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Prisms VR is a technology company.
Prisms delivers a spatial learning platform, teaching core math and science via immersive virtual reality. The platform employs first-person embodied learning, allowing students to tactically and kinesthetically discover abstract concepts by linking them to physical experiences. This method integrates experiential understanding with symbolic notation, fostering deeper comprehension and lasting retention across subjects.
Anurupa Ganguly, an MIT engineer turned educator with a decade of curriculum leadership in US school districts, founded the company. Her insight stemmed from a belief that education needed reimagining to cultivate passionate, curious, and resilient problem-solvers for contemporary challenges, inspiring new learning methods.
Prisms targets students and educators to transform STEM learning. Its vision moves beyond passive engagement, equipping learners with intuitive sense-making and practical problem-solving skills. It envisions a future where students actively engage with complex ideas, developing into thoughtful leaders prepared for evolving global demands.
Prisms VR has raised $17.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Prisms VR has raised $17.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Prisms VR has raised $17.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $13.0M Series A in January 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2023 | $13M Series A | Jeff Jordan | Andreessen Horowitz, Animo Ventures, NFX, Urban Innovation Fund, Varsha RAO, Hans Tung | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2022 | $4M Seed | Jeff Jordan | Andreessen Horowitz, Animo Ventures, BITKRAFT Ventures, Canary Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Makers Fund, NFX, Notable Capital, Urban Innovation Fund, Fabian Gomez Gutierrez, Felipe Villamarin, Kevin LIN, Kristian Segerstrale, Ryan Wyatt, Simon Borrero, Thomas VU, Varsha RAO, Andrew Sutherland, Hans Tung, Nate Mitchell, Zahir Dossa, Ph.D., Anorak Ventures, Avalanche VC, WXR Fund | Announced |
Prisms VR has raised $17.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Prisms VR's investors include Jeff Jordan, Andreessen Horowitz, Animo Ventures, NFX, Urban Innovation Fund, Varsha Rao, Hans Tung, BITKRAFT Ventures, Canary Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Makers Fund, Notable Capital.
Prisms VR is a San Francisco-based edtech startup founded in 2020 that develops a spatial learning platform using virtual reality (VR) to teach math and science to students in grades 7-11 (with expansions into calculus, data science, and statistics by fall 2025).[1][2][5][6] The platform immerses students in first-person, real-world simulations—such as industries or social problems—where they solve problems kinesthetically before abstracting to 3D models, data visualizations, tables, graphs, and equations, addressing the lack of relevance in traditional math education that leaves 75% of U.S. high school seniors non-proficient.[1][3][5][6] It serves school districts (currently in 140 districts across 30 states, expanding to over 100,000 students in 65 districts by end-2022 and beyond), pre-university students (especially underrepresented groups), and teachers via hardware deployment, training, live dashboards, and analytics; the core problem it solves is low student motivation and retention in STEM by making abstract concepts experiential and emotionally resonant, backed by grants from NSF, NIH, Gates Foundation, and $12.5M from Andreessen Horowitz.[1][3][6] Growth includes partnerships like Gates Foundation studies on university retention and deployments of 5,000+ VR devices.[1][3][7]
Anurupa Ganguly, an IEEE member with a MIT background (’07, MNG ’09), founded Prisms VR in 2020 after years teaching math and physics in Boston high schools and holding executive roles in Boston, New York City public schools, and Success Academy charter schools.[1][6] Frustrated by students' inability to connect textbook problems to real life—Ganguly noticed kids learn through 3D, multimodal experiences but schools rely on 2D paper/tablets—she left Success Academy to leverage VR, inspired by the 2018 Oculus Quest release.[1][6] The idea emerged from her engineering and education expertise: "taking problems from textbooks and bringing them to life" via simulations that build skills spatially before symbolic notation.[1][3] Early traction hit in winter 2021 amid the pandemic, releasing Algebra I modules to 10,000 8th/9th graders in 14 U.S. school systems, followed by rapid expansion with NSF/NIH backing and VC funding.[1][2][3]
Prisms VR stands out in edtech by prioritizing outcomes-driven spatial learning over generic VR, with full accountability for student/teacher results through integrated classroom tools.
Prisms VR rides the spatial computing and immersive edtech wave, capitalizing on affordable VR hardware like Oculus Quest/Pico to scale experiential learning amid post-pandemic remote/hybrid education demands.[1][6][7] Timing aligns with learning science research emphasizing embodiment (physical interaction for abstraction) over rote memorization, countering STEM proficiency crises (75% U.S. seniors deficient) and college retention drops.[3][6] Market forces favoring it include VR's maturation (z-axis, spatial audio, AI agents), massive edtech funding (e.g., a16z investment), and grants from NSF/NIH/Gates for equitable STEM access.[1][2] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering "next-gen textbooks"—spatial, multimodal platforms that could replace 2D materials, partnering with districts/WestEd for nationwide studies, and normalizing VR in 140+ districts to boost teacher capacity and student outcomes in underrepresented groups.[1][2][6]
Prisms VR is poised to disrupt K-12/college STEM as the "next textbook" with evergreen content through grade 14 by fall 2025, scaling via AI-enhanced agents, multimodal features, and partnerships like Gates Foundation's 10-year retention study.[1][2][6] Trends like cheaper VR hardware, AI personalization, and global STEM shortages will accelerate adoption, potentially reaching millions while evolving influence from niche innovator to ecosystem standard-setter. This builds on its origin—transforming textbook abstractions into lived relevance—positioning Prisms to redefine education's medium for a 3D world.[5][6]