Building the next chapter of education
Paperbacked builds and backs education companies with capital, craft, and capability, helping founders grow without losing their soul.
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Prologue
Why education
Why education needs a new story.
“A vision without support is a story half-finished.”
needs a
new story.
Most education founders start with a vision: to create something meaningful, artful, and lasting. But too often, the work becomes lonely. The returns feel small. And the business starts to pull them away from the very mission that inspired them.
It doesn’t have to be that way. The right kind of support can help you write a different ending.
It doesn’t have to be that way. The right kind of support can help you write a different ending.
Chapter 1
About us
Paperbacked is the calm, capable backing behind education’s most thoughtful brands.
We are a venture studio and education collective bringing together educators, founders, and designers who believe that education can be both deeply human and brilliantly designed, where craft meets structure, and curiosity becomes culture.
We build, back, and scale specialised education ventures designed around real pedagogical needs, providing every venture the backbone it needs to grow beautifully, not mechanically.
At Paperbacked, structure exists to protect soul. We believe great education doesn’t need to be industrial to be impactful. It can be artful, scalable, and human — all at once.
We are a venture studio and education collective bringing together educators, founders, and designers who believe that education can be both deeply human and brilliantly designed, where craft meets structure, and curiosity becomes culture.
We build, back, and scale specialised education ventures designed around real pedagogical needs, providing every venture the backbone it needs to grow beautifully, not mechanically.
At Paperbacked, structure exists to protect soul. We believe great education doesn’t need to be industrial to be impactful. It can be artful, scalable, and human — all at once.
Victor Li
Advisor
A.B. in Economics from Princeton University
MBA from Cambridge University
Ed.M. from Harvard University
Dr. Trang Nguyen Grant
Advisor
Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University
A.B. in Neurobiology and Psychology from Harvard University
Gemma Clancy
Advisor
B.Bus. in Marketing from University of South Australia & The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Co-founder of Stella Startups
Chapter 2
We join you at any stage of your story
Every venture we back is unique, but our approach follows three tried-and-true storylines.
Co-founder
Starting from page one together — bringing strategy, capital, and execution from day one.
Growth partner
Joining mid-story to remove bottlenecks, streamline ops, and build systems for sustainable scale.
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Strategic investment
Providing growth capital, operational expertise, and network access — protecting your brand while helping it expand.
Chapter 3
Founders we support
Founders are the main characters of each Paperbacked story. We work with founders at three distinct stages; all with the same desire to scale their business without losing what makes it special.
“Every great venture begins with someone who dares to imagine more.”
Pre-revenue
Founders with deep expertise or an engaged audience, but lacking the operational muscle or commercial experience to bring their vision to life.
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Early-stage
Companies with strong product–market fit but caught in delivery or decision bottlenecks, needing systems and focus to move forward.
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Scaling
Companies with clients, a team, and revenue in place, looking to professionalise operations and step back from day-to-day delivery.
Co-authors
Alongside founders, we work with a supporting cast who help bring each chapter to life.
Advisors
Senior executives, parents, and industry leaders who bring insight, networks, and a steady hand to guide our ventures.
Specialist talent
Designers, marketers, educators, and operators who join on a project basis to add critical capability.
Strategic partners
Owners of complementary education products or services open to acquisition, joint ventures, or collaborations.
Join our network
If you want to shape the future of education alongside ventures that value craft over quick wins, we’d love to meet you.
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Chapter 4
Our ventures
“No book is written alone; every page owes something to unseen hands.”
Lindsey’s VCE Tutoring
Where it all started. Melbourne’s most comprehensive and specialised VCE English Tutoring Program offering tailored, expert guidance from the elite 1% of VCE English achievers. Scaled to 250+ annual enrollments in 3 years.
View website →
Wrise Academy
Curriculum-aligned English Language and Literature support for non-native speakers. Powered by #1 school duces and mentors who nourish talent and help students find the community they deserve.
View website →
The Clover Studio
Specialist, science-backed tutoring ad support for neurodivergent learners, led by a PhD in Neuropsychologist candidate and experienced educator. Provides strength-affirming, comprehensive support truly personalised for learners with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia and Giftedness.
View website →Track record
Chapter 5
“The right hands on deck can turn drift into direction.”
Here's what working with us means in practice.
Confidence to grow
Certainty in your next move, backed by experience building and scaling education ventures. We know the rhythms of the industry and have the frameworks that work.
Growth that protects what matters
Strategies designed to preserve quality, culture, and your time. We commit to one venture per category so our focus stays on you.
Progress without overwhelm
We embed into your team to lift the load, connect the dots across brand, product, marketing, ops, and finance, and keep momentum high.
Partnership you can trust
We invest alongside you through equity or revenue-share, bringing the same care to your brand, cash, and time as we would our own.