Brandon Cooper, founder and CEO of Study Placer, conceived the idea for his company’s signature product based on his own college experiences, turning his challenges with time management into a powerful solution for students. As part of the 2025 CoBuilders accelerator cohort, Cooper is working to bring his vision for an innovative, intuitive study tool to market.
Study Placer is a mobile app that integrates directly with a student’s Learning Management System (LMS). The app imports assignments and coursework, allowing users to estimate the time needed for each task and prioritize accordingly. Large assignments are broken into smaller, manageable chunks and displayed in a dynamic, daily to-do list. The goal is to eliminate stress and guesswork by automating what is often a tedious manual process. The software helps students avoid last-minute cramming for assignments by breaking down the week’s work into bite-sized chunks.
The idea traces back to Cooper’s high school years, when he first experimented with building apps in an iOS development course. While classmates created simple checklist tools, Cooper envisioned something more impactful. He revisited the project during his sophomore year of college, when balancing coursework and deadlines became a personal struggle. With support from the Mississippi State University E-Center, he refined his concept, entered pitch competitions, and secured early funding through the VentureCatalyst program.
Now, as a member of the 2025 CoBuilders cohort, Cooper is focused on transitioning Study Placer into a full-time venture. Currently, Study Placer is pursuing a direct-to-consumer model, with plans for a freemium version to attract student users. Cooper envisions future growth opportunities that include partnerships with universities, school districts, and even potential applications for parents to help their kids manage homeschooling or nontraditional education workloads. With the dollars that come with his acceptance into CoBuilders, he is wrapping up development on his minimum viable product (MVP), preparing for a beta launch at Mississippi State, and gearing up to test marketing strategies.
Trevor Acy, senior project manager for the Center for Entrepreneuship and Outreach at MSU Vicksburg serves as the CoBuilders partner organization working with Cooper. “Brandon’s done an impressive job balancing technical constraints and investor expectations while keeping students’ needs at the center of Study Placer’s product decisions,” said Acy.
For Cooper, Innovate Mississippi and CoBuilders have provided not only critical funding but also valuable structure and mentorship. Weekly one-on-one meetings with mentors, step-by-step business training, and the support of peers have given him the tools to grow his company strategically. As November’s Pitch Day approaches, Cooper is eager to showcase Study Placer to investors and demonstrate its potential to transform the way students approach their academic lives.
