The indigenous Irish edtech startup scene is a vibrant ecosystem defined by deep educational expertise and a pragmatic approach to technology.
A key strength of the sector lies in its heavy investment in artificial intelligence (AI) for personalisation and diagnostics. Companies like ALPACA are pioneering early diagnostic tools to identify reading difficulties, while Spellings for Me and Grinds 360 use AI to democratise access to highly customized tutoring and specialized instruction. This focus on adaptive and evidence-based learning ensures their products are inherently scalable for international markets facing similar challenges in student assessment and support.
Beyond traditional schooling, a significant cluster targets the crucial “future of work” segment. Zick Learn offers innovative, text-based microlearning delivered directly to mobile platforms like WhatsApp, solving the training challenge for deskless or remote workers globally. Similarly, Chevron College fills vocational skills gaps in high-demand sectors like healthcare through certified e-learning, addressing the worldwide need for continuous professional development and upskilling.
The ecosystem is strengthened by support hubs like Learnovate and a constant pipeline of academic spin-outs (like ALPACA), which ensures product development remains evidence-based. Furthermore, companies like Wriggle tackle the practical challenges of classroom technology integration, and specialists like Edtech Software focus on the often-underserved assistive technology market.
ALPACA
ALPACA is a Trinity College Dublin Learnovate spin-out led by founder Joe Fernandez. It developed a digital tool that identifies early reading difficulties in children before they can read print. Backed by €330,000 from Enterprise Ireland’s Research Commercialisation Fund, ALPACA has screened over 6,500 children across Ireland, the US, and UAE. With 90% pilot conversion to paying customers, the startup is seeking €550,000 to expand internationally and integrate AI tools for special education support.
AKARI Curriculum Management
AKARI is an Irish software company that provides data integration and data management solutions. It has a significant presence in the education sector, assisting universities and schools with managing their complex data. Its tools help these institutions to improve data-driven decision-making and streamline administrative processes. Its solutions are designed to address the challenges of data silos and integration, a common problem in large educational organizations.
Code Institute
Founded in 2014 by Anthony Quigley, Code Institute addresses the global tech skills gap by offering blended and online coding bootcamps. The company’s mission is to produce career-ready programmers through a practical, project-based curriculum. A key investor in Code Institute is Kernel Capital, which led a Series A funding round. The company also received support from Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) fund. Quigley’s extensive experience as a serial entrepreneur, including founding the Digital Marketing Institute, has been instrumental in shaping the company’s ethos of continuous upskilling for the professional and educated market.
Chevron College
Chevron College, led by CEO Karl Fitzpatrick, is a Wexford-based eLearning provider offering accredited programmes in healthcare, childcare, and renewable energy. In 2023, it acquired Dublin-based Oiliúna Training and announced 50 new jobs. The college serves over 15,000 students annually and is expanding into areas like AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics. Fitzpatrick, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, has grown Chevron into a €20m education enterprise with QQI higher education approval.
Child Paths
Child Paths was founded in 2014 by Ciaran Flynn, a father of three who saw the need to improve communication and record-keeping in early childhood education. The company provides a SaaS-based management and communication software for childcare providers. The platform helps streamline administrative tasks, manage attendance, and facilitate better communication between educators and parents. Flynn’s personal experience as a parent inspired the creation of the platform, which aims to provide parents with a greater insight into their child’s daily learning and development, bridging the communication gap between creches and families.
CleverBooks
CleverBooks was founded in 2016 by Darya Yegorina and Inna Armstrong. The company specialises in creating augmented reality (AR) educational products for children and corporate training. Their core belief is that education should be engaging and accessible, and they use AR to bring subjects to life. CleverBooks has secured grant funding from the European Union, which has supported its mission to develop innovative learning tools. The company focuses on primary education with products like its AR globe and flashcards, as well as providing AR-based corporate training solutions, bridging the gap between innovative technology and practical education.
