Magoosh
{{Short description|American test preparation company}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2018}}
{{Independent sources|date=April 2025}}{{Infobox company
| name = Magoosh, Inc.
| logo = Magoosh-logo-purple-800x181.png
| type = Educational Technology
| foundation = {{start date and age|2009}}
| founder = Bhavin Parikh
Hansoo Lee
Pejman Pour-Moezzi
Vikram Shenoy
| location = Berkeley, CA, USA
| industry = Education, Internet
| key_people =
| homepage = {{URL|magoosh.com}}
}}
Magoosh (pronounced {{IPAc-en|m|ə|'|g|uː|ʃ}}) is an American online test preparation and study abroad counselling company based in Berkeley, California. It offers instruction for students through audio/video lessons, practice test questions, and online email support.{{cite web|last=Garland |first=Russ |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2010/06/16/the-daily-start-up-bubble-survivor-coremetrics-to-wed-ibm/ |title=The Daily Start-Up: Bubble Survivor Coremetrics To Wed IBM - Venture Capital Dispatch - WSJ |publisher=Blogs.wsj.com |date=2010-06-16 |accessdate=2013-06-21}}{{cite web|url=http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2011/09/13/magoosh-unveils-a-video-bible-for-the-newly-revised-gre/ |title=Magoosh Unveils a Video Bible for the Newly Revised GRE |publisher=Xconomy |date=2011-09-13 |accessdate=2013-06-21}}
Magoosh provides test preparation materials and counselling for the competitive exams, such as GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, IELTS and Praxis.{{cite web|url=http://www.killerstartups.com/rising-startup-stars/interview-with-founder-of-magoosh-online-test-prep/ |title=Interview With Founder Of Magoosh - Online Test Prep |publisher=Killerstartups.com |date=2012-08-21 |accessdate=2013-06-21}} The company also has free mobile apps for both iPhone and Android.{{cite web |date=2013-04-20 |title='Magoosh' Takes the Headache out of Test-Preparation |url=http://rightstartups.com/magoosh-takes-headache-testpreparation/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502131830/http://rightstartups.com/magoosh-takes-headache-testpreparation/ |archive-date=2013-05-02 |accessdate=2013-06-21 |publisher=Rightstartups.com}}
History
Magoosh was founded in 2009 by Hansoo Lee, Bhavin Parikh, Pejman Pour-Moezzi and Vikram Shenoy while they were students at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.{{Cite web |url=http://www.dailydisruption.com/2012/01/disruptor-of-the-day-magoosh-pushing-the-boundaries-of-online-education/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003736/http://www.dailydisruption.com/2012/01/disruptor-of-the-day-magoosh-pushing-the-boundaries-of-online-education/ |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://magoosh.com/team/|title=Team|website=Magoosh|accessdate=Jul 23, 2019}} The name is a play on the Old Persian word magush, which refers to a wise person.{{cite web |last=Innovative |first=The |date=2012-04-02 |title=The Innovative Company: Magoosh Changes the Way Students Prep for Standardized Tests |url=http://innovativecompany.blogspot.com/2012/04/magoosh-changes-way-students-prep-for.html |accessdate=2013-06-21 |publisher=Innovativecompany.blogspot.com}}
In June 2009, Magoosh released its first product—GMAT math practice questions with video explanations. They received their first paying customers a couple months later in August.
The company grew over the following two years. Pejman stepped away from the business in 2010 to pursue other opportunities, but remained on the board. Hansoo and Bhavin hired two full-time employees and developed a prep program for the GRE. In August 2011, Magoosh launched their 'New GRE' product for the revised GRE and later renamed it 'Magoosh GRE' once the reformatted GRE became standard.
In December 2011, Magoosh gave away 800 free SAT accounts to high school students through partnerships with Bay Area non-profit organizations.{{cite web|url=http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1264933201001/website-offers-sat-prep-for-free/ |title=Website Offers SAT Prep For Free | Fox Business Video |publisher=Video.foxbusiness.com |date=2011-11-08 |accessdate=2013-06-21}} It was also around this time that Bhavin's co-founder Hansoo Lee was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to remove himself from daily operations.
