25 Top Edtech Companies in the UK
Will Davis, 24 August 2022
Education technology (edtech) is one of the top emerging sectors in the UK. Indeed, recent studies predict that the global edtech sector will be worth $404b by 2025, with several international and domestic organisations working to accelerate the adoption of edtech in schools, with a focus on closing the education gap.
Edtech’s rise has largely been driven by the pandemic, as COVID-19 restrictions increased demand for sophisticated home and online learning technologies. But even after lockdown measures were lifted, the sector has continued to grow here in the UK. In fact, we welcomed our first ever edtech unicorn in June, while the UK Department for Education recently commissioned a report into the value and opportunity for edtech in classrooms in England.
So what does edtech look like exactly? And which innovative startups and scaleups should you be watching in this space? Read on for our list of the top 25 edtech companies in the UK.
What is edtech?
Before exploring the UK’s top edtech companies, it’s worth discussing what we mean by edtech, as the term actually encompasses a wide range of products and services. Edtech refers to the use of technology in education, in both the public and private education sectors, as well as continuing professional development (CPD) and lifelong learning. It supports digital and blended learning styles, and can involve both online platforms and extended reality (XR).
Distance learning
Popularised by the demands of the pandemic, distance learning (also known as digital learning or online learning) involves individuals studying and learning from home. Distance learning companies are linked by a focus on developing technologies that mitigate the challenges of not having face-to-face teaching and learning.
Distance learning technologies can take several different forms: physical (such as build-you-own kits), audio-based or video-based learning (e.g. podcasts and online classes), or computer-based (like collaborative learning workspaces).
Blended learning
Blended learning (or hybrid learning) is a style of education that combines digital media and technology with conventional instructor-led classroom activities. It gives students more freedom to tailor their learning experiences. Blended learning companies produce edtech products that accompany and enhance classroom-based learning.
Blended learning technologies can be broken down into four key types: managed learning technologies are platforms that allow teachers to engage with students outside of the classroom; orchestrated learning technologies are those that allow teachers to direct instruction and practice, such as digital worksheets; collaborative learning technology allows students to work together on group tasks and projects, or to share resources, such as books and case studies; authentic learning tech enables students to present their work to peers.
Online learning platforms
Online learning (or e-learning) is a subset of distance learning where individuals carry out their learning over the internet. Companies that create online learning platforms develop web spaces or portals for educational content. These provide students with all the information they need in one place, including lectures, resources and opportunities to interact with fellow students.
Augmented reality and virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive technology that places the user in a virtual environment, where they can move around, communicate and learn. VR edtech can be used in classrooms for virtual field trips, science experiments and immersive simulations.
Augmented reality (AR) allows users to interact with virtual objects that appear in their real-world environment. AR can also be applied to edtech—for instance, students might use digital overlays to follow instructions for difficult tasks, like learning how to fix a complicated machine or performing a medical procedure.
Who are the UK’s top edtech companies?
There are currently 565 edtech companies in the UK that have hit one or more of our high-growth tracking triggers. These ambitious businesses span a wide range of technologies and services, from e-book subscriptions to DIY computer kits.
Below, we’ve compiled a ranking of the top 25 edtech companies in the UK, based on the amount of equity investment they’ve received to date. All of these private companies are headquartered in the UK, and have received sizable investments from venture capital firms and other top players in the high-growth ecosystem.
01.
Multiverse
Date founded: 2016
Location: London
Our top edtech company for 2022 is also the newest member of the UK unicorn club, Multiverse. The London-based startup was founded by Euan Blair (son of former PM Tony Blair) and operates an online recruitment board that uses AI technology to link non-graduate apprentices with employers. Apprentices are offered tuition-based training with a specific focus on tech-based roles that require digital skills, like software engineering, digital marketing and data analysis. The company states that around 50% of its apprenticeship candidates are from underrepresented minority backgrounds.
Multiverse has raised a total of £319m worth of equity investment since its founding in 2016, across five funding rounds. It has also appeared in the Deloitte Fast 50 and Startups 100 high-growth lists, and attended Tech Nation’s Upscale accelerator programme. Having raised £175m in its latest fundraising, in June 2022, the company reached unicorn status with a valuation of $1.70b. This new funding will be used to accelerate Multiverse’s expansion in the US and broaden its range of learning programmes.
02.
Kano
Date founded: 2013
Location: London
London-based Kano Computing develops and sells DIY kits to teach children coding and how to make computers. The company creates and sells motion sensor kits for kids that include animated characters, synthesised music, and games. Kano Computing partnered with Microsoft in 2020, producing kits for 1,000 Windows-based PCs, and for support in global distribution.
