Scaling Quality Early Childhood Education with Acelero
Builders is thrilled to announce that we have co-led a strategic investment in Acelero Learning, a trailblazing outcomes-driven early childhood education platform. Our partners in this investment include BlackRock Impact Opportunities Fund and A-Street Ventures, with whom we are proud to form a coalition of mission-driven investors focused on racial equity and educational outcomes.
As Builders developed our “Human Elevation” investment theme, it became apparent that early childhood education presents a powerful leverage point for impacting systems change. Research indicates that investing in early childhood education can have a 4–9x social return on investment in the form of child development, education, and health outcomes, as well as long-term impacts on increased earnings, employment, and safety.
Since its founding in 2001, Acelero Learning has been transforming early learning for children regardless of income, producing some of the largest child outcome gains ever recorded in a Head Start program. In addition to directly serving low-income children and families in Acelero Learning centers in four states, the company’s Shine Early Learning division helps disseminate these innovative practices to other early learning providers nationwide.
As systems-responsible investors, Builders partners with sustainable, profitable businesses that have uncompromising impact. Acelero clearly demonstrates this collinearity of business model and outcomes for low-income children and families. As a for-profit business, Acelero has been an innovator in the Head Start space since 2001, and is one of the few truly scaled operators, with centers in four states and Shine partnerships nationwide. Over the course of its 20+ year history, Acelero has honed its operating efficiency, enhancing the delivery of Head Start programs and ultimately improving outcomes for low-income kids and families. Builders sees significant growth opportunities to scale Shine’s services supporting early childhood education providers with evidence-backed tools and training.
Builders’ investment thesis centers on harnessing purpose for competitive advantage. Acelero’s purpose is to eliminate the gaps between young children’s inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. The outcomes Acelero produces for children and families ultimately drive its competitive advantage. The company’s proven track record and ability to produce breakthrough child outcomes contributes to new and repeat business, customer satisfaction, and improved service delivery. Builders is particularly excited to partner with the BlackRock Impact Opportunities Fund and A-Street Ventures, two firms similarly committed to deepening Acelero’s impact for low-income children and families as it scales.
As operationally-focused investors, we seek to build authentic partnerships with management teams, with the recognition that people are a key element to investment success. In all of our interactions with Acelero, Builders has been impressed by the caliber and commitment of the team and its inclusive company culture imbued with an anti-bias and equity-centric approach. We look forward to amplifying Acelero’s purpose-driven culture and supporting the business in this next phase of growth.
