AI is rapidly making its way into classrooms, and one startup is leading the charge. Brisk, a San Francisco-based AI edtech company, just secured $15 million in fresh funding as it gains momentum among teachers and schools worldwide.
Brisk’s platform, designed as a Chrome extension, equips educators and students with over 40 AI-powered tools. From drafting lesson plans and grading assignments to adapting content for different learning levels, the platform simplifies tasks while enhancing quality. It even helps spot possible signs of AI-generated student work—a growing challenge teachers face with tools like ChatGPT now common in classrooms.
According to Brisk’s founder and CEO, Arman Jaffer, traditional education technology is falling behind. “The average U.S. teacher juggles around 140 edtech tools every year. Most of those tools weren’t built with AI in mind. We’re creating an AI-native edtech stack designed for today’s classrooms,” he shared.
With the new investment, Brisk plans to expand its toolset and broaden its reach. One key goal is integrating with Microsoft platforms by late 2025, targeting schools already relying on Microsoft products.
Since raising $5 million in seed funding just six months ago, Brisk’s growth has been staggering. The company claims a five-fold increase in users and an incredible 40x jump in revenue—though it started from zero. Today, Brisk serves over 2,000 schools across 100 countries, with more than 90% of its business coming from inbound demand. Impressively, one in five K-12 teachers in the U.S. had installed the Brisk Extension by February 2025.
Bessemer Venture Partners led this funding round, joined by existing investors Owl Ventures, South Park Commons, and Springbank Collective.
Brisk’s rise comes as education continues its digital transformation. Over the years, schools have embraced countless tools to modernize learning and cope with challenges like shrinking budgets and outdated textbooks. The push toward tech solutions is accelerating, with giants like Google and Microsoft offering full edtech suites, while startups like Khan Academy engage directly with students and families.
Brisk is part of this wave, but with a unique AI-driven approach. Its pitch is simple yet powerful: AI is here, and if used wisely, it can ease educators’ workloads and improve learning outcomes.
However, AI’s role in classrooms sparks debate. Critics worry about accuracy and data privacy, particularly when tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT guide for teachers fail to address these concerns. Jaffer understands this and insists Brisk is built as an assistant—not a replacement—for teachers.
One standout feature is Brisk’s Student Writing Inspector. Instead of labeling work as “AI-generated,” it provides a video summary of the student’s writing process. Teachers can review moments where the student copied text or worked inconsistently, helping them make informed decisions about possible AI use or plagiarism.
Another popular tool, “Targeted Feedback,” leverages generative AI to analyze student essays directly within Google Docs. It generates personalized comments based on age, grading rubrics, or learning standards. Teachers can review and tweak the feedback before sharing it with students, ensuring control remains in human hands.
Investors are betting on this careful balance between automation and human oversight. Kent Bennett, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, believes AI is finally unlocking education technology’s true potential. “Edtech has been slow to change because teaching relies heavily on language—something legacy software couldn’t handle well. Large Language Models change that,” he explained. Surprisingly, Bennett noted that teachers aren’t just accepting AI—they’re eager for tools that support their work.
Looking ahead, Brisk plans to go beyond browser extensions. Later this year, it will launch a full web platform where educators can collaborate and access new resources directly within the Brisk ecosystem. Upcoming features include multimodal integrations, allowing students to submit images for evaluation and even audio podcasts that summarize written content.
As AI becomes more embedded in classrooms, Brisk is betting on a future where technology enhances—not replaces—teachers’ expertise. And with this latest funding, the company is well on its way to shaping the next generation of education tools.
