README

You're in elite company here. As hackers who impressed us with your MLH hackathon projects, you're getting exclusive access to Reach Founders' resources, including access to the Reach investment team and other support we share with startup founders.

Why are we doing this? Simple: We believe the world needs better systems that work for everyone – in education, healthcare, and the workplace. Reach was born when educators decided to invest in technology built for (and often by) students, teachers, and schools worldwide. Fast forward ten years, and we've backed game-changers like Replit, Desmos, Handshake, and ClassDojo. Our portfolio is full of visionaries who empower people to thrive in learning, health, and work. 

And who better to build these solutions than those living these challenges today? That's why we're betting big on student builders who live and breathe these issues every day.

We just wrapped up an incredible cross-country tour, sponsoring 10 hackathons nationwide. Our team had amazing conversations with many of you – Caoimhe MacRunnels at HackRU (Rutgers), Shauntel Garvey at HackViolet (Virginia Tech), and Steve Kupfer at HackNYU. We heard loud and clear: young builders are hungry for deeper connections and insights into startups and venture capital.

That's why we created The Repo. Whether you're hacking on the next big thing, exploring what makes startups tick, or looking for an inside track to venture capital, we've got you covered with practical advice, real stories from founders, and plenty of opportunities to dive in.

Don’t stop now, The Repo’s open. Legendary startup lore and epic quests await…

The sticky note that became a $$$ exit

A true Reach portfolio story.

The road to glory is littered with sticky notes, chicken scratch sketches, and feverish cycles of building, fixing and iterating.   

That sticky note? It's where SmartPass began — in a high school coding class. What started as a simple digital hall pass, launched by two seniors with their assistant principal's support in 2018, is now an indispensable platform for managing the flow of students in tens of thousands of schools around the world.

And the secret sauce? Listening to learning from their users — in this case, educators. Teachers began hacking it for flex periods and make-up tests. School nurses used it to manage medication schedules and office queues. Counselors adapted it for student check-ins. The more they experimented, the more SmartPass grew. With over 30 principals and tech coordinators on their product advisory council, ensuring every new feature addressed real school needs. The results speak volumes: 60% fewer missed classes, 45% fewer behavioral issues, and an impressive 98% monthly student engagement rate.

Co-founders Peter Luba and Dhruv Sringari continued to refine the product throughout college and corporate jobs, before raising a seed round with Reach in 2023. Last year, they were acquired by Raptor Technologies, a leading school safety system provider. Not bad for an idea that started on a sticky note!

pull request: Hack of the Month

Congrats to HackRU winners Rayed Chowdhury, Divyam Jindal, and Snehanshn Chowdhury from Rutgers University! Their project, InstructifAI, took home Reach’s “Best Use of AI” prize and 2nd Place in the Education Track by tackling something scarier than death itself: public speaking.

👉 Check out InstructifAI on DoraHacks

InstructifAI makes sure your audience is actually tuned in, turning subtle cues into measurable, actionable insights. Whether you're in a classroom or a boardroom, you'll know your message is landing.

Solutions like this are exactly why we launched the "Best Use of AI" challenge: to discover builders who harness AI in creative and meaningful ways. Chef’s kiss.

To all the technical talent who competed for the Reach "Best Use of AI" prize across our 10 sponsored hackathons - we see you. Keep building. We've got some exciting opportunities coming your way soon. Winners: stay tuned for your feature in our monthly spotlight.

watchlist: AMAs, Hackathons, Events Coming Up

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now hiring

Your next build is just a click away.

There are a total of 464 job openings across the Reach portfolio. Check them out here.

Stay curious & keep building,
The Reach Capital team

P.S. Got thoughts? Cool projects? Spicy questions? Reply anytime, we’re all ears!