After its incorporation in 2013, Kano received an initial £1.52m grant on Kickstarter. But the edtech startup has since gone on to raise an additional £56.8m in equity fundraising, across nine funding rounds. Kano also attended two accelerator programmes back in 2016: Upscale and the Mayor’s International Business Programme. And it has featured on numerous high-growth lists, most recently the Createch One to Watch and London Tech 50.
03.
Perlego
Date founded: 2016
Location: London
Perlego operates an e-book subscription service for textbooks, via its own app-based e-reader. Its online collection of learning resources and tools aims to offer textbook services to students all over the world. Students can get unlimited access to reading materials at a low cost, thanks to the company’s platform, which offers academic and professional e-books for a monthly subscription fee.
Founded in 2016, the Camden-based company has raised £55.6m in equity fundraising so far, across six rounds. Its most recent investment was completed in March 2022, worth £24.4m. Perlego has also recently graduated from the Upscale accelerator programme, and featured in the latest BusinessCloud Edtech Top 50 high-growth list.
04.
Pi-Top
Date founded: 2014
Location: London
Pi-Top develops a programmable computer system designed to teach teens STEM subjects, like coding and robotics. Users can create their own laptops, for use in learning environments where they can experiment, code, and build electronics. This enables students to combine project-based learning and physical computing with computer science, ICT and STEM education.
The Southwark-based edtech company was founded in 2014, initially receiving £193k in grant funding from US crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Pi-Top then went on to raise £41.3m in equity funding, across 12 rounds. Its most recent raise was a £1.14m investment, in April 2022, from SyndicateRoom’s Access EIS fund and angel investors.
05.
BibliU
Date founded: 2014
Location: London
BibliU offers an edtech subscription service that provides students with access to academic textbooks online. The company’s platform enables students to learn effectively by providing immediate access to course content with a discovery search tool, offline support, analytics, and synchronised highlight and comments for accelerated learning.
Founded in 2014, the Islington-based textbook provider has raised £39.2m in equity funding so far, across 11 rounds. It has already secured an impressive four fundraisings during 2022, the most recent of which was a £1.16m deal with Wealth Club. BibliU has attended two accelerator programmes: the Mayor’s International Business Programme and Emerge Education.
06.
Kortext
Date founded: 2013
Location: Bournemouth
Kortext operates an online learning platform that allows students access to digital textbooks. With the help of a variety of tools, and online and offline access to important textbooks from different publishers, the company’s edtech platform offers an affordable and quick learning tool for users.
The Bournemouth-based company has raised £35.9m in equity investment since incorporating in 2013, across six funding rounds. Its last round was completed in July 2021, and saw Kortext raise £15.0m from QVentures and DMG Ventures, alongside other undisclosed investors. Kortext announced that it will use this investment to accelerate the delivery of its product roadmap, in partnership with its university customers.
07.
MyTutor
Date founded: 2013
Location: London
MyTutor provides an online learning platform for students wishing to find tutors for online lessons. The company’s platform links schoolchildren and students from top universities to online tutorials, live video chats, interactive whiteboards, and collaborative tools like simultaneous document viewing.
Since its incorporation in 2013, MyTutor has raised £28.8m in equity funding, across seven rounds. Its most recent raise was a £15.2m investment from British fund Mobeus and Australian fund SEEK, back in September 2021. Following this deal, MyTutor made an acquisition of fellow edtech Fire Tech, in December 2021. MyTutor bought Fire Tech for its coding and tech training platform, which it has since added to its learning portfolio.
08.
Unibuddy
Date founded: 2015
Location: London
Unibuddy develops edtech software tools for university websites, including software that allows prospective students to communicate with student ambassadors online. The company’s platform enables universities to recruit their best-fit students, and helps students to find appropriate universities by sharing their experiences with eachother.
The software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider has raised £23.2m in equity investment so far, across four funding rounds. Its most recent equity round saw the company gain an impressive £14.2 from Highland Europe and Stride.VC. Unibuddy plans to put this capital towards company growth, with the aim of reaching 10m students by 2025.
09.
Fuse
Date founded: 2008
Location: London
Fuse has developed edtech software that allows employees to share knowledge in their workplace. The company’s platform combines design tools, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to enable learning from top employees. Fuse also assists companies in the creation of internal instructional videos.
Since its founding in 2008, Fuse has raised £21.9m in equity investment, across four funding rounds. Its latest raise was completed in September 2019, with participation from Education Growth Partners, Eight Roads Ventures, and Octopus Development Capital. Fuse planned to put this funding towards global expansion, with the edtech company announcing its intention to enter the American and Asia-Pacific markets.
10.
EduMe
Date founded: 2015
Location: London
EduMe develops a mobile app that businesses can use to provide educational material to their employees. The app automates processes and content delivery to track and analyse learner behaviour, to increase workforce productivity and engagement.
