Reimagining What’s Possible
Founded in 2013 by New Zealand entrepreneurs Jamie Beaton, Fangzhou Jiang, and Sharndre Kushor, Crimson Education emerged from a powerful insight: talented students worldwide faced systemic barriers to accessing elite global universities.
Jamie Beaton, having personally navigated admission to multiple Ivy League institutions, recognised that geography, legacy connections, and information asymmetry created an uneven playing field. He identified an opportunity to democratise access to the knowledge and support systems that enable exceptional educational outcomes.
What began as a college admissions consulting service has evolved into a comprehensive global education technology company serving students across more than 20 countries. Crimson's approach combines technology with human expertise across four key areas:
College Admissions: Comprehensive college admissions support connecting students with mentors from top universities
Crimson Global Academy: A fully accredited online high school delivering world-class curriculum
Revision Village: An online study resource for international curricula
Supplementary Programs: Including services for younger students, internship opportunities and research projects
The company's systematic integration of technology throughout the educational journey enables both personalisation and scale. This approach has consistently delivered results - Crimson students achieve admission rates to Ivy League universities at approximately four times the average rate.
Partnership
Altered Capital recognised in Crimson an exceptional opportunity to partner with a high-potential team tackling a meaningful global problem. Our investment thesis centred on three key factors:
An exceptional founding team led by Jamie Beaton, whose rare combination of intellect and entrepreneurial drive set Crimson apart
A vast, global education market ripe for technological disruption with substantial untapped potential
A proven business model with strong unit economics and compelling growth trajectory
For Crimson, Altered Capital offered more than investment capital - we brought strategic guidance and operational expertise directly relevant to their scaling challenges. This alignment of vision and complementary strengths made for a natural partnership.
“Education is the single most transformative force in your life. If you take it seriously, it can lead you anywhere.” Jamie Beaton
A testament to this relationship is Altered Capital's current CFO, Mark Ashley, who previously led Crimson's finance function during a period of extraordinary growth. Under his leadership, Crimson scaled from approximately 40 employees across 4 countries to around 700 employees spanning 25 countries.
As Crimson continues to expand its global footprint and innovate in education technology, Altered Capital remains committed to supporting their ambitious vision of transforming global education pathways for exceptional students worldwide.
