BusinessCloud can reveal its EdTech 50 innovation ranking for 2024.
Readers of the online technology publication and an expert judging panel have together decided the 50 companies blazing a technology trail in the education sector.
The EdTech 50 – supported by Tyto, the European PR and communications agency at the intersection of technology, science and innovation – celebrates businesses of all sizes creating original tech for education and workplace development.
Tapestry, an online learning journal from the Foundation Stage Forum for children’s education, tops the ranking for 2024.
Based in Lewes, East Sussex, Tapestry subscribers have access to a wide variety of features, designed to reduce workload and assist the development of each setting and school’s provision.
Newcastle’s Vibbl, which featured on our sister publication TechBlast’s North East & Tees Valley Startups 2.0 list last year, is second.
Vibbl – described as ‘the home of verbal feedback’ – allows teachers to give faster, evidenced and more meaningful feedback to students. They can take snapshots of work, explain their thoughts and identify fragile learners to enable a more tailored feedback dialogue.
In third is London-based Tassomai, the developer of software used by students to boost their key curriculum knowledge and understanding in 10 different subjects.
When used by schools, it provides teachers of Key Stage 3 and 4 students with crucial attainment and intervention data. Students participate in daily low-stakes quizzes with material that reinforces factual recall and they receive immediate feedback.
5Mins and Babbu, both based in London, complete the top five.
In sixth is Bolton-based Near-Life, an easy-to-use platform that lets anyone – including educators, learning professionals and other content creators – make interactive video, VR and gamified content easily, with hotspots and branching scenarios.
The ranking in full:
EdTech 50 – UK’s most innovative education tech creators for 2024
Following the creation of a 98-strong shortlist, the final ranking was decided by a combination of selections from an expert judging panel and a public vote among readers of BusinessCloud. A combination of these votes and choices from an independent judging panel determined the top 50.
Nineteen of the 50 companies are based in London, followed by Sheffield and Newcastle (both 3). There are two firms headquartered in each of Manchester, Leeds, Bolton and Birmingham, with a further 17 towns and cities represented.
BusinessCloud then polled the top 50 and also gathered views from judges to quantify and reflect technology trends in education and workplace development.
The 2024 EdTech Insights report, available at the link below, found that there has been an acceleration in the adoption of technology in the last 12 months but the sector remains lacking when it comes to accessibility and inclusion.
With 100% of companies already using artificial intelligence in some capacity, it also considers the pros, cons and challenges of adopting this frontier technology.