Hansoo Lee died of cancer in March 2013 at the age of 35.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201609/leigh-buchanan/2016-inc5000-magoosh.html|title=How I Kept Our Startup Dream Alive After Losing My Co-Founder|first=Leigh|last=Buchanan|date=Aug 30, 2016|website=Inc.com|accessdate=Jul 23, 2019}} Bhavin Parikh and former co-founder Pejman Pour-Moezzi, along with Lee's fiancée Wendy Lim, founded The Hansoo Lee Fellowship for Entrepreneurs, which is used each year to support Haas MBA students wishing to pursue their entrepreneurial ventures full-time.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailycal.org/2013/03/17/haas-mba-graduate-and-entrepreneur-hansoo-lee-dies-at-age-35/ |title=Haas MBA graduate and entrepreneur Hansoo Lee dies at age 35 - The Daily Californian |publisher=Dailycal.org |date=2013-03-17 |accessdate=2013-06-21}}
After Hansoo Lee's death, Bhavin Parikh became the CEO and the only remaining co-founder of Magoosh. The company continued to grow, launching full preparation products for the TOEFL and SAT from late 2013 to 2014. In 2015, it launched full prep programs for the ACT, LSAT and Praxis exams. And in 2016, the company launched a full MCAT product.
Recognition
- San Francisco Business Times No. 21 Fastest-Growing Private Company in the Bay Area (2016){{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2016/10/bay-area-fast-growing-private-companies-fast-100.html#g81 |title=The Bay Area's 100 fastest-growing private companies of 2016 |publisher=Bizjournals.com |date=2016-10-14 |accessdate=2016-12-14}}
- Entrepreneur 360 No. 111 Best Entrepreneurial Company in the U.S. (2016){{cite web |url=http://features.entrepreneur.com/entrepreneur-360/ |title=Entrepreneur Magazine |publisher=entrepreneur.com |date=2016-04-10 |accessdate=2016-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220125206/http://features.entrepreneur.com/entrepreneur-360/ |archive-date=2016-12-20 |url-status=dead}}
- Inc. 500 No. 186 Fastest-Growing Private Company in the U.S. (2016){{cite web|url=http://www.inc.com/profile/magoosh/ |title=Inc. Magazine |publisher=inc.com |date=2016-04-10 |accessdate=2016-12-14}}
- Localwise Best Employer: Education (2016){{cite web |url=https://www.localwisejobs.com/2016-work-local-awards/ |title=2016 Work Local Awards |publisher=localwisejobs.com |date=2016-04-10 |accessdate=2015-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507085949/https://www.localwisejobs.com/2016-work-local-awards/ |archive-date=2016-05-07 |url-status=usurped}}
- San Francisco Business Times No. 5 Fastest-Growing Private Company in the Bay Area / No. 2 Fastest Growing Company in the East Bay (2015){{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2015/10/100-fastest-growing-private-companies-bay-area.html |title=The Bay Area's 100 fastest-growing private companies of 2015 |publisher=Bizjournals.com |date=2015-10-20 |accessdate=2015-06-11}}
- TINYpulse Happiest Company in Education (2015, 2017){{cite web|url=http://www.tinyhr.com/2015-tinypulse-happiest-company-awards |title=2015 Happiest Company Awards |publisher=Tinyhr.com |date=2015-02-01 |accessdate=2015-06-11}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tinypulse.com/2017-happiest-company-awards|title=2017 TINYpulse Happiest Company Awards|last=TINYpulse|website=www.tinypulse.com|access-date=2018-01-25}}
- Intel Foundation Entrepreneurial Award (2010){{cite web|url=http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_newsroom/blog/2010/11/18/natural-gas-innovation-wins-intel-entrepreneurial-award |title=Natural Gas Innovation Wins Intel Entrepreneurial Award |publisher=Newsroom.intel.com |date=2010-11-18 |accessdate=2013-06-21}}
- North Bridge Venture Partners Competition (2010){{cite web |url=http://nbvp.northbridge.com/north-bridge-venture-partners-announces-winners-150k-seed-capital-competition |title=North Bridge Venture Partners Announces Winners of $150K Seed Capital Competition | North Bridge |publisher=Nbvp.northbridge.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426003548/http://nbvp.northbridge.com/north-bridge-venture-partners-announces-winners-150k-seed-capital-competition |archive-date=2013-04-26 |url-status=dead}}
- UC Berkeley Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Venture Lab Competition (2009)
References
{{Reflist}}
Category:Test preparation companies
Category:Educational software companies
Category:Software companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area
Category:Virtual learning environments
Category:Companies based in Berkeley, California
Category:2009 establishments in California
Category:Education companies established in 2009
Category:Software companies established in 2009
Category:Educational technology companies of the United States