BACKER

Backer is a social savings platform that makes it easy for parents to invest tax-free for education with a 529 Savings Plan, and do so with robust financial support from family and friends. Backer has helped its families avoid over $500M in student debt so far, with 40% of the savings coming from grandparents, uncles/aunts, and more distant friends/relatives. Backer recently announced a $8.4 million round of funding led by Crosslink Capital's Jim Feuille (board director at Chime) and Rally Ventures with participation from Corellation Ventures, Princeton, Dartmouth, USC, and prominent angels including founders of SoFi, Patreon, Quizlet, and CircleUp.