Higher Learning Technologies
Coralville, US · Founded 2014 · Delaware corporation · 52 employees on LinkedIn · 2 known investors
Mastery is an adaptive learning platform that prepares students for professional licensing exams such as the NCLEX and dental board exams through expertly-written questions and personalized study paths. The platform serves healthcare professionals and exam candidates across mobile and desktop.
Also known as HLT · HLT Mastery · Mastery
Founders & leadership
Higher Learning Technologies was founded in 2014 by Alec Whitters.
Investors · 2
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$12.8M disclosed across 3 rounds · 2014–2017
▶$8.3MraisedOct 2017 · 39 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Jeff BenjaminDirector
- Benjamin O'ConnorExecutive Officer, Director
- Richard FergusonDirector
- Bruce LehrmanDirector
- Al RuffaloDirector
- Joseph WhittersDirector
- Alec WhittersExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $12.1M
- Amount sold
- $8.3M
- Minimum investment
- $9K
- First sale
- Sep 2017
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2014
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$3.5MraisedSep 2014 · 14 investors · ComputersRule 506(b)
- Jeffrey BenjaminDirector
- Richard FergusonDirector
- Joseph WhittersDirector
- Bruce LehrmanDirector
- Adam KeuneExecutive Officer
- Alec WhittersExecutive Officer, Director
- Benjamin O'ConnorExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $4.5M
- Amount sold
- $3.5M
- Minimum investment
- $25K
- First sale
- Sep 2014
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2013
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$1MraisedSep 2014 · 13 investors · ComputersRule 506(b)
- Bertaud NgomsiExecutive Officer, Director
- Bruce LehrmanDirector
- Adam KeuneExecutive Officer, Director
- Alec WhittersExecutive Officer, Director
- Josh CramerDirector
- Todd FersonDirector
- Benjamin O'ConnorExecutive Officer, Director
- Richard FergusonDirector
- Joseph WhittersDirector
- Ravi PatelDirector
- Offering amount
- $1M
- Amount sold
- $1M
- Minimum investment
- $10K
- First sale
- Jun 2014
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2013
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Higher Learning Technologies (HLT) develops Mastery, an exam-preparation platform aimed at candidates for professional licensing and admissions tests. Product lines are organized around nursing (including the NCLEX and TEAS), dental, medical and military exam categories, and are delivered through both mobile applications and a desktop web experience.
The platform combines question banks with written rationales and images produced by subject-matter experts with an adaptive study plan. Positioning emphasizes lower price points relative to established exam-prep providers, and the company publicizes usage figures including more than 27 million people having answered roughly 2 billion questions, about 275,000 questions answered and 50,000 app launches per day, and reach across 192 countries.
Business model
Freemium consumer software: users can create a free account with a limited daily allowance of practice questions and full rationales, while full-length simulations, the NCLEX Probability of Passing score and the complete adaptive study plan require a paid premium subscription.
Paid subscriptions to premium tiers of the Mastery apps, backed by a "300% pass guarantee" under which the company refunds three times the subscription cost to subscribers who follow the study plan and do not pass their exam.
Traction
The company reports more than 27 million cumulative users and 2 billion questions answered, 400,000+ users in the current year, approximately 275,000 questions answered and 50,000 app launches per day, and use by about 50% of US nursing graduates.
Latest developments
Mastery was named to TIME's Top EdTech Companies list for 2026.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
Positions Mastery as an affordable alternative to incumbent exam-prep offerings; the company states that half of US nursing graduates use its tools and reports recognition as a TIME Top EdTech Company for 2026.
Adaptive question sequencing, expert-authored rationales and imagery, low-cost subscriptions, a free daily practice allowance, and a 300% money-back pass guarantee.
Technology
An adaptive learning engine powers the Mastery Plan, adjusting question difficulty in real time based on user responses — serving harder items after correct answers and easier ones after incorrect answers — to target weak areas. Content, including questions, rationales and images, is authored by expert contributors. An NCLEX predictor simulation generates a Probability of Passing score.
Go-to-market
Direct-to-consumer distribution via mobile apps and desktop, with a free tier used as an on-ramp to premium subscriptions, supported by student testimonials, pass-guarantee messaging and third-party recognition.
Students and candidates preparing for healthcare and other professional exams, including US nursing graduates sitting the NCLEX and TEAS, dental students, medical students and military test takers.
Geography
Headquartered in Iowa, with users reported across 192 countries; core exam content targets US licensing and admissions tests.
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Competitors · 1
by search overlapCompanies competing with Higher Learning Technologies for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 1
launches, deals, and filingsHigher Learning Technologies' Mastery product was recognized on TIME's Top EdTech Companies list for 2026.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structure▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- Higher Learning Technologiesbuiltbyhlt.com · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Higher Learning Technologies do?
- Iowa-based developer of Mastery, an adaptive mobile and desktop exam-prep platform for nursing, dental, medical and military tests.
- Who founded Higher Learning Technologies?
- Higher Learning Technologies was founded by Alec Whitters in 2014.
- Who are Higher Learning Technologies's investors?
- Higher Learning Technologies's investors include ISA Ventures, Next Level Ventures.
- How much funding has Higher Learning Technologies raised?
- Higher Learning Technologies has disclosed $12.8M raised across 3 rounds.
- Where is Higher Learning Technologies headquartered?
- Higher Learning Technologies is headquartered in Coralville, US.