Ian Chiu is a Managing Director at Owl Ventures, the largest EdTech (education technology) venture capital firm in the world, with over $2 billion under management. Owl Ventures is stage-flexible, investing in EdTech startups from seed through growth. The firm is also international, investing in EdTech startups throughout the world. Ian received an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), as well as a BS and MS from Stanford University.

To support Next Unicorn Podcast, please press the "follow" button for the show on your podcast platform. Also, please take a moment to leave a 5-star review. On Apple Podcasts, please consider also leaving a few positive sentences as a written review. Thanks so much! 🙏

📬 To keep up to date with new episodes, please consider subscribing to the Next Unicorn email newsletter on Substack: https://nextunicorn.substack.com

🎥 Next Unicorn Podcast is also available in video on our YouTube channel (Next Unicorn: The Next Great Startups & Founders). Just search for "Next Unicorn" on YouTube. YouTube channel link: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUnicorn

This is Next Unicorn Podcast episode 8. The video version of this episode is available on the Next Unicorn YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/U_ZYwHqkWiA?si=p15gEznpG5pNlo0Q

If you like this episode, you may also like episode 7 (Top Startup Accelerator Reveals How it Helps Startups Succeed), an interview with Ajay Kamat, the head of PearX, one of the top startup accelerators in the San Francisco Bay Area. The video version of that episode is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SNbS7mTW2PE?si=TysiEHVFgmKZSf8y

Follow Ian Chiu:
🐦Twitter: https://x.com/OwlVC

Follow Sasha Earnheart-Gold:
🐦Twitter: https://x.com/EarnheartGold
📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earnheartgold/
📬Subscribe to the Next Unicorn email newsletter on Substack: https://nextunicorn.substack.com
💻Next Unicorn website: https://www.nextunicornpodcast.com/

Video Contents:
0:00:00 Teaser Clip
0:00:58 Introduction
0:01:46 How Owl Ventures is a Unique EdTech VC Firm
0:04:36 Owl Ventures Investment Thesis around EdTech
0:05:53 Types of EdTech Startups Owl Ventures is Currently Focused on
0:06:50 Examples of EdTech Startups in the Owl Ventures Portfolio
0:09:41 The Future of Education – will Education in 10-20 Years Look Dramatically Different?
0:22:23 Does Remote Learning Really Work? What Did we Learn During Covid about Remote Learning?
0:28:21 Use of Remote Learning and EdTech vs. Socialization, Emotional Growth, and Mental Health
0:32:33 How to Think About a Market Map of EdTech
0:35:20 The Most Intriguing Areas of EdTech for Aspiring Founders to Focus on Right Now
0:40:23 How Will AI Change Education? And How Can AI Improve Education?
0:44:50 Avoiding the Dystopian Vision of AI in Education
0:51:19 How Does Education Need to Change to Prepare Students for a World Where AI is Very Present?
0:54:02 How LLMs (Large Language Models), like Chat GPT, are Affecting Owl Ventures' Investment Decisions
0:58:52 The Best Opportunities for AI EdTech Startups Right Now (Given the Strength of LLMs)
1:03:15 The Most Intriguing Areas for AI in EdTech for Aspiring Founders & Most Interesting Kinds of AI EdTech Startups Right Now
1:08:02 Final Thoughts on the Future of EdTech
1:13:13 Ian's Personal & Career Journey
1:17:41 An Unexpected Aspect of Ian's Career Path
1:21:29 Bonus Round

Credits:
Video/audio editor and engineer – Oleksii Kyrkach