- With Public Launch, Company Aims to Provide More Affordable Learning Resources to a Greater Number of Students, Parents and Educators
- Online Marketplace Works With Vendors to Offer Discounts on Low-Priced Educational Materials
- Educents Also Reveals Results of Limited Pilot Period, Suggesting Strong Demand for Education Marketplace
Oakland, Calif. (July 23, 2014) – Educents, an online marketplace for affordable educational materials, today announced the public launch of its online platform for deals on educational products. Educents, which has been operating in limited pilot for about a year, works with established suppliers to provide savings for teachers, parents and homeschoolers.
“At a time when the costs associated with education are becoming more and more of a hardship on teachers, parents, students and homeschoolers, we are thrilled to be taking Educents to the broader public,” said Kate Whiting, co-founder of Educents, who has spent 12 years in the education market. “By combining the efficiencies afforded by technology and marketplace commerce, we are aiming to ease this financial burden by providing educational materials at a much lower cost than traditional models.”
Founded in 2013 by Whiting and Kaitlyn Trabucco, Educents was created in response to the growing burden on educators to pay for their own teaching materials. In fact, parents spend $26.7 billion each back-to-school season, and public school teachers spent more than $1.6 billion to purchase materials out of pocket last year alone, according to the National School Supply and Equipment Association. More than 99 percent of the 7.2 million U.S. teachers spend their own money on classroom materials, averaging nearly $500 per year.
“Kate and I are incredibly passionate about working in the education field and bringing new efficiencies to a market that is underserved,” said Trabucco. “We are very familiar with the inefficiencies in education right now and feel compelled to step in. By working closely with suppliers to provide the best deals for educators, we are changing the way educational materials reach the classroom and making a dent in the rising cost of obtaining a quality education. At the end of the day, we knew we were the right women for the task”
In connection with its public launch, Educents also revealed the traction it has experienced during its limited pilot period, which indicates strong demand for high quality, low-priced educational products. Since its pilot launch in 2013, Educents has attracted more than 100,000 users and 700 vendors, with plans to greatly increase its footprint during its public expansion. With discounts as high as 90 percent, Educents has saved educators, parents and students more than $7 million during the marketplace’s limited pilot phase.
About Educents
Educents is an online marketplace for affordable educational products, providing deals on traditionally high-priced materials for teachers, students, parents and educators. Since the pilot launch of its online platform in 2013, Educents has saved educators, parents and students millions of dollars. Educents aspires to provide affordable educational opportunities for students, educators and lifelong learners across the globe.
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