Miami’s tech pulse just got louder. Knack, the student success platform turning peer learning into performance, just secured a Series B led by New Markets Venture Partners with returning hitters Precursor Ventures, ETS.org, Chegg, ASU Enterprise Partners, Village Capital & Bisk Ventures all re-upping their belief. The amount stays under wraps, but the signal is loud, this isn’t just another edtech round, it’s higher ed getting its upgrade. Knack’s SaaS platform helps colleges launch & scale peer tutoring programs by recruiting, credentialing & paying student tutors. The result? Better retention, stronger outcomes & a shot of real-world readiness that’s been missing from the lecture hall.
Founded in 2015 by Samyr Qureshi, now Exec Chairman, Knack started with a $25K win at the Univ. of Florida Business Plan Competition & a belief that learning from your peers shouldn’t be a privilege. Fast forward: 100+ campuses nationwide, 40+ states, partners from Georgia Tech to Rutgers, & millions ($M+) earned by student tutors. The platform’s helped institutions see double-digit retention gains while 53% of students using Knack had never sought academic support before. That’s not just product-market fit, that’s market correction.
This month also marks a new chapter with Megan Dusenbery stepping in as CEO. With experience at ACUE & Kaplan, she’s got the operational muscle to scale Knack’s impact while keeping its mission grounded. Joining the board is Robb Doub of New Markets Venture Partners, strategic, seasoned, & ready to turn up the volume on growth. Together with Qureshi & advisor Dr. George Kuh (of NSSE fame), Knack’s leadership team blends startup energy with academic credibility, a rare combo in edtech.
Under the hood, Knack runs on React, Node.js & PostgreSQL, hosted on AWS, tech that can handle scale without the drama. Add LMS integrations with Canvas & Blackboard, SSO authentication, FERPA compliance, & encryption that makes IT depts breathe easier, and you’ve got a product institutions can trust as much as students love to use. It’s not flashy, it’s frictionless, and that’s the real flex.
The new funding fuels AI-powered tutor matching, advanced analytics, & a micro-credentialing system that could redefine how students prove soft skills. Knack’s also prepping a standalone certification platform & hiring 50+ roles across engineering, sales & customer success by mid-2026. International pilots in Canada & the U.K. are on the horizon. The higher-ed support market sits near $15B annually, and Knack’s proving there’s a smarter, leaner way to stretch every dollar.
Samyr Qureshi built it. Megan Dusenbery’s scaling it. With New Markets Venture Partners in the mix, Knack’s got momentum, and higher ed just found its new groove.
