Long Term Impact Research
Investment Thesis
Long Term Impact is an evergreen venture capital fund dedicated to transforming the educational technology landscape through a mission-driven, founder-centric approach. Founded by Daniel Jhin Yoo and Justin Su, the co-founders of Goalbook, the fund invests in early-stage educational technology companies committed to creating sustainable, long-term impact in the US PreK-12 public education system.
The fund's core thesis is fundamentally different from traditional venture capital: they believe that high impact does not necessarily correlate with fast growth, and they explicitly prioritize sustainable impact over maximizing financial returns. This is only possible because Long Term Impact operates as an evergreen fund with no external Limited Partners, eliminating traditional pressure to achieve venture-scale returns.
Sector and Stage Focus
Long Term Impact invests exclusively in the educational technology sector, with a particular emphasis on companies that:
- Address real needs in the US PreK-12 public school system
- Improve student instruction and educational equity
- Are committed to direct sales to schools and districts (not consumer-facing)
- Can achieve financial sustainability through revenue from schools and districts
- Prioritize equitable access and diversity
The fund focuses exclusively on pre-seed stage, representing the earliest investors in founding teams that traditional venture capital has overlooked.
Investment Philosophy and Structure
Long Term Impact employs a unique investment approach that sets it apart from traditional venture capital:
Core Investments ($150,000)
The fund's primary investment vehicle is a proprietary revenue-based financing instrument designed to provide founders with maximum flexibility:
- Investment size: $150,000
- Equity stake: 5-10% initial equity
- Repayment mechanism: 5% of quarterly revenues, beginning after 2 years
- Equity return: As founders repay the investment, equity is returned at a 50% discount (founders get back 50% of initial equity once repaid)
- Flexibility options: Multiple scenarios allow founders to choose their growth path:
- Scenario 1: Exit via acquisition with no changes
- Scenario 2: Pivot to hypergrowth with conversion to standard preferred equity
- Scenario 3: Conservative growth with minimal pressure and 2-year payment deferral
- Scenario 4: Maximize founder control by retaining high equity ownership (pay 3x investment, recover ~90% equity)
Traditional Investments ($25,000-$50,000)
The fund also makes smaller SAFE-based investments in pre-seed companies that align with their mission but may not meet all Core Investment criteria.
Company Characteristics and Requirements
Long Term Impact explicitly targets founding teams and companies with the following characteristics:
Core Investment Requirements:
- For-profit companies having raised less than $500K in dilutive funding
- Modest burn rates aligned with sustainable growth
- Focused on improving student instruction in US PreK-12
- Founders prioritizing profitability and sustainability over hypergrowth
- Products already in market with active customer engagement
- Minimum $250K in revenue
- Under-represented founders (people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ identities)
Recent Activity and Portfolio
As of early 2026, Long Term Impact has made its initial investments and continues to actively deploy capital. Portfolio companies include Evision Academy (solutions for visually impaired students), Once, Short Answer, Hilight, Struggly, and Reflection Sciences.
Team and Leadership
The fund is led by an experienced team of edtech entrepreneurs:
- Daniel Jhin Yoo, Co-Founder/Partner: Co-founder of Goalbook (2011); led company growth to 80 employees serving 700+ US school districts with less than $1M in outside investment
- Justin Su, Co-Founder/Partner: Co-founder of Goalbook; 15+ years in edtech sector
- Jason Young, Partner: Serial entrepreneur with extensive edtech experience; passionate about helping founders scale sustainable businesses
Decision Process and Timeline
The fund employs a founder-friendly, transparent decision process with application-based selection and direct founder contact. All three partners are directly involved in investment decisions.
Geographic Focus
- Primary focus: San Francisco Bay Area (headquarters)
- National scope: US PreK-12 public education system (nationwide)
Check Size
- Core Investments: $150,000 per investment
- Traditional Investments: $25,000-$50,000
- Lead tendency: Strong leads on Core Investments
Investment Governance
Unique structural advantages:
- No external LPs: Eliminates pressure for venture-scale returns
- Evergreen fund structure: No specific fund timeline or exit pressure
- Founder-centric governance: All three partners have been founders themselves
- Transparency: Explicit commitment to transparent communication with founders
Notable Philosophy Points
- Impact over returns: Willing to accept lower financial returns for greater instructional impact
- Slow growth is acceptable: Happy to support sustainable, non-unicorn companies
- Support for underrepresented founders: Explicit commitment to backing women, founders of color, and LGBTQIA+ leaders
- Educational equity focus: Deep commitment to advancing PreK-12 equity
- Operational support: Leverage Goalbook expertise to provide coaching and business strategy support