Coursekit, the social network for higher education, is rebranding today as Lore. The company, which recently completed a $5 million fundraise, is also announcing that Peter Thiel has made an investment through the Founders Fund.

Coursekit, now Lore, launched in December of 2011 as a free platform for instructors to manage their courses and host class discussions. As of now, the site's functionality will remain unchanged.

Since the December release, Lore's adoption has grown from 30 to 600 institutions.

The new name reflects the company's ambition to be the global network of learners, instructors, and educational content. Along with its new visual identity, the company created a microsite explaining the transition.

"Lore, as a name, gives us freedom to grow, and reflects our belief that learning is about connecting people," said Joseph Cohen, Lore's co-founder and CEO. "We aim to build a lasting brand that inspires a spirit of learning."

Coinciding with the rebrand, Lore is welcoming Silicon Valley luminary Peter Thiel as an investor. "The Internet is reshaping how people learn, and Lore is one of the companies making that happen. My course at Stanford is using Lore and we can see dynamics changing already," said Thiel.

About Lore, Inc.
Lore is re-imagining the education experience for the Internet age. It combines simple course management tools with the best of social networking. The company was founded by University of Pennsylvania students Joseph Cohen, Dan Getelman, and Jim Grandpre in May 2011. To date, Lore has raised a total of $6 million, most recently from The Social+Capital Partnership, a new venture firm started by former Facebook executive Chamath Palihapitiya. Lore is headquartered in New York City.