In this episode of the Global EdTech Leaders Series, I speak with Amit Patel, co-founder and managing partner at Owl Ventures, the world’s largest venture capital firm focused on education technology. We discuss how the boundaries of education are expanding as learning becomes increasingly tied to work, employability, and long-term economic opportunity. As Amit explains, people may now learn more in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and even 60s than they did in their first two decades of life — not because education has lost its centre of gravity, but because expectations around what it must deliver are rising.
We also explore how procurement is changing across K-12, higher education, and corporate learning. Buyers are no longer satisfied with content or access alone. They want solutions that produce measurable outcomes, work in real-world conditions, and fit into existing workflows. Amit shares examples from Owl’s portfolio, including Amira Learning in K-12, Tetr in higher education, and BorderPlus in adult learning, to show how companies are increasingly connecting learning to implementation fidelity, career progression, mobility, and economic outcomes.
Finally, we discuss the growing role of evidence and impact in investment decisions. For Owl Ventures, evidence and outcomes are not a marketing add-on, but a core part of evaluating companies before investment and supporting them afterwards. Amit argues that the current backlash against digital devices in schools should not be read simply as opposition to EdTech, but as part of a shift from “more technology is better” to more intentional technology — tools with a clear use case, measurable impact, and genuine support from educators and parents.
Listen to the full episode for more.
