The Must-Attend Event for Education Technology Investors

To observe the major forces at play in the education technology sector, one needed only to stand near the marble fountain in the Phoenician Resort lobby. That’s where hundreds of venture capitalists and executives attending an annual ed tech industry conference arranged -- in full view of their rivals -- to meet one another privately. From coveted perches at cafe tables and couches in the plush hotel lobby, for instance, investors watched as Aaron Skonnard, chief executive of Pluralsight, an online skills training company for technology professionals, sat down with David Blake, chief executive of Degreed, a start-up that helps companies track, analyze and manage the skills development courses taken by their employees. The annual ASU+GSV Summit conference in Scottsdale (AZ), an effort put on by Arizona State University and GSV Capital, an investment firm, started six years ago as a modest event in the desert where investors came to hear company presentations from about 50 education start-ups. With more than 2,000 attendees in 2015, the conference is an indication of the high political stakes involved in education and of the big money businesses hope to reap in the sector. The event also now serves as an important stop for policy makers seeking to broadcast their commitment to industry growth.