An Australian EdTech and Innovation business is one that is building innovative education products or services using technology in one of these areas: Platforms for administration, student management, content management and learning management within the education sector. Digital learning content or services used by learners, education providers or corporations connected to education and learning. Consultants and advisors with specialist EdTech domain knowledge that support the education sector with expertise on product design, learning design or organizational development. The Australian EdTech sector is an active exporter taking Australian education global. Every Australian EdTech company that is generating more than $2M annual revenue is exporting. Australian EdTech companies have created a massive economic impact with growing 800 EdTech Companies, 13000 Employees and an overall revenue of $ 2.2 Billion.
With so many companies in the EdTech industry, we’ve put together a list of exciting companies to keep an eye in the coming years. Each doing amazing things in their own right, here we present Top 20 Australian EdTech Companies to explore in 2021.
- OpenLearning
OpenLearning.com is a growing education SaaS company working towards its mission of being the number one lifelong learning platform. OpenLearning goes beyond content delivery and focuses on enabling interactive and engaging social learning experiences for communities of connected learners. With over 3 million learners and 196 education providers, OpenLearning is considered an Australian innovation and technology success story.
The concept of micro-credentials is gaining momentum in Australia and around the world. Aligned with efforts and the recent AQF review, learners and education providers alike lack concrete guidance and a unified approach to implementing micro-credentials, communicating the benefits to learners and aligning them to national quality assurance frameworks. With that in mind, OpenLearning has introduced OpenCreds, the lifelong learning framework designed to meet the needs of the Australian education sector, industry, and most importantly its lifelong learners.
2. Typsy
Typsy has built an engaging and enjoyable edtech startup for people who serve the hospitality industry. It has a growing library of around 1000 bite-size skills training videos, all filmed with industry experts that are perfect for today’s hospitality training needs. Hospitality businesses, staff and schools, governments, organizations and industry partners can host their training on Typsy too. Funding received was US $ 10M. Its platform has fun quizzes, certificates and downloadable resources along with lessons and courses. It caters to Front of House, Back of House and Management in categories such as culinary, compliance, beverage, service, marketing, management and business.
3. SEQTA
SEQTA Software builds and delivers teaching and learning management software solutions for schools and teachers. Its first solution is The SEQTA Suite, a teaching and learning network that enables teachers, students, and parents to work together in an online community. Funding received was AU$ 8.5M by the investor Larsen Ventures. Its second solution is SEQTA Teach, a product that helps teachers complete their administrative works in a software application, including attendance, curriculum planning and delivery, marks book and assessment, correspondence, student welfare, individual education plan management, online resources management, and more solutions.
4. Academy Xi
Academy Xi provides people with tech-driven programs to help them upskill and transform their careers. Its product suite is focused on emerging fields in Design and Tech. With the help of a structured, integrated approach it personalizes its core programs to fit the unique needs of every company it engages with. Funding received worth US$ 5.5M. Academy Xi claims itself to be a problem solver and strives to implant purpose into whatever they do. It is operating with a vision to truly change the world through education and the community it is building.
5. Edrolo
Edrolo provides digital and physical education resources for students aged 7-12. Funding received worth AU$ 3.9M by Blackbird Ventures, AirTree Ventures, Startmate .The startup’s belief is that all students should have access to the best teachers, the ones who bring subjects to life and inspire learning and passion. Additionally, it also states that all schools should have access to powerful data to drive school improvement, which they can access via the Edrolo platform.
6. Paddl Co.
Paddl is an activities-based learning recognition platform. The startup is working with the belief that experience unravels opportunity and that all experience is valuable. Users can capture and share their learning with 50+ activity types across 6 categories including activities verified by providers helping them earn experience points (XP) and badges. Funding received worth US$ 3.5M. Paddl’s XP Analytics delivers unique insights for talent assessment and professional development. It has partnered with the best-in-class providers to deliver bespoke learning experiences for its users.
7. Maths Pathway
Maths Pathway is an online educational website that teaches mathematics. Funding recieved worth US$ 2.1M by Aera VC, Social Ventures Australia. It differs from traditional mathematics, as it is set up in a modular format, with students working on individual pieces of learning using a computer and worksheet. To use Maths Pathway, schools must pay a fee for each student. Students select their work based on what proficiency level they are at, in contrast with every student completing the same tasks. Students are then required to be tested on what they have learned every two weeks.
