LEANLAB Education is a nonprofit education research and innovation organization (based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA) that partners with edtech companies, educators, and school communities to co-design, test, and improve educational products and services through rigorous classroom-based research. It is not a traditional venture capital firm or cash-for-equity accelerator model where they invest capital in exchange for ownership. 

Specific Funding Stage
Pre-Seed / Seed Support: Leanlab works primarily with early-stage edtech companies to help them develop evidence-based products and prepare for growth — but it does not act as a typical investor in those companies.
Growth / Later Stages: Supports companies that are ready for classroom pilots and deeper research partnerships; this is research and validation support rather than direct venture funding. 

Investment Amount and Percentage Equity (Company-Level)
• Equity Taken: Leanlab Education does not take equity or ownership stakes in participating companies as part of its programs. It operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on research partnerships and education innovation rather than VC investment.
• Capital Provided: While Leanlab may offer some seed funding or stipends as part of specific pilot programs (e.g., past cohorts provided ~$50,000 in startup capital when the organization ran an edtech fellowship), those funds were tied to program participation and research engagement rather than equity ownership — and current materials show Leanlab’s model has shifted from an accelerator to a research partnership focus.
• Founder Expectation: Since Leanlab’s primary function today is co-design research and pilot access with school districts, there is no standardized “X% for participation” equity deal like early-stage VCs or for-profit accelerators. Companies retain ownership. 

Equity Structure:
• Leanlab’s support is mission-oriented, focused on research design, product validation, and feedback from classroom environments, not on acquiring equity positions.
• If a company later raises investment from external angels or VCs, those external investor equity terms are negotiated separately with those investors, not with Leanlab. 

Application / Submission Method
Submission Method: Edtech companies interested in partnering with Leanlab generally apply to Leanlab’s Codesign Product Research programs or SBIR research partnership offerings, which involve submitting applications detailing products and research needs.