Jason Palmer

Jason Palmer is a General Partner at New Markets Venture Partners, one of the nation's leading education-focused venture capital firms, and Co-Founder and President of Socrait, a voice-based AI platform for K-12 schools. He has more than thirty years of experience founding, growing, and mentoring mission-driven organizations at the intersection of education and technology. Before joining New Markets as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence in 2011, Palmer founded and grew three investor-backed technology and services companies, and held executive roles at Microsoft, SchoolNet, Kaplan, and StraighterLine. At Kaplan, he led three education businesses as General Manager or President and founded the company's venture capital effort.

Between his time at New Markets, Palmer served for three years as Deputy Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led postsecondary innovation efforts and helped oversee more than $75 million in grant investments aimed at improving outcomes for disadvantaged college students through digital and adaptive learning, student coaching, financial aid innovation, and employer pathways. He returned to New Markets as General Partner in 2016 when the firm raised a new $68 million fund dedicated to K-12 and higher-education startups.

Palmer gained national attention in March 2024 when he defeated President Joe Biden in the American Samoa Democratic caucus during his long-shot campaign for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination, winning 51 of the 91 votes cast. He ended his presidential campaign in May 2024. In 2025, Palmer became a Senior Advisor at Renaissance Philanthropy and the National Center on Education and the Economy, and continued building Socrait, whose initial rollout attracted more than 700 teachers as alpha testers within four weeks. He holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Palmer's investment philosophy centers on backing edtech companies that combine strong business models with measurable positive social impact. His four core focus areas are:

He targets Series A and B investments of $1M--$5M in K-12 and higher-education startups, with a sweet spot around $1.5M. His approach emphasizes working closely with portfolio companies and leveraging deep connections with education industry leaders, policymakers, and philanthropic institutions.

• Career credentialing -- platforms that formalize and verify skills and competencies
• Digital and adaptive learning -- personalized and AI-driven instructional tools
• STEM and computer science instruction -- tools that expand access to technical education
• Data analytics for schools -- systems that help educators and administrators make data-driven decisions

| Company | Category | Outcome | |---|---|---| | Credly | Digital credentialing | Acquired by Pearson (NYSE: PSO) | | LearnPlatform | EdTech efficacy analytics | Acquired by Instructure (NYSE: INST) | | Galvanize | Coding bootcamp / workforce | Acquired by Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN) | | Moodlerooms | Learning management system | Acquired by Blackboard | | Signal Vine | Student engagement (SMS) | Acquired by Modern Campus | | StraighterLine | Online course provider | Acquired by BV Investment Partners | | Presence (PresenceLearning) | Teletherapy for schools | Portfolio | | Climb Credit | Student lending / ISAs | Portfolio | | Graduation Alliance | Dropout recovery | Portfolio | | Mursion | VR-based simulation training | Portfolio | | Nepris | Industry expert connections for classrooms | Portfolio | | CreatorUp | Video-based learning | Portfolio | | Noodle Partners | Online program management | Portfolio | | Practice (ApprenNet) | Video-based competency assessment | Portfolio | | Pairin | Soft-skills assessment | Portfolio | | Motimatic | Behavioral nudging for students | Portfolio | | Socrait (Co-Founder) | AI voice assistant for K-12 | Current venture |