All posts tagged: edtech

Record growth for Wiltshire EdTech business Gaia Learning

Record growth for Wiltshire EdTech business Gaia Learning

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Gaia Learning, an online learning provider for neurodivergent children has secured £100,000 in angel investments in just three months off the back of a record year for growth. Founded by Salisbury mum-of-three Kirstin Coughtrie in 2019, the EdTech company has seen its userbase triple since the start of the academic year. The online platform delivers live learning for neurodivergent children aged 8 to 16 with ADHD and autism, mostly as a supplement to existing school provision. “We’re going from strength to strength and are ending this financial year on a high”, said Kirstin. “We’ve totalled our investment to £100,000, grown our team to 13 staff members and seen interest coming in from schools across the UK. “Now more than ever, schools need flexible, digital solutions that can scale within budget supporting each neurodivergent child’s needs.” Kirstin, a tech-obsessed geography teacher, launched the online learning platform after facing inadequacies in mainstream schooling for her neurodivergent son, who, like herself, has ADHD. Two years later in 2021, she teamed up with experienced North West-based tech entrepreneur Kate …

Tutoring platform GoStudent reaches profitability amid tradeoffs

Tutoring platform GoStudent reaches profitability amid tradeoffs

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Vienna may have a wealth of museums, public transportation, spring water and social housing, but tutoring platform GoStudent is another of its crown jewels. Its services are now used by more than 11 million families, many of whom live outside of GoStudent’s home country. Alongside Bitpanda and Runtastic, acquired by Adidas, eight-year-old GoStudent is one of the very few Austrian startups that made a name for itself in the international tech scene. But having had to sharply adapt to a market that no longer favor growth at all costs, its €3 billion valuation and global expansion may well belong to the past, at least for now. However, GoStudent reshaped quickly to fit the taste of the moment. When I visited its HQs a few days ago to get to know with its high-profile founders, CEO Felix Ohswald and COO Gregor Müller, they revealed that the company has reached full profitability. “And not just EBITDA profitable,” Ohswald, the son of a banker, was quick to add. The company later confirmed in writing that “this means that …

Fostering Ethical Collaborations Between Academia and EdTech

Fostering Ethical Collaborations Between Academia and EdTech

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The debate over whether academics should collaborate with the industry and the ethical dilemmas it presents have long been subjects of discussion. Increasingly, universities advocate for finding the “sweet spot,” often termed applied or translational research, which can foster robust and mutually beneficial partnerships. What does this sweet spot look like in the context of Educational Technologies (EdTech)? Defining the Terrain Before discussing academia-industry collaborations in EdTech, it is essential to establish a clear distinction between digital media developed for children with the intention to entertain or monetize and digital media specifically designed for educational purposes. The latter falls under the category of educational technology. Although there are EdTech solutions primarily designed for entertainment or monetary goals, emphasizing engagement over educational outcomes, for the sake of this discussion, let’s centre our focus on EdTech that aligns with its name and aims to be genuinely educational. For EdTech to fulfill its educational purpose, it must integrate learning principles into its design, incorporating theories, insights, and findings from empirical studies conducted with users in school or home …

Camshaft says Byju’s unit beneficial owner of 3 million funds

Camshaft says Byju’s unit beneficial owner of $533 million funds

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Camshaft disclosed in court filings this week that some $533 million it managed for Byju’s Alpha, a U.S. unit of Indian edtech group Byju’s, was transferred to another 100% and U.S.-based subsidiary of Byju’s, thereby refuting allegations that the Indian firm used the wealth manager’s services to misappropriate money. In the court filings, Camshaft said the capital was transferred to Inspilearn LLC, a Delaware-based subsidiary of Byju’s. Camshaft also clarified that Byju’s or any of its entities are not limited partners in the hedge fund. In a statement, Byju’s said Camshaft’s disclosure is consistent with the Indian startup’s position that it remained the beneficiary holder of the capital. The firm further added that the Credit Agreement it signed with the lenders didn’t mandate how it used the funds, nor required a specific amount to maintain as collateral. “The latest disclosure dispels fake narratives about $533 million being siphoned off,” the startup said. Camshaft Capital attracted media attention last year after lenders of Byju’s questioned the legitimacy of the wealth advisor as they claimed the $533 …

Schools install toilet sensors that ‘listen’ to pupils

Schools install toilet sensors that ‘listen’ to pupils

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More from this theme Recent articles Schools are installing “spying” software that “actively listens” to pupils, to crack down on vaping, bullying and rowdiness in toilets. The sensors can be programmed to listen for certain keywords through machine learning algorithms, which trigger alerts to chosen staff members. One firm selling the equipment says they can “monitor staff so you can deal with incidents such as bullying by colleagues”. But Big Brother Watch’s senior advocacy officer Madeleine Stone said that “secretly monitoring school bathrooms is a gross violation of children’s privacy and would make pupils and parents deeply uncomfortable”.  ‘Violation’ of kids’ privacy in schools “No school should consider spying on children’s private conversations and doing so is highly likely to be unlawful. This misguided surveillance poses a clear safeguarding risk and should be allowed nowhere near UK schools.” A Halo Smart Sensor However, a spokesperson for Triton, which makes the 3D Sense pro sensor, said its aim is to “provide an additional layer of security against threats like bullying or sexual assault in these areas, …