8. Inkerz
Inkerz provides a web platform that enables collaboration using real pen and paper. Its platform can capture natural handwriting written from a digital ink pen on regular paper and transmit the same through the internet. It also allows users to create virtual classrooms and communicate with peers through chat, voice and video. Users can even create a single document instantaneously so that they can organize tutorials, distance education and business collaboration. Funding received worth US$ 1.1M by muru-D, RCL Accelerator. Inkerz charges for the digital pen and provides free access to its web platform.
9. EdSmart
EdSmart is an industry-leading School Organisation System (SOS) that helps school communities grow and progress by freeing up administration time and resources. It was initially named ParentPaperwork and had forayed into the edtech industry with a specific mission to make schools paperless. Funding received AU$ 350K. Nevertheless, it has now developed into so much more, a complete School Organisation System. The EdSmart SOS is presently being used by over 400 schools in eight countries worldwide.
10. Code4Startup
Code4Startup offers courses that it teaches in the form of projects wherein students go through all the steps and stages to develop a real app. Funding received US$ 125K. Students need not learn everything about different technologies separately like HTML, CSS, Javascript or Ruby on Rails to create a web app. In Code4Startup’s technique, which they called POA (Product-Oriented-Approach), students just need to learn what they need.
11. Compass
Compass Education (trade name of JDLF International) offers web-based school management platform. Features include attendance and roll marking, semester and progress reporting, news feed, calendaring, staff, student and parent portal, online payments, curriculum builder, parent-teacher interviews, behavior management, budgeting and purchase orders. Funding received worth USD 41M by Advent Partners, firstnewsaustralia.online, Nero Capital. Accessible on PC, tablet, and mobile. Apps are available for iOS platform. For eight years, Melbourne edtech startup Compass Education has bagged $60 million in funding, as it expands throughout Australia, and beyond. The startup was officially incorporated in 2010, but co-founders John de la Motte and Lucas Filer had been building the solution for about a year prior.
12. Peopleplan
Peopleplan offers a learning platform for businesses. Provides learning modules, quizzes, certification, learning forum, and more. Caters to sectors like retail, consumer goods, sports, and more. Clients include SkilledUp, Gamurs Group, McGrath Foundation, and more. Offers CPD courses for individuals. Funding received worth USD 25M by Adexum Capital investors. Also provides consulting services and customized learning content for companies. Peopleplan provide learning and communications resources that empower people to discover who they truly are, what they want to be, and how to achieve it. Through engagement, discovery and imagination they provide a learning & communications platform for their clients that enables their staff, suppliers and supporters to perform to the best of their ability. They use vertically integrated, cloud based technology to drive accredited training, online content, L&D consulting services and recruitment solutions providing you with a total end-to-end human capital solution. They were pioneers of on-line learning in Australia and have been at the forefront of e-learning for almost 20 years.
13. Smart Sparrow
Smart Sparrow is an online adaptive learning management platform which allows teachers and developers to create, manage and analyze content. Provides pathways for students to direct them towards materials so that they can have a clear understanding. Offers feedback to clear misconception. Can be integrated with any modern LMS. Performs analytics to provide real-time analysis on student data. Teachers can share content with colleagues worldwide to enhance collaboration on learning methods. Funding received worth USD 24M by One Ventures, Stoic Venture Capital, Entangled and 5 Other Investors. Works on a premium model which can be purchased by an institution or a single teacher. It has a partnership with OpenLearning.
14. Critical Links
Critical Links provides an education appliance and an ICT platform to move the learning and school management in the cloud. The appliance works where there is either limited internet connectivity or no connectivity at all and hence is useful not only to modernize schools but also to provide edtech solutions to schools and colleges in rural areas. Provides a platform for third party LMS, SMS and other education software to be deployed. Funding received worth USD 11M by Critical Ventures, Portugal Ventures and 3 other investors. Moodle is already integrated with the appliance so moodle based courses can be used.
