Case Study Spotlight: Fiveable

Opportunity: When we engaged with Fiveable, they were only a two-year-old edtech startup. The company was seeking widespread exposure to help reach three key audiences: student users (to grow the platform), investors (to secure VC funding) and C-level executives (to help facilitate partnership and larger business growth).

Strategy: With startups being extremely agile, our PR strategy grew and evolved often to align with the company’s needs. Our tactics were creative and versatile and included strategies such as the following: 

• Responding to COVID trend stories & ensuring Fiveable was included in lists of free resources for parents, students and teachers 
• Leveraging the CEO’s personal perspective as a former teacher in an underserved school district to elevate discussions around inequities in education 
• Highlighting the student-first philosophy of Fiveable by creating student awards and building complementary press campaigns in local markets 
• Showcasing company culture angles and individual employees to help the growing team attract new employees 
• Leveraging the CEO’s perspective as a woman of color to discuss challenges of BIPOC female founders raising capital 
• Helping the company expand competitive mindshare by building stories beyond Advanced Placement test prep (the company’s starting point) with timely trend discussions around student mental health, virtual studying and social learning, college readiness and more 

Results: We were able to land 300 earned and organic stories that helped Fiveable grow to serve more than 7 million students, successfully secure and announce its first acquisition, increase its team from being 5 people to more than 25, and secure more than $14M in venture capital funding from notable investors like Union Square Ventures, Owl Ventures, Serena Ventures (ie Serena Williams) and Metrodora Ventures (ie Chelsea Clinton).

Check out some of the highlights! 

Impact Alpha | Chelsea Clinton’s VC fund backs edtech startup Fiveable

Business Insider | 6 startups reshaping the education space and tackling new and innovative ways to offer online learning to K-12 students

TechCrunch | Fiveable makes first acquisition: A virtual study tool built by a 16-year-old

BBC World News | Fiveable’s employees live and work in the same house

Forbes |  From Online Education To College Prep, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 In Education Are Innovating Through The Pandemic

March 30, 2023