The GESA (Global EdTech Start-up Awards) final, the prestigious education technology competition held annually in London by Mindset, a division of Israel’s M.A.T.C.H., concluded with the victory of eight start-ups that secured first place in eight different categories. The Israeli app Nick Academy won the Audience Favorite title.
The final event is one of the highlights of the BETT exhibition, which is considered the largest EdTech event in the world. What distinguished this year’s competition was that many of the start-ups focused their apps on the needs of individuals and special populations.
So, who are the winners? The app Nick Academy, which makes learning enjoyable through various beloved characters, was chosen as the Audience Favorite.
The standout winner in the competition was likely the one in the Social Impact category, where the American start-up Unlocked Labs took first place. The company’s CEO, Jessica Hicklin, was originally born as James, a man convicted of murder and imprisoned for 26 years. During her time in prison, she transitioned to Jessica. Among other things, Jessica learned and realized the importance of education in reducing prison populations and founded a project focusing on inmate education.
In the Innovation category, the first-place winner was the Uruguayan start-up Eldes, which offers an innovative solution for teaching and translating sign language through AR.
In the Best EdTech Solution category, the first-place winner was the Latvian start-up Solfeg.io, which developed a unique method for teaching music and motivating students to learn.
In the Emerging Markets category, the Indian start-up STEMpedia, which focuses on STEM education with a unique combination of physical and virtual tools, took first place.
In addition to these winners, three winners were announced in special categories during the competition, one of which was Israeli. In the special category for educational solutions in the Middle East, the Israeli start-up VOCA TOOKI, based in Tamra, won. The start-up began in the Arab sector and expanded to the Jewish population in Israel and is now growing globally.
It is worth noting that GESA was founded in 2014 by Mindset’s CEO, Avi warshavsky, and the competition spans six continents and 134 countries, generating a community of over 8,000 EdTech start-ups.
Yossi Baidatz, CEO of M.A.T.C.H: "We congratulate the winners of the world’s largest EdTech competition, held for the tenth consecutive year in London. At M.A.T.C.H. and MindCET, we view the advancement of education through artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative technology as the future for Israel and the world. The goal of this impressive event, which ended tonight, is to nurture international educational-tech initiatives for future generations. For the State of Israel, which is just starting to emerge from a major crisis, education in general and innovation in education, in particular, help and will continue to help in this important rehabilitation process. Throughout the competition, we were exposed to innovative initiatives that will truly change society, and we are proud of all the candidates who took part in the process and of Israel’s central role in it."
Avi warshavsky, CEO of MindCET: "GESA is seemingly a dramatic and tough competition, but at its core, it is a global community of start-ups striving to fix the world of education. Education is on the brink of a new era, influenced by recent events: COVID-19, the devastating wars, and artificial intelligence, all global events that require a global entrepreneurial community to address."