technology solutions will give many millions of students the confidence they need for broader educational success."

According to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, more than half of two-year college students and a third of four-year students enroll in remedial math, taking on average two to three successive remedial courses. Unfortunately, only a third of students who enroll in remedial math ever successfully complete a college math course.

Symbolab provides students with step-by-step explanations of complex problems, along with adaptive learning ranging from elementary level math to advanced university courses. While the Symbolab technology will be integrated into the Course Hero platform, Symbolab will retain its existing brand and team of mathematicians, developers, and computer scientists. This is Course Hero's first strategic acquisition following its $80 million Series B funding.

About Course Hero: Course Hero is on a mission to help students make every study hour count, and graduate confident and prepared. The online learning platform offers over 40 million course-specific study resources created by and for students and educators, as well as 24/7 tutor help. The range of learning materials include practice problems, study guides, textbook solutions, videos, class notes, and step-by-step explanations for every subject. More than 50,000 faculty across the U.S. and Canada use Course Hero to share their resources with the community, collaborate with other faculty, and hone new strategies for instruction.

About Symbolab: Symbolab (Eqsquest Ltd) is a global leader in education technology with over one million daily active users worldwide. Symbolab is committed to helping students learn math, providing step by step solutions to any math problem, as well as AI-driven personalized learning, assessments, insights and more. It is the most comprehensive math education tool, offering a fully automated platform based on advanced machine learning algorithms. Symbolab is a simple and intuitive way to improve students' math skills and understanding, effectively boosting user confidence by providing the building blocks to tackle any type of math problem, from elementary mathematics to differential equations. To learn more visit www.symbolab.com.

SOURCE Course Hero