At Amplify Capital, we actively support and invest in mission-driven founders and their startups across North America, focusing on healthcare, education, and environmental technologies. Our thesis is grounded in backing companies where purpose drives profit to deliver scalable and outsized financial alongside impact returns.
We believe we can foster impact investing and transform how we think about investing by doing well and doing good.
The Problem
Since the pandemic, students have faced major academic disadvantages. According to McKinsey's research, children from kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) missed four months of reading and math development compared to the previous school year. Priorities in education are changing away from academics and toward students' general well-being. This emphasis ensures students have the emotional ability to learn and engage in school.
Depression and anxiety increased long before the first lockdown, demonstrating that America's youth mental health crisis predates the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, adolescent depression and anxiety have escalated, and mental health difficulties have only worsened. One in every five youngsters today suffers from anxiety, and one in every four suffers from depression. Learning recovery plans are already being implemented in school districts across North America to address this issue. One of the most important projects focuses on social and emotional learning (SEL).
While there are concerns about mental health, schools understand that student achievement and well-being cannot be limited to academics alone. Students' comprehensive and complete well-being has been disregarded. SEL approaches have been shown to increase emotional well-being, which leads to better academic results. Soft skills, such as social and emotional intelligence, contribute to long-term success.
“The benefits of teaching social and emotional skills were observed in each school setting. The schools which carried out the trial on a school-wide basis had more positive outcomes regarding well-being at school and behavioral management.” - Center de services scolaires de Saint-Hyacinthe (CSSSH)
The Solution
moozoom is an interactive and straightforward video-based SEL teaching platform for K-12 students. moozoom created these videos in collaboration with researchers, psychologists, and teachers. The content adheres to school district curriculum and practice, making it useful for teachers. Rather than considering it as a routine learning exercise, the value of moozoom is centered on its content, which engages users to build social and emotional abilities while having fun.
moozoom empowers students to attain their full potential in and out of the classroom by teaching these vital life skills. moozoom’s goal is to lower the barriers to adopting these tools. Its purpose is to give children the tools they need to understand their emotions, communicate effectively, and collaborate earlier in life.
Today, we communicate and interact with one another regardless of career, geography, or place. Our lives are formed by the interactions we have with ourselves and others. This begs the question, why aren't we teaching children social and emotional intelligence?
A student's well-being affects their academic engagement, motivation, and relationships. SEL programmes have been demonstrated to improve students' emotional intelligence while decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety. They also improve academic achievement by increasing self-esteem and fostering positive school attitudes.
Investment Thesis
Jean-Phillipe Turgeon developed moozoom after his daughter suffered mental health challenges. Jean-Phillipe created moozoom, an educational web series that focuses on subjects such as rejection, self-esteem, change management, and bullying, in search of a more effective way to teach children social and emotional abilities. moozoom is the first SEL technology solution that is video-based, incredibly engaging for kids, and developed on a learning-maximizing pedagogical framework.
moozoom stands out because the videos are filmed in real school settings with a diverse cast, making them relatable. The high-quality output is highly engaging and captivating. The moozoom curriculum is based on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework. To ensure the videos are compelling and aligned with the curriculum, the moozoom team’s experience comprises curriculum development, psychology, software development, and experts in SEL pedagogy.
Governments are expanding funding for K-12 students to address their "mental health, social, emotional, and academic needs." Educators of all school levels urgently need an SEL programme. School counselors are getting increasingly excited about incorporating SEL into their curricula. Furthermore, district authorities argued that developing children's social and emotional skills were as crucial as (if not more important than) developing intellectual comprehension for student success.
Each module's themes are based on patented innovative instructional approaches. The high-definition videos contain performers from varied backgrounds who reflect the viewers' specific age group. This customizes the content for different age groups and makes it more relatable for students since they identify themselves in the characters and situations.
Impact
moozoom positively impacts its users by increasing access to learning skills such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
moozoom sits at the intersection of quality education and improved mental health outcomes by enabling students to achieve higher academic scores and improved social relations, ultimately leading to better overall health (SDG 4: Quality Education targets 4.7, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being target 3.4).
moozoom is more accessible to underserved populations than other SEL solutions because of its ease of use by teachers and highly engaging content. moozoom will assist Amplify in meeting its goal of educating 10 million children for the future of work by improving pupils' self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relational skills. This set of SEL outcomes improves social connections and mental health.
We are thrilled to welcome moozoom to Amplify’s growing portfolio! If you’re as excited about MooZoom’s mission as we are, feel free to follow their journey with us. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on Amplify Capital’s exciting companies.
Are you working on something big that can leave a mark on the world? We’d love to hear from you! Visit us at Amplify Capital or reach out at hello@amplifycapital.ca.