From literacy tools to mobile microlearning, we have put together a list of edtech start-ups worth learning about.
Technology has had an impact on nearly every conceivable sector of society, and education is certainly no exception.
The classroom of the 21st century has come a long way since the noble chalkboard; tech has swept over education from as early as primary school to as far as the workplace. The possibilities afforded by this integration has given rise to a new industry – educational technology, or edtech.
With many entrepreneurs inspired to use tech in a variety of ways to teach and train, SiliconRepublic.com has compiled a list of 8 start-ups making a splash on the scene.
ALPACA
Irish start-up ALPACA – which stands for Assessing Letter knowledge and Phonemic Awareness Class Assistant – has developed an edtech tool that helps identify reading issues in children early on. The company’s literacy assessment tool was co-created with 70 teachers in 30 primary schools with the help of 1,000 junior infant students across five countries.
Last year, the start-up was declared the winner of the EdTech Accelerator at Trinity College Dublin, which was run by Learnovate in partnership with Amazon Web Services.
Brighterly
Former Start-up of the Week Brighterly is a Ukraine-founded edtech that has developed an interactive learning platform to assist school students in the US with their maths education. Founder and CEO Eugene Kashuk told SiliconRepublic.com last year about how the start-up connects tutors with students in a virtual classroom.
Earlier this year, the company was named as a finalist in Edtech Digest’s 2025 Edtech Awards under two categories: Math Solution and Tutoring Solution.
Corporate Governance Institute
Founded in 2020, the Corporate Governance Institute provides online courses, accredited professional diplomas and certificates for senior professionals, with a focus on governance, risk management and compliance.
Co-founded by edtech entrepreneurs Anthony Quigley and David W Duffy, the start-up recently raised €3m in a funding round led by Irish venture capital BVP, with participation from Enterprise Ireland. The raise will be used to develop its course portfolio, as well as expand into newer international markets, the institute said.
Educatly
This Dublin company has developed a platform that helps students decide what and where to study. Using AI and large language models, the start-up provides students with information on higher education institutions across the world, including programmes and scholarships.
Last year, Educatly – which was founded in 2020 by Mohmmed El-Sonbaty, Joan Manuel and Dr Abdelrahman Ayman – raised $2.5m to grow its edtech platform in the Middle East and Africa markets.
Edurino
Munich-based start-up Edurino has created a digital education solution for young children. Through its learning app, the start-up provides educational games, ergonomic input tools and animated characters that teach skills such as reading, logical thinking, coding and environmental knowledge.
Last month, the company raised €17m in a Series B funding round led by Ravensburger Next Ventures, the venture arm of German board game corporation Ravensburger AG.
Faba
This Italian edtech, founded in 2019, has developed an educational product as an alternative to screen-based entertainment for children aged zero to 10. Faba‘s flagship products, Faba Cuentacuentos and Faba+, are interactive audio devices designed to support imagination, language development and play through physical sound figurines.
The start-up has seen significant success in Italy, Spain, France and Belgium, and earlier this month raised €4.5m to support an expansion in Spain.
Zen Educate
Headquartered in London, Zen Educate is an edtech platform that aims to connect schools with available teachers without the need to go through expensive recruitment agencies.
Founded in 2017 by Slava Kremerman and Oren Cohen, the start-up has previously featured on lists such as FT 1,000 and Deloitte Fast 50. In May of last year, the company raised $37m in a Series B funding round led by Round2 Capital.
Zick Learn
Another start-up headquartered in Dublin, Zick Learn is an AI-assisted B2B microlearning platform that partners with companies to deliver short, quick-fire learning tutorials through popular messaging apps.
In 2023, Matteo Penzo – who co-founded the start-up with Andrea Goggi and Pietro Stracquadanio – spoke to us about why he believes asynchronous learning via smartphones is the best method of retaining information. Last year, the company made it to the final of the Global EdTech StartUp Awards 2024.
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