Fundraising Fox

Paper

Founded 2014 · 941 employees on LinkedIn · 8 known investors

Paper provides personalized academic support services to K-12 schools, including tutoring, 24/7 support, and after-school enrichment programs designed to build student confidence and academic skills. The company serves school districts across the U.S. and Canada.

Also known as GradeSlam

Founders & leadership

Paper was founded in 2014 by Philip Cutler.

PCPhilip Cutler
Philip CutlerFounder & CEO

Investors · 8

Company profile

researched Aug 2026

Paper is an educational technology company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, that sells virtual tutoring and related academic support services to K-12 schools and districts. Its current flagship offering, GROW, is a high-impact tutoring program in which cohorts of students with similar academic needs meet in tutoring pods, typically three times per week for 30-minute sessions, usually during the school day. Sessions are delivered live and virtually through Paper's platform with the same tutor each time, using curriculum built to reinforce classroom instruction rather than a parallel curriculum. Students require only a Chromebook or laptop and headphones; classroom teachers remain present, receive tutor feedback, and can view progress data.

Alongside GROW, Paper has historically provided chat-based on-demand tutoring and a Review Center feature, through which students submit written work for annotated feedback from a writing-specific tutor. Program cycles conclude with a custom end-of-program review analyzing implementation, participation and academic growth against benchmarks agreed with the district at design time. Implementation includes district-specific program design, a teacher onboarding session about a week before launch, and an optional in-person launch-day presence, with go-live possible in as little as two weeks from kickoff.

The company was originally named GradeSlam and has expanded through acquisitions of Figure Math (2022) and, in 2023, MajorClarity, a career and college readiness platform, and Readlee, an AI-based reading software provider.

Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.

Key figures

latest reported
Average score lift on nationally normed benchmark assessmentsJan 202635%
Headquarters staffJun 2021130 employees
Share of tutor time spent with two or more students at onceJan 202345%
Students reaching proficiency in ELA and/or math after 12 weeks of GROWJan 20263x as many students reached proficiency
Students using the platformJun 20211,000,000 students
Total funding raisedJan 2023$389.6M
Tutors employedJun 20211,000 tutors

Company-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.

Competitors · 6

by search overlap
The Princeton Review325 shared keywordsThe Princeton Review provides test preparation and tutoring services for students preparing for standardized tests such as the SAT, along with college admissions guidance and AI-based learning tools for essay counseling and homework feedback. It serves students seeking to improve test scores and navigate the college admissions process.
Teachers Pay Teachers270 shared keywordsTeachers Pay Teachers is a marketplace where educators share and sell teaching resources and lesson plans. The platform serves teachers and educational institutions seeking classroom materials.
Preply215 shared keywordsPreply is a language learning platform that serves corporate employees through its B2B offering Preply Business, enabling companies to provide language education to their workforce.
UPchieve213 shared keywordsUPchieve provides free, online tutoring and college counseling to low-income middle and high school students across the United States through a volunteer-powered model. The platform matches students with live coaches in under 5 minutes across 20+ subjects including math, science, humanities, and test preparation.
Carecom211 shared keywordsCare.com operates a marketplace that connects families with professional caregivers for childcare, senior care, pet care, and household services. The company also provides employer-sponsored family care benefits and payroll solutions for caregivers and agencies.
Digital209 shared keywordsDigital Trends is a consumer technology media outlet that publishes news, reviews, and buying guides covering gadgets, electronics, software, AI, automobiles, and entertainment. It serves general consumers looking for product recommendations and coverage of tech industry developments.

Companies competing with Paper for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.

Timeline · 8

launches, deals, and filings
Sep 2024
Co-founder Roberto Cipriani steps down from day-to-day role

BetaKit reported that Paper co-founder Roberto Cipriani stepped down from his day-to-day role.

source ↗

Aug 2024
CEO Phil Cutler departs

BetaKit reported that Paper CEO Phil Cutler was out as the company cut 45 percent of HQ staff and all Canadian tutors.

source ↗

Jan 2023
Paper acquires MajorClarity

Paper acquired career and college readiness platform MajorClarity.

source ↗

Jan 2023
Paper acquires Readlee

Paper acquired AI-based reading software provider Readlee.

source ↗

Jan 2023
Layoffs cut 45% of HQ staff and all Canadian tutors

Reduced pandemic-era school district funding caused revenue and bookings to lag expectations, leading to multiple rounds of layoffs in 2023 including 45% of headquarters staff and all Canadian tutors.

source ↗

Jan 2023
New Mexico cancels Paper tutoring contract

New Mexico officials canceled their contract with Paper after finding its services were not providing adequate academic help to students; officials said they had been under the impression students worked one-on-one with tutors.

source ↗

Jan 2022
Paper acquires Figure Math

source ↗

Jan 2020
21st fastest-growing company in Canada

Paper was ranked the 21st fastest-growing company in Canada in 2020.

source ↗

Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.

In the news

Research sources · 8

primary sources listed

8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.

Frequently asked questions

What does Paper do?
Paper is an educational technology company providing virtual tutoring and academic support to K-12 school districts.
Who founded Paper?
Paper was founded by Philip Cutler in 2014.
Who are Paper's investors?
Paper's investors include Birchmere Ventures, Bullpen Capital, FounderFuel, Framework Venture Partners, IVP (Institutional Venture Partners), Sapphire Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund, Edovate Capital.