The UK is a pioneer in edtech with startups attracting 41% of all European investment in 2019 according to data from Tech Nation’s Data Commons. Here is a selection of some of the most innovative edtech companies already established in the country.
Founded in 2014 by Dave Sherwood, BibliU provides a digital learning platform that makes online course materials accessible and searchable for students of all backgrounds. The edtech company works with more than 40% of universities in the United Kingdom and with over 2,000 individual publishers to make a complete catalogue of digital content available to institutions. BibliU works with a growing list of over 40% of universities in the U.K. including Oxford, Imperial College and the University of Lincoln.
Created in 2015, Tandem is a language exchange app with over 10M members across 180 countries. Members fill out a profile, identify the language they would like to learn, and whether they prefer to learn by text, audio, or video chat. The edtech startup members can then choose from more than 300 different languages, including 20 sign languages, 20 indigenous languages, and even six fictional ones like Mandalorian or Klingon.
The launch of Switch by Jolt in the UK comes at a time when the impact of COVID-19 on jobs, careers and entire industries is only really starting to materialise. Switch turns digital novices into skilled tech and business leaders by giving them a combination of real-world experience – taught by global tech experts – and the sought-after skills that today’s employers are crying out for.
Created in Surrey in 2017 and Teach First Innovation Award 2018 finalist, Fledglink is a disruptive edtech platform that bridges the gap between young people looking for work and organisations seeking diverse talent. Proactively supporting socially disadvantaged and minority individuals, Fledglink empowers a generation to take ownership of their journey from education to work like never before.
Founded by Gauthier van Malderen, Perlego provides digital textbook access to students and professionals and aims to help publishers and universities find solutions for students desperate to access resources from home. To achieve this, Perlego has partnered with over 220 universities and over 2,900 publishers, offering more than 300,000 academic titles. Since libraries closed in March, users have spent more than 152,000 hours (17.2 years) reading on the platform.
Created in Liverpool in 2014, Capture Education redefined learning journals by developing an easy way for nursery practitioners to engage with parents, track progress and manage the Early Years setting. With a user-friendly app, nursery and educational staff can create live observations, share directly with their parents, build detailed reports and even manage payments and message parents.
Born out of a need to better connect parents and educators, Capture has become one of the leading digital learning journals in the United Kingdom! Click below to see why and how Capture can help your nursery... #earlyyears #nurserymanagement #EYFShttps://t.co/IoMzbGwEZk
— Capture Education (@capture_ed) March 1, 2019
Empowering kids to define the future of tech, MakerClub offers STEAM learning across hundreds of schools in over 20 countries around the world. Kids can learn to code, make, design and 3D print, using a revolutionary platform and coding blocks. Thanks to a project-based approach, kids can learn at their own pace and become experts as they grow.
As a socially-focused education technology company, Sparx is reimagining the way maths is taught and learnt in schools. Based in Exeter and created in 2011, the startup's approach to learning is based on strategies that are founded in pedagogy and that rely on the world-class maths content that sets us apart. Underpinned by a sophisticated, adaptive technology platform and high levels of support, Sparx delivers progress and increases attainment in maths, in addition to acting as a catalyst for transformational change in many schools.
We’re delighted to have been shortlisted for a @TeachSecondary Award! Great to see fellow @edtechevidence member @GCSEPod in the list of finalists, too. Good luck to everyone that has been shortlisted🤞 #TSAwards2020 pic.twitter.com/cRKoq3LSU1
— SparxMaths (@SparxMaths) July 30, 2020
Founded in 2015 in Brighton, Curiscope aims to inspire curious kids to develop a love of Science. Its beautifully designed AR products allow kids to explore the world in ways they never thought possible. Offering the perfect STEM educational resource for transforming Science learning in the home or in the classroom, kids light up when they learn so much in such an engaging and interactive way.
Established in 2017, Magpie Education is dedicated to providing the very best STEM resources for Primary and Secondary Education. Its platform supports teachers by integrating the best-in-class resources and the latest educational tech. The company aspires to better educational outcomes and to equip students with the skills for the modern workplace.