ICO investigates reports of data breach

ICO investigates reports of data breach

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ICO launches probe amid reports parents ‘saw data of children from other schools’ ICO launches probe amid reports parents ‘saw data of children from other schools’ More from this theme Recent articles The information watchdog is investigating reports of a data breach on the Class Charts behaviour management platform, which is used by tens of thousands of teachers. Some parents logging on to Class Charts last week were reportedly shown data relating to other children. The Information Commissioner’s Office told Schools Week it had “received a data breach report in relation to Class Charts and are assessing the information provided. “Anyone who is concerned about how their data has been handled can get in touch with the ICO or check our website for advice and support,” said an ICO spokesperson. Class Charts is used by more than 180,000 teachers, its website states. The company says it can “save teachers time and reduce workload with our data rich seating plans” and “improve pupil behaviour with our fast and effective behaviour management”. Class Charts, owned by Tes Global Limited, …

Academy trust got £1m indemnity to challenge edtech firm

Academy trust got £1m indemnity to challenge edtech firm

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More from this theme Recent articles Ministers handed England’s biggest academy trust £1 million to fight a legal challenge from a tech firm “with a history of litigiousness” in a bid to protect the wider academy sector, documents obtained by Schools Week reveal. However United Learning Trust (ULT) went on to lose the High Court case against Bromcom over a £2 million contract to provide its schools with a cloud-based management information system (MIS). Correspondence obtained by Schools Week shows the 89-school trust wanted to settle the case before trial. This would have been “cheaper than even a completely successful defence,” internal documents showed. The settlement had to be ratified by the government as it would be classed as a “novel or contentious” payment under academy rules. But the request was “declined due to the potential repercussions to the wider academy sector – the claimant has a history of litigiousness and ESFA [the education and skills funding agency] believed that it was important for a large trust to resist this claim,” documents stated. Bromcom is …

Prosus slashes Indian edtech giant Byju’s valuation to ‘sub- billion’

Prosus slashes Indian edtech giant Byju’s valuation to ‘sub-$3 billion’

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Prosus has marked down the valuation of Byju’s, India’s most valuable startup, to below $3 billion, the investment giant’s executives said in an earnings call Wednesday even as they asserted that they remain bullish on the opportunities in the South Asian market. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup, which has raised over $5 billion in equity and debt over the years, was valued at $22 billion in its last financing round in early 2022. More to follow. Source link

Snap partners with edtech company Inspirit to bring its AR tech to 50 US schools

Snap partners with edtech company Inspirit to bring its AR tech to 50 US schools

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Snap is partnering with edtech company Inspirit to bring augmented reality into classrooms to help students better understand STEM lessons, the company announced on Wednesday. The two companies are working together to create 25 AR Lenses and STEM curriculums that will be used by at least 50 across the United States next year. One of the AR Lenses is designed to help students find the volume of a cylinder, while another gets users to tap on bubbles and choose the correct volume to pop them. Image Credits: Snap Snap says that since launching its pilot program, it found that 85% of students said AR helped with memory and retention. The company says it also found that AR lessons increased engagement by nearly 50%, and that 92% of students found AR content easy to understand. “With custom-built Lenses brought into an easy to use mobile application with Camera Kit, Inspirit designed a transformative curriculum that pairs Snap’s AR technology with a comprehensive learning guide, empowering teachers to facilitate dynamic learning and students to achieve their best, …

Why Shaquille O’Neal led edtech startup Edsoma’s .5M seed round

Why Shaquille O’Neal led edtech startup Edsoma’s $2.5M seed round

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Edsoma, a startup that developed an AI-powered reading, education and communication platform for children, raised $2.5 million in a seed round led by Shaquille O’Neal. The trick? Founder and CEO Kyle Wallgren didn’t ask the NBA superstar and philanthropist for money. “He didn’t ask me for money; what he asked was actually ‘I would like you to help me get this out,’” O’Neal said moments after stepping off stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023. Edsoma raised the $2.5 million from more than a dozen individual investors — or family and friends as Wallgren put it — with a post-funding valuation of $14 million. This is O’Neal’s first edtech investment. He did not disclose the amount. O’Neal said that Wallgren understood his passion for helping children and his influence. But it was trying the product that had him convinced. “When he talked about it, I didn’t believe it. And then when he showed me, I believed it, O’Neal said. Wallgren agreed, noting, “I’ve learned that it’s better to show somebody what you can do first and then …