As education integrates advanced technology, identifying whether students use generative AI for their assignments has become increasingly challenging. An edtech startup, Brisk, is stepping up with a solution, recently securing $15 million in funding to enhance its offerings for educators.
Brisk’s platform delivers a suite of around 40 tools via a Chrome extension designed to assist both educators and students. The incorporation of generative AI and computer vision aims to not only expedite educational tasks—such as crafting lesson plans, creating assessments, and grading—but also to improve overall quality.
Arman Jaffer, CEO and founder of Brisk, emphasized the urgent need for an AI-driven educational technology infrastructure, remarking, “The current edtech landscape, comprising approximately 140 tools that teachers regularly use, isn’t equipped for AI advancements. We are dedicated to developing an AI-native educational ecosystem.”
The fresh capital is allocated towards expanding Brisk’s toolset and increasing its reach to various platforms. Notably, the company plans to integrate with Microsoft’s ecosystem, aiming for rollout in Autumn 2025.
San Francisco-based Brisk has experienced substantial growth since its initial $5 million seed funding in September 2024. The user base has surged fivefold, while revenue has reportedly multiplied by 40 times, reflecting the demand for its services. Currently, over 2,000 schools across 100 countries utilize Brisk’s tools, with more than 90% of clientele coming via inbound interest. As of February 2025, one in five K-12 teachers in the U.S. has adopted the Brisk extension, according to Jaffer.
Bessemer Venture Partners leads the latest Series A funding, joined by previous investors Owl Ventures, South Park Commons, and Springbank Collective. This new financial backing indicates strong interest in the intersection of technology and education, especially as educators have faced budget cuts and declining resource availability.
Key changes in Department of Education policies are anticipated to exacerbate these challenges, making the need for effective educational technologies even more pressing. In an environment filled with edtech startups, from Khan Academy to Google and Microsoft tools tailored for educators, tools that can engage students are becoming essential.
AI represents the next phase in the evolution of educational technology, with Brisk’s value proposition highlighting AI’s potential to enhance educational experiences. However, not all responses to AI are enthusiastic. Concerns regarding data privacy and authenticity remain, as illustrated by OpenAI’s recently released teacher’s guide, which faced criticism for inadequacies in addressing core issues.
Jaffer founded Brisk after his tenure at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, where he developed Notebooks, a collaborative platform. While that project didn’t gain traction, the experience underscored for Jaffer how AI drastically transforms collaboration, leading him to create Brisk.
Brisk’s student writing inspector is designed to assist rather than replace teachers. It captures a student’s work process, allowing educators to assess authenticity based on their traditional methods while flagging unusual activity. The platform’s most popular tool, “Targeted Feedback,” empowers educators by generating custom feedback on student essays, structured around defined criteria.
The trend towards AI in education appears inevitable, with educators not merely accepting but actively pursuing such technologies. Kent Bennett, a partner at Bessemer, noted the increasing openness among teachers to integrate AI, acknowledging that it transforms workflows reliant on human language, historically challenging for traditional software.
Looking ahead, Brisk plans to innovate with immersive tools and a new web platform. This transition aims to create a seamless environment for educators, complete with innovative resources and even features that enable students to submit multimedia work for evaluation, enhancing engagement and learning outcomes.