Another #inspirationalwoman in #STEM : Sara Seager, Canadian-American astronomer and planetary scientist. ☄
🛰 Seager has made a remarkable contribution to the modern understanding of space, even creating low cost observatories to observe planetary transits. pic.twitter.com/Geq3IEbL83
— MagpieEducation (@magpieeducation) May 26, 2019
Created in 2016 in London, Learnerbly is a workplace learning platform, that works with organisations to create a progressive learning culture that empowers their people to own their development, guides them towards the best learning opportunities, and supports them in applying their learnings.
If you're a company looking to stay #remote💻, what will you be replacing your #officeperks 🎁 with?
📚 #LearningandDevelopment will do more for your employees than free drinks ever did.
If you want to find out how then book a demo with us today! https://t.co/3YrIh33cEA pic.twitter.com/CzxcSSeROG
— Learnerbly (@learnerbly) August 5, 2020
Based in London, Firefly Learning is fueling today’s modern learning experience. Firefly’s Modern Learning Experience Platform liberates teachers to innovate for greater impact in the classroom and beyond while empowering leaders with holistic visibility to drive a transformational modern learning strategy for the entire school.
⚡️ #HeroesOfHomeLearning - Here are YOUR winners!
What a sensational celebration showing the brilliance, passion and creativity of schools. Over 700 votes & 60+ ideas. Huge congratulations to @LboroFairfield & @CampbellCollege who won in two categories!https://t.co/FTyMEH5aFw— Firefly Learning (@fireflyteam) June 29, 2020
Designed in 2013 by teachers for families, Komodo builds a solid foundation in maths for children aged 5 to 11. Personalised by maths teachers to meet each child's needs, it works on all devices and doesn’t keep kids at the screen for long periods. Additionally, it provides an effective and rewarding experience for parents and learners, by building children's confidence and ability in early mathematics skills.
Since 2016, Lingumi creates the world's best English lessons for children, whenever they want to learn. By turning teaching on their head, children will learn to speak English from scratch, using lessons designed by Lingumi Teachers, and delivered by using powerful technology. With interactive learning games, AI voice technology, and confidence-boosting tasks, 2-6-year-olds can begin speaking English confidently.
Based in Brighton and headquartered in Dublin since 2010, Learning People is home to tech career experts with a mission to demystify the tech industry. With ten years of experience, they aim to provide users with career-ready education in project management, cybersecurity, coding and IT. Learning People informed gives its learners the information and support they need to start or advance their career in tech.
Born in 2018, Natterhub is a secured social media learning platform for teachers to share with pupils, that lets children thrive online and helps parents keep their children busy during self-isolation. Initially created to be used in the classroom, the co-founders have recently pivoted their business model to make it suitable for home-use and available for free to support teachers, parents and carers.
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Created in Sheffield in 2010 and trusted by teaching communities worldwide, Twinkl provides instant access to a complete range of teaching, planning and assessment materials to support learning from birth. Designed for those teaching children aged 0 to 16, Twinkl believes that every child should be loved and nurtured, as they are unique and special. That's why the edtech online resource believes so strongly in publishing the most engaging and inspiring materials.
In either paper form or online, Times Tables Rock Stars is a sequenced programme of daily times tables practice. Each week focuses on a different times table, with a recommended consolidation week for rehearsing the tables that have recently been practised every third week or so. This format successfully boosted times tables recall speed for hundreds of thousands of pupils over the last 8 years in over 14,000 schools worldwide.
Since 1999, EducationCity has been inspiring children and teachers in the classroom with educational experiences based on highly engaging, and pedagogically exceptional content. The company is dedicated to creating new and imaginative ways of delivering curriculum content, with resources that have been awarded from the education industry and adored from children. The resources are used by kids and their teachers in over 75 countries around the world, including mainstream primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, international schools and even with children for whom English is an additional language.