Edtech Software
Founded in 2000 by Liam Mac Réamoinn and Siobhán Cronin, Mayo-based Edtech Software specialises in assistive technology for education and workplace inclusion. Initially focused on special needs education, the company pivoted during the pandemic to support adults in the workplace through its new platform, WorkAbility. Supported by Mayo LEO and government grants, Edtech is expanding its impact by offering accessible tech solutions that enhance learning and productivity for people with disabilities.
Examfly
Founded in 2019 by Deirdre Lyons, Examfly is a Dublin-based edtech startup transforming professional exam prep through interactive, gamified learning. Focused on tax and accounting qualifications, it has raised €2m to date, including a €1.5m seed round in 2024 led by Brian Caulfield. Backed by Dogpatch Labs and Enterprise Ireland, Examfly serves major professional services firms and is expanding into the UK. Lyons’ background in law and tax inspired the platform’s learner-first approach.
Equipple
Equipple is a digital platform co-founded by brothers Ryan and Stuart Henry in Belfast, designed to streamline parent-teacher meetings and school communication. The app enables schools to manage scheduling, feedback, and engagement more efficiently. Equipple has gained traction in the education sector for improving school-home collaboration.
Flúirse Teacher CPD
Flúirse Teacher CPD is an Irish edtech company that provides professional development training for teachers. The company’s name, “Flúirse,” is the Irish word for “abundance,” which reflects its goal of providing an abundance of quality training resources. Their courses are designed to help teachers integrate new technologies into their classrooms and stay up-to-date with modern teaching methodologies.
Grinds 360
Grinds 360 is a Dublin-based hybrid edtech platform founded by teacher Ronan Murdock and entrepreneur Brendan Kavanagh. It raised €3.2m in August 2024 from investors including Brian O’Driscoll, Caelan Doris, and Walter Walsh. The platform blends top-tier Irish teachers with AI-driven tools to deliver affordable, accessible grinds across 19 subjects. With plans for UK and US expansion, Grinds 360 aims to democratise education and disrupt traditional grinds models.
HoloToyz
Founded in 2020 by husband and wife Declan Fahy and Kate Scott along with Paul Cosgrave, HoloToyz is a Meath-based startup creating augmented reality (AR) toys for children. Its products include AR-enabled books, tattoos, puzzles, and stickers. The company raised €1 million in seed funding in 2022 from investors including Brian Caulfield and John Herlihy. HoloToyz has secured licensing deals with Mattel, Nickelodeon, and SEGA, and is expanding globally through partnerships in the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
Learnosity
Founded in 2007 by Gavin Cooney and Mark Lynch, Learnosity is a B2B SaaS company that provides assessment technology to educational publishers and organizations worldwide. Their software allows for the creation, management, and delivery of interactive digital assessments. The company has a significant global presence with offices in Dublin, New York, and Sydney. Learnosity received a major investment from Battery Ventures in 2018, which was a key milestone in their expansion. In a more recent development, the company was acquired by Leeds Equity Partners. The founders’ initial meeting at an accessibility meet-up in Sydney set the stage for their mission to make learning and assessment equitable for all.
LearnUpon
Established in 2010 by co-founders Brendan Noud and Des Anderson, LearnUpon is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) designed for businesses. The platform helps organisations train their employees, partners, and customers. LearnUpon’s growth story is notable as it was initially bootstrapped for eight years before its first major capital raise. In 2020, the company secured a significant $56 million growth equity investment from global firm Summit Partners, its first major funding. This investment was intended to accelerate team expansion and continued platform development, solidifying LearnUpon’s position as a leader in the corporate learning space.
Learnovate
Learnovate is a global research centre for learning technologies based at Trinity College Dublin. Led by Director Nessa McEniff, it secured €9.6 million in 2024 from Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to support Irish tech firms tackling skills gaps. With over 75 member organisations including Zoom and Mastercard, Learnovate drives innovation in workplace and education learning. It also leads EU-funded projects and graduate programmes to future-proof Ireland’s workforce and digital learning capabilities.
