Wikipedia
VIPKID is a leading Chinese online education firm that offers an American elementary education experience to Chinese students aged 5-12. The company hires qualified teachers with experience in the North American classroom to give one-on-one, fully immersive lessons delivered via the company's learning platform and based on U.S. Common Core State Standards.The process adheres to a flipped classroom model, entailing a pre-class video that introduces key learning points, interactive one-on-one instruction that reinforces learning objectives, and follow-up, post class homework.
The company was founded in 2013 by Mi Wenjuan with early backing by angel investment firm Innovation Works, led by former Google China president and prominent Chinese microblogger Kai-Fu Lee. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in Aug. 2015, Lee highlighted the company as an example of China's improving entrepreneurial talent.
Following its angel round, in October 2014, VIPKID was awarded $5 million in Series A financing led by Matrix Partners China,and in October 2015, it was awarded Series B financing of $20 million in a round led by Northern Light Ventures. On Aug. 3, 2016, VIPKID announced Series C financing of $100 million in a round led by Jack Ma's Yunfeng Capital and Sequoia Capital.
Currently, according to the company, VIPKID has approximately 2,000 teachers, 500,000 registered students and close to 30,000 paying students.