Beneath the buzz of Silicon Beach and the steady hum of the entertainment-industrial complex, a new school of Los Angeles entrepreneurs have quietly developed a burgeoning edtech scene, addressing challenges in e-learning, tutoring, data analytics, and much more. Here are some LA-area edtech firms — some old, some new — that will cast their influence on a new generation of students.

In the business world, it’s fairly easy to recognize success. High year-over-year growth, robust customer retention rates and low costs for customer acquisition all point to a company going in the right direction. But when it comes to status symbol, nothing indicates the presence of a giant quite like a big valuation.

LA tech had a productive 2021, with plenty of fresh investment and innovation going around. These startups led the charge.