15. ORIGO Education
ORIGO Education provides an online maths-based learning platform. It provides its cloud-based learning management system called “Stepping Stones” which is a program that provides a blended curriculum and online resources along with traditional printed materials. Funding provided worth USD 11M by Fortitude Investment Partners, Blue Sky Alternative Investments. It also has professional development videos embedded within the online program for teachers. Their products range from core mathematics instruction to visual aids and manipulatives, including traditional print products, digital interactive resources, and professional learning. ORIGO Education is committed to excellence, creating products that both inspire and empower teachers and students.
16. JigSpace
The Jig journey began in Melbourne, Australia, in 2015. Launched in 2017, JigSpace now has over 4 million users, with a 4.8 star rating worldwide. In 2019, they launched the workshop, enabling anyone to create interactive, 3D presentations. Jig Pro was launched a year later giving professionals in manufacturing sales, training and prototyping the ability to incorporate Jigs into their businesses with desktop authoring, team sharing and CAD file importing. JigSpace provides an app-based platform for 3-dimensional learning. It allows users to create, view, and share instructional content in 3D. It has an inbuilt library of various interactive learning experiences. The users can view step-by-step interactive 3D breakdowns of ideas, products, and phenomena. Funding received worth USD 8M by Roger Allen AM, Rampersand, Vulpes Invest and 5 Other Investors. The app is available for the iOS platform.
17. Practera
Practera offers an experiential learning platform for educators. Enables universities and corporates to design and deliver work-related learning programs. Features include authoring, learning analytics, communication, etc. It can be integrated into the curriculum to deliver case studies and support flipped learning classrooms. Funding received worth USD 4M by Main Sequence Ventures. Offered on subscription based on the number of users. Practera is a fast-growing experiential education technology and programs company. They help leading Universities and employers build real-world skills for the jobs of tomorrow. Experiential learning is critical for students and professionals to build and evolve their skills to respond to change, yet it is complex to structure, systematise and manage effectively at scale. Practera can work with employers to help systematically engage University student talent with their employees, or to develop internal experiential L&D programs. Practera was recently recognised as a ‘Westpac Business of Tomorrow’ and an EY Accelerating Entrepreneurs Asia-Pacific winner.
18. Prosper
Prosper Education was founded in 2013 and it offers a blended learning platform for individuals and educational institutes. Provides interactive songs, digital storybooks, games, activities, lesson planning tools, and learning content. Allows learning British English. Funding for this EdTech startup was USD 3M. Also offers teacher training programs. Prosper Education is a global education provider of ELT, marketed under the brand RoyalABC. RoyalABC offers a world-class blended learning Teacher Platform and APP to early learning centres and kindergartens across China delivering British English language, Growth Mindset and 21st Century skills education to 3-6 year olds. The intuitive digital Teacher Platform contains hundreds of hours of pre-built English lessons and DIY content. Teachers simply select a pre-built lesson plan, or quickly and easily create their own lessons in under a minute. English language learning is extended home using RoyalABC World, an immersive 3D APP where students can practice their new language skills in a safe, fun, challenge-based online environment. RoyalABC is the first blended learning program to integrate Growth Mindset and 21st Century skills into ELT curriculum, teacher training and technology design, enabling a new standard of education for children globally.
19. QPay
The QPay app is an online membership portal that helps university clubs and societies to move membership online. The university societies can customize forms that can be filled by incoming students interested in joining the society. Payment can be done through the QPay app with credit cards. Provides ticketing service to the societies. Funding received worth USD 2M by American Express, Andrew Chick, Sydney Angels and 6 Other Investors. Users can set different prices for members and non-members. Allows student head to notify the society members about society events, hoodies, yearbooks, etc.
20. Rockmelon
Rockmelon offers app-based learning platform for special children. Provides interactive digital learning modules, digital flashcards, visual tools, progress tracking, and more. Caters to autistic children, parents, and educators of autistic children. Available for iOS platform. Funding received worth USD 2M. Offered on a premium subscription model. Rockmelon aims to ensure all children are able to reach their fullest potential, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status. Their mission is to change the lives of millions of children by reimagining the way early intervention products and services are delivered to the world’s autism community. ROCKMELON isn’t just a learning or communications platform. It is a global community of parents, therapists, carers and teachers all working towards the same goal: achieving the best outcome for the child.
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