In January 2022, EduMe announced an impressive £15.0m equity funding round, with Prosus Ventures, Valo Ventures and Workday. This took the edtech’s total equity investment raised to £20.3m, across three funding rounds. Founded in 2015, EduMe has attended one accelerator programme so far, the Mayor’s International Business Programme.
11.
Sales Impact Academy
Date founded: 2019
Location: Cambridge
Cambridge-based Sales Impact Academy provides online courses and training for sales and marketing professionals. The company’s platform offers live learning classes from industry leaders, enabling learners to build a successful sales or marketing career, at an affordable cost.
Despite being the youngest edtech company on this list, Sales Impact Academy has already raised an impressive £19.7m in equity investment, across two funding rounds. Its second fundraising was completed in March 2022, and saw the company secure £16.7m from Emerge Education, HubSpot Ventures, MIT Investment Management Company, and Stage 2 Capital. This funding is being put towards expanding its curriculum and other platform offerings.
12.
Administrate
Date founded: 2017
Location: Edinburgh
Administrate has developed business management software for clients that operate business training services. With the help of the company’s platform, training providers can manage and automate the entire learning process, from a single location.
Founded in Edinburgh in 2007, Administrate has secured 12 funding rounds so far, raising a total of £19.5m in equity investment. Plus, the edtech software provider received £656k in R&D grant funding in 2017, as part of Scottish Enterprises Enterprise & Integration Transformation programme. Also in 2017, Administrate attended the Upscale accelerator.
13.
MEL Science
Date founded: 2015
Location: London
MEL Science creates chemistry kits that are designed to teach science to children, in an engaging and immersive way. They’re available on a subscription basis and, in addition to offering VR-mode studies through a mobile app, the kits come with chemical reagents and visual step-by-step instructions to demonstrate science.
The company has raised £19.0m in equity investment so far, across four funding rounds. The most recent of these was a £10.4m round, in December 2020, with Channel 4 Ventures, the Mubadala Investment Company, and other undisclosed investors. MEL Scinece’s products have won numerous awards already, including BETT Innovator of the Year 2020, and EdTech Digest’s Cool Tool Award (for Best VR/AR Solution). It was also named in the BusinessCloud Edtech 50 high-growth list for 2022.
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14.
Atom Learning
Date founded: 2017
Location: London
Atom Learning develops edtech products for teaching children aged 7-11. Atom Prime is a free online platform, used by teachers to save time by providing large banks of questions that can be turned into lesson plans or homework. Questions can be tailored to manage mixed-ability classes and different learning styles via adaptive learning. Meanwhile, Atom Nucleus is a subscription-based alternative to private tuition, where parents pay a monthly fee—teachers have access to the home learning tool, to monitor student engagement and performance.
Founded in 2017, the company has secured one equity funding round, worth £19.0m. Completed in December 2021, the round saw participation from Softbank Vision Fund. Atom Learning announced the funding would go towards accelerating growth in the UK and recruiting more technology and education specialists to the company.
15.
Hopster
Date founded: 2012
Location: London
Hopster develops an edtech mobile app, offering pre-school TV and education-based games. The company has also launched two original productions: Saturday Club, a short animated empathy-focused series, and Rainbow Stories, an LGBT-themed series that was nominated for Best Kids TV programming at the MIPDiversity Excellence Awards in 2016.
Founded in London in 2012, Hopster has gone on to raise £16.5m in equity investment, across nine funding rounds so far. In 2017, the digital learning app developer was ranked as one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Businesses.
16.
Macat
Date founded: 2009
Location: London
Macat develops education technology that’s focused on improving critical thinking skills. Its PACIER critical thinking assessments identify skill gaps, and offer solutions to developing and improving critical thinking skills through its masterclass (a combination of videos, workshops and online tools). Additionally, Macat provides a library of high-quality critical analyses of books and academic papers.
The Fulham-based company has raised £16.4m in equity investment so far, across eight funding rounds. Founded by Salah Khalil in 2009, Macat has recently worked closely with the Egyptian Department of Higher Education, to help assess the critical thinking skills of Egypt’s top university applicants.
17.
MarcoPolo
Date founded: 2012
Location: London
MarcoPolo develops interactive educational material for young children, focusing on mobile app games. Its library of English, Spanish and Modified/ELL online learning videos and educator resources aims to align with the learning of 3-7 year olds. MarcoPolo has a highly comprehensive library of over 1,200 videos, educator guides and other classroom materials.
Founded in 2012, MarcoPolo has received £5.00k in Innovate UK grant funding, alongside four equity funding rounds, worth £15.7m in total. The London-based edtech company has also opened offices in New York and Shanghai, facilitating its global expansion.
18.
Memrise
Date founded: 2010
Location: London
Memrise has developed a language learning website that aims to bring together insights from neuroscience and online games, to help people learn foreign languages. The company’s mobile app offers quality courses in various languages, using images, science, and flashcards.
