Silicon Valley EdTech startup GetSetUp bags $10M in funding to grow its peer-to-peer and social interactive learning platform for older adults

GetSetUp is a San Francisco-based EdTech startup and provider of the peer-to-peer social platform that helps older adults combat social isolation, learn new skills, and create economic opportunities. Today, GetSetUp announced it has closed $10 million in funding to accelerate the continued growth and development of GetSetUp.io, a social learning platform for older adults.

The round was led by ReThink Education, joined by AME Cloud Ventures (Jerry Yang), Work Play Ventures (Mark Pincus), Sweat Equity Ventures (Reid Hoffman), and several other consumer internet and health tech investors including David Ko, John Danner, Dan Rosensweig, Jeff Alter, and Bradley Horowitz.

GetSetUp was founded in 2019 by two seasoned technology executives Lawrence Kosick and Neil DSouza, GetSetUp is a live, interactive learning platform for older adults that provides economic and learning opportunities. GetSetUp’s mission is to help older adults learn about a variety of topics through a live, interactive peer-to-peer teaching model. Its platform currently offers more than 150 classes on essential life-changing skills, from professional development to technology, health, wellness, and hobbies and casual social hours, with trained expert guides holding graduate and master’s degrees in business, music, science, and more.

More than 6,000 live sessions have been offered since the site launched in early 2020, with more than 3,200 classes all taught by older adults, many of whom are former teachers.

“Human connection is essential to a person’s growth, development, and happiness, but it is especially important in older adults, who suffer from loneliness and social isolation more than any other age group,” said Lawrence Kosick, Co-founder, GetSetUp. “Through peer-to-peer connection, GetSetUp not only helps older adults avoid loneliness and combat social isolation, both which have, unfortunately, been exacerbated by COVID-19—especially in any community where traditional social programs have been dramatically altered by the pandemic—but give them a way to make money, while meeting and teaching others.”

Nearly one-third of the nation’s aging population experiences loneliness and/or social isolation, which puts them at greater risk for serious physical and mental conditions, such as hypertension, anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. GetSetUp.io combats loneliness and isolation in older adults, by providing a way for them to meet and inspire others on topics for which they have relevant experience and insight, and create a virtual life-long learning community, by minimizing feelings of sadness, loss, and depression, and rejuvenate one’s sense of self.

“One in seven Americans are age 65 and older, and that number will continue to grow to nearly a quarter of the population by 2060. This is a very large and active group, that is living, working, and contributing to society longer any generation prior. GetSetUp has the potential to provide millions of older adults a way to engage, stay active, rejuvenate and reinvent or reimagine themselves,” said ReThink Education’s Matt Greenfield.