GoPeer is Building a Technology Platform to Streamline the Effort and Expense Associated with K-12 Tutoring

Providence, R.I., August 13, 2019– The Slater Technology Fundtoday announced that it has invested $25,000 in GoPeer, a Providence-based e-learning startup, as a part of their $265,000 seed round. Founded by recent college graduate Ethan Binder, GoPeer has developed a platform that leverages an available and underutilized labor force of college students to provide high-quality online tutoring for K-12 students at one-third the national average cost of professional tutoring.

Binder founded GoPeer in 2017, while he was still a student at Lafayette College. He is a graduate of the Social Enterprise Greenhouse’sImpact Accelerator program, and a member of both the MassChallenge Rhode Island2018 accelerator cohort and MassChallenge Boston2019 accelerator cohort of entrepreneurs. Together with co-founders Zura Mestiashvili and Erik Laucks, Binder developed and refined the GoPeer SaaS technology and mobile app, and recruited college students to offer their tutoring services. Today, GoPeer has more than 3,257 college-student users, and 1,224 K-12 students have used the service.

“The pricing in the private tutoring industry can be outrageous and is a major obstacle for students who are seeking academic mentorship,” said Binder. “This can lead to students missing out on the supplementary education they need. GoPeer leverages an innovative and near-peer tutoring model to drive down costs and increase access. This seed-round investment from Slater will support our efforts to bring affordable and personalized tutoring to students who need to reach their full academic potential.”

“Having had the opportunity in local ecosystem settings to watch Ethan and his team refine the company’s technology, customer experience, and go-to-market so relentlessly, I was delighted when he decided to locate his company here in Providence,” said Thorne Sparkman, managing director of the Slater Technology Fund. “Ethan has the vision, grit and determination that an entrepreneur needs to build a successful e-learning venture. I’m sure that’s why he has collected so many repeat customers, admirers, advisors, and now investors, in Rhode Island and beyond.”

About Slater Technology Fund

The Slater Technology Fund is an evergreen not-for-profit seed fund dedicated to supporting new venture development in Rhode Island. More than two decades ago, Slater launched a platform for seed-stage investing in Rhode Island; today, the organization remains the most active seed-stage investor in the state. Slater has invested in hundreds of technology ventures in the region, achieving multiple exits while also generating economic impact returns in the form of high-wage jobs. For more information, visit www.slaterfund.com.

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