The London-based edtech company has raised £15.4m in equity investment so far, across three funding rounds. Its most recent raise was completed in June 2018—the £11.6m round saw participation from Avalon Ventures, Korelya Capital, Balderton Capital and Octopus Ventures. Memrise announced that this funding would be used to further develop its software and add multimedia enhancements to its app.
19.
BBC Maestro
Date founded: 2019
Location: Wiltshire
BBC Maestro operates as an online e-learning platform, providing a range of educational courses. The Wiltshire-based edtech company was founded in 2019, and launched in November 2020, in partnership with BBC Studio. The service provides access to experienced creators who offer digital tutorials to subscribers.
BBC Maestro has raised £15.2m in equity investment so far, across four funding rounds. In August 2022, the company announced a £7.53m deal with BGF Growth Capital and Downing Ventures. The funding is intended to go towards platform growth, securing more experts to offer tutorials, and international expansion.
20.
Third Space Learning
Date founded: 2012
Location: London
Founded in 2012 and based in Tower Hamlets, Third Space Learning provides one-to-one maths tutoring over the internet. The company also operates Matr, an online tuition service for children that trains its tutors using AI technology. Third Space Learning aims to offer lower cost and better quality tutoring supply.
The edtech company received a £225k innovation grant back in 2015, as part of Innovate UK’s MATH scheme. It has also raised £14.9m in equity funding, across eight rounds, the most recent of which was completed in July 2020. Third Space learning also featured in the Startup 101 high-growth list in 2017.
21.
CENTURY
Date founded: 2013
Location: London
CENTURY is developing an online educational platform that carries out data collection on teaching and learning patterns, to be analysed by educators and institutions. The company’s platform facilitates evidence-based teaching by creating constantly adapting pathways, which provide real-time data insights.
To date, CENTURY has raised £14.1m in equity funding, across nine funding rounds. The company’s most recent equity deal, worth £4.70m, was completed in June 2021—with US-based Solve Innovation Future and the UK Government’s Future Fund. In 2022, CENTURY also featured on the BusinessCloud EdTech 50 high-growth list.
22.
Uptime
Date founded: 2018
Location: London
Uptime provides short-form audio and visual educational content through its mobile app. The edtech company styles itself as an informative alternative to social media, like TikTok or Instagram Reels, offering users five-minute “knowledge hacks” (explaining trending news, books and documentaries).
The Wandsworth-based edtech provider has raised £13.0m in equity funding so far, across three rounds. Its most recent raise came in May 2021, with a £2.92m investment from former YouTube CEO Chad Hurley. Uptake announced it would put this funding towards global growth and further developing its product, services and content.
23.
Show My Homework
Date founded: 2007
Location: London
The Show My Homework software is used by teachers to set a calendar of homework for their students. It is the flagship product of edtech business Team Satchel, which was specifically created so that the company can replicate Show My Homework’s success in new areas.
Founded in 2007, the company has raised £12.1m in equity finance so far, across nine funding rounds. It received additional Innovate UK grant funding of £72.0k during the pandemic, to support home learning. The company has also attended two accelerators: the Upscale accelerator in 2016, and the Mayor’s International Business Programme.
24.
Immerse
Date founded: 2008
Location: London
Immerse offers an online learning platform, focused on organisational training and knowledge sharing. Its VR training platform (Immerse VEP) was created to provide VR training at scale, with measurable results. The platform delivers virtual instructor-led training or assessment scenarios in a scalable, immersive, and interactive virtual environment.
The Richmond-based company has raised £10.8m in equity funding so far, across 11 funding rounds. The VR tech provider’s latest project is the Immerse Marketplace, an online training platform aimed at providing businesses with access to industry-leading VR material from the world’s best content creators.
25.
Hack the Box
Date founded: 2017
Location: Kent
Kent-based edtech company Hack The Box develops a cybersecurity training tool, allowing users to improve their digital penetration and problem-solving skills, by taking part in a range of online hacking challenges. The company’s platform provides a variety of capture the flag (CTF) style games and tasks that simulate real-world scenarios, allowing users to advance their hacking abilities.
Founded in 2017, Hack the Box has raised £10.7m worth of equity investment so far, across three funding rounds. Its most recent round, in April 2021, saw the company secure £7.73m from Brighteye, Marathon Venture Capital, Osage University Partners and Paladin Capital Group. Hack the Box also attended the LORCA accelerator programme for cybersecurity startups between 2019 and 2020.
More leads, more clients, less churn.
Get access to unrivalled data on all the companies you need to know about, so you can approach the right leads, at the right time.
Book a 40 minute demo today to see all of the key features, as well as the depth and breadth of data available on the Beauhurst platform.
An associate will work with you to build a sophisticated search, returning a dynamic list of organisations matching your ideal client profile.
