Edsby

Last updated
Edsby
Edsby new logo.png
Type of business Private
Type of site
 Learning management system, analytics, social networking, data aggregation
FoundedApril 2010
HeadquartersToronto, Canada
No. of locations3
Created bySteve Asbury, Jon Asbury, Scott Welch, John Myers
Key peopleSteve Asbury, Jon Asbury, Scott Welch, John Myers
Industry K-12 education
Products Edsby, Unison
URL www.edsby.com
RegistrationRequired
Users Undisclosed
Current statusActive

Edsby is an educational technology company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It is the developer and publisher of the Edsby platform, a web-based K-12 learning management system (LMS) and analytics platform, and Unison, an educational data aggregation product.

Contents

Edsby is partnered with Microsoft and provides its services on the Microsoft Azure cloud service worldwide. The company was named Microsoft’s Education Partner of the Year in 2019. [1]

History

Edsby was founded in April 2010 by Steve Asbury, Jon Asbury, and Scott Welch, the three founders and architects of the software application FirstClass, [2] and co-worker John Myers. [3] After it gained popularity in the 1990s, millions of students and teachers used this software tool with messaging and collaboration features, and it is recognized as one of the earliest learning management systems. [4] [5]

Edsby is privately held, and in 2014, the company acknowledged a funding round of around two million dollars. [6] In 2020, it received a $5.3 million Series A investment. In conjunction with the raise, investor Chris Besse, former CEO of educational technology company FreshGrade and former managing director of K-12 at education publisher Nelson Education, joined the company as Chief Commercial Officer. [7]

Products

Edsby platform

The Edsby platform is developed for K-12 school districts, private schools, and governments. It provides online social learning tools connected to their existing systems, including grade books, attendance-taking, parent-teacher communication features, classroom management, content management, and social classroom interaction. [8] Mobile applications are available for iOS and Android. [9]

In September 2013, Hillsborough County Public Schools deployed Edsby to its students and teachers at the district's schools. [10] In 2015, other district-wide deployments included 3,450 staff and 34,000 students at Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. In 2016, it was adopted by 35,000 students and staff at Greater Essex County District School Board. [11] In 2017, it deployed at York Region District School Board, a 125,000-student district. [12]

In 2024, the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth in the country of Georgia selected Edsby as the national learning management and administration platform for its 800,000 students in a program supported by the World Bank. [13]

In 2025, MindShare Learning Chief Learning Strategist Timothy Gard called AI Teacher Assistant functionality in Edsby “poised to set a precedent for how AI can be leveraged to enhance learning while supporting educators.” [14]

Unison

In March 2019, the New Zealand Ministry of Education contracted with Edsby to develop a national student information-sharing exchange called Te Rito. Edsby’s technology, spun out in 2022 as a separate product called Unison, synchronizes the country’s thousands of student information systems, “securely storing and sharing information in a transparent and trusted way” for New Zealand learners, their families, and communities. [15] [16]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Center, Microsoft News (2019-06-06). "Microsoft announces 2019 Partner of the Year Award winners and finalists". Stories. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  2. ↑ Sharma, Ashok (4 May 2015). "The History of Distance Learning and the LMS". elearnhub.org.
  3. ↑ Liberal, Dina Al-Shibeeb Richmond Hill (2019-06-24). "Richmond Hill's Edsby to cover all New Zealand's schools after landmark deal". YorkRegion.com. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  4. ↑ "History and Trends of Learning Management System (Infographic)". Oxagile. 12 April 2016.
  5. ↑ Ashok Sharma (4 May 2015). "The History of Distance Learning and the LMS". ELH Online Learning Made Simple.
  6. ↑ EdSurge, EdSurge. "Edsby Gets Funding to Help Districts Deploy Social Learning Tools". EdSurge.
  7. ↑ "EdTech startup Edsby raises $5.3 million Series A | BetaKit". 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  8. ↑ "Edsby Product Review – By Timothy Gard, Chief Learning Strategist" . Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  9. ↑ "Edsby | A leading K-12 digital learning platform" . Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  10. ↑ Sokol, Marlene (2013-09-02). "Hillsborough school district rolls out Edsby grade book system". Tampa Bay Times.
  11. ↑ Schaffhauser, Dian (2016-02-08). "Edsby LMS Finds Home in Canadian Districts and on Azure". THE Journal.
  12. ↑ New York Region District School Board (2021-03-25). ""Online Resources – Edsby"" . Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  13. ↑ "A Modern Learning Management System is being introduced in Georgia's General Education System". Innovation, Inclusion, and Quality Project – Georgia. 2025-06-06. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  14. ↑ Mind Share Learning. "Edsby Teacher AI Assistant Review – By Timothy Gard, Chief Learning Strategist" . Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  15. ↑ "Home Page | Te Rito". terito.govt.nz. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  16. ↑ Kronk, Henry (2019-06-24). "Edsby Is Creating a National Student Records Database for the Country of New Zealand. They Say It's the First of Its Kind". eLearningInside News. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  17. ↑ "2025 Finalists & Winners". EdTech Digest. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  18. ↑ "Finalists and Winners of The 2024 Tech Edvocate Awards". The Edvocate. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  19. ↑ "2022 Winners". EdTech Breakthrough. Archived from the original on 2022-12-04. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  20. ↑ TL, TL. "Best Remote & Blended Learning Tools 2021". TechLearningMagazine. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  21. ↑ "Canadian EdTech Leadership Summit Celebrates National Award Winners – Announces the Launch of the Canadian EdTech Alliance –" . Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  22. ↑ "Innovators of the Year Award". www.richmondhill.ca. 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
  23. ↑ "SIIA CODiE Award Winners - 2017". Software and Information Industry Association. 2017. Archived from the original on 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  24. ↑ "SIIA CODiE Award Winners - 2016". Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA). 2016.


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