Mersus Technologies
Mersus Technologies, founded by Geoffrey Allen in 2012 and based in Athlone, Ireland, is a virtual reality (VR) studio specializing in immersive training environments for advanced manufacturing. Its flagship platform, Avatar Academy, is used in life sciences and medtech sectors to simulate cleanroom training. The company recently won a major European tech award for best VR platform and continues to scale with support from Enterprise Ireland and industry partners.
Nurture
Nurture is a Limerick-based edtech company founded in 2021 by the team behind JumpAgrade. It provides a digital platform that helps teachers deliver assessments and feedback efficiently. The company raised €1.3 million in seed funding by 2025 and secured a major education deal in Northern Ireland. Nurture embeds pedagogical research into its tools, aiming to improve learning outcomes and teacher workflows. It continues to expand across Ireland and the UK.
Olive For Education
Olive For Education is an Irish edtech company led by CEO Ian Gaughran, focused on bridging the digital skills gap in schools. The platform promotes lifelong learning and digital literacy, aiming to prepare students for an AI-driven future. Olive advocates for critical thinking and adaptability in education.
SEAtS Software
SEAtS Software is a Dublin-based edtech company that provides student success and engagement analytics platforms to universities and colleges. Their software uses data analytics to help institutions monitor student attendance, engagement, and progression, allowing for early intervention to support at-risk students. This helps improve retention rates and student outcomes.
TeachKloud
TeachKloud is a Cork-based edtech startup founded by Dr Wendy Oke. It offers a cloud-based platform that streamlines preschool administration, compliance, and parent communication. Identified as a High Potential Start-Up by Enterprise Ireland, TeachKloud raised €750,000 to scale its Early Years Management System. The platform digitizes tasks like enrolment, attendance, and safety audits, allowing educators to focus more on child development. TeachKloud is expanding into international markets with growing investor interest.
Wriggle
Wriggle is a Dublin-based edtech company founded in 2012, providing digital learning solutions to over 1,500 schools across Ireland. Led by Chief Learning Officer Sean Glynn, Wriggle employs former teachers to support schools in integrating technology like iPads and laptops into classrooms. The company manages over 50,000 devices and acts as a de facto IT partner for schools. In 2025, Wriggle announced 90 new roles to support its continued growth and nationwide impact.
VSWare
VSware is a prominent school management information system (MIS) provider in Ireland. Founded in 2013, the company’s platform helps primary and secondary schools manage administrative tasks such as attendance, timetabling, and communication with parents. The company’s story is one of rapid growth and market leadership, largely achieved through a bootstrapped model without significant external funding. The team behind VSware, which started in a bedroom in Kildare, focused on listening to the needs of schools to build a user-friendly and feature-rich product
Spellings for Me
Spellings for Me is an Irish edtech platform co-founded by Paddy Grace, offering AI-powered, personalized spelling instruction. Originally built for Irish primary schools, it now supports over 90,000 students in 25 countries. The platform’s Version 2, developed with TEKenable, includes multilingual accents, gamification, and advanced reporting. It’s expanding into homeschooling and developing AI tools to detect learning differences like dyslexia. The company is scaling globally, though specific funding details remain undisclosed.
Zick Learn
Zick Learn is a Dublin-based edtech startup founded by Matteo Penzo, Andrea Goggi, and Pietro Stracquadanio. It delivers mobile-first, text-based microlearning via platforms like WhatsApp and Slack. In 2023, it raised €500,000 from Zanichelli Venture and angel investors to expand across Europe. A 2024 pre-seed round led by CDP Venture Capital valued the company at €9.5M. Zick Learn aims to revolutionise corporate training by boosting engagement and completion rates through bite-sized, accessible learning.
-
Bank of Ireland is welcoming new customers every day – funding investments, working capital and expansions across multiple sectors. To learn more, click here
-
For support in challenging times, click here
-
Listen to the ThinkBusiness Podcast for business insights and inspiration. All episodes are here. You can also listen to the Podcast on:
-
Spotify
-
SoundCloud
-
Apple
