Google Ventures Backs Desmos: Is this the next Google App?
Still using a Texas Instruments calculator? For the love of all that’s holy, please put that thing away. There’s something leaner, smarter, and can take math and turn it into an art form. It’s called Desmos.com, and Google Ventures just gave them a whole bunch of funding.
Getting the endorsement from Google, should help Desmos add new staff, and grow their online math community to the mainstream. Could we see a new Google App in the future? Well, that we can only speculate on. Here’s the news straight from Eli Luberoff, CEO of Desmos:
“People have been clamoring for an alternative to outdated, overpriced graphing technology. At Desmos, we believe that everyone deserves access to the best educational technology available, and that given the right environment and the right tools, all students can understand — and even enjoy — math.”
Rich Miner, Google Ventures Partner, put out a statement about their involvement with Desmos.
“Today technology is rapidly redefining traditional education. Math is a subject area where we lose many of our students and our competitive edge. If math can come to life, as Desmos is doing, we can build a generation of students that is engaged and deeply interested in the areas of math and science. We are excited to be working with Desmos as they scale their operations to have an impact on students around the world.”
Desmos started out as an online whiteboard tool back when it launched at TechCrunch Disrupt back in May of 2011 . However, seeing that classroom whiteboards are dying a slow death, taken over by Apple TVs and iPads , Desmos pivoted to become probably the most useful online math tool around. Take it from an actual educator, Luke Walsh, a mathematics instructor at Catawba Valley Community College in North Carolina, who uses Desmos for project-based learning and discovery for his classes. Walsh comments:
“The iPod revolutionized the way people listen to music and Desmos is revolutionizing the way people visualize mathematics. As soon as students begin typing, mathematics is displayed to them in color, and they quickly become engaged by amazing features, such as dynamic sliders and points of interest. Desmos soars past the definition of a graphing calculator.”
Seriously though, can’t you see Desmos filling in perfectly right next to Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms, etc.? Seems only natural, however, they could have bigger goals…
