Jisc and Emerge Education have re-launched Step Up, an innovation community that aims to transform higher and further education by matching edtech start-ups with colleges and universities to solve their biggest challenges.

A top list of recommended startups has been released – these 20 new Edtech startups are set to tackle the sector’s five biggest challenges: digital learning, assessment, employability, wellbeing and recruitment. The challenges were first identified by Jisc and Emerge Education’s series of 2020 reports, From Fixes To Foresights.

The Step Up programme is designed to support colleges and universities to quickly and easily choose robust edtech startups that suit budgets, will smoothly pass procurement processes, and will encourage a culture of innovation.

Sue Attewell, Head of Edtech at Jisc, says: “Our mission with Step Up is to sustain an innovation-driven community that will transform higher and further education with technology. The Step Up assessment process means that colleges and universities are able to easily filter, select and engage with startups that will be the best fit for them.”

“Our ongoing research continues to identify the biggest challenges faced by UK institutions, and our vetted top 20 list of EdTech startups will be refreshed annually, to reflect sector needs. We look forward to supporting their work going forward”

Nic Newman, partner at Emerge Education, comments: “The Emerge and Jisc higher education edtech advisory board, chaired by Mary Curnock Cook, identified that one of the biggest barriers for universities to adopt innovative start-ups is insufficient market information and the risk and cost of selection. Step Up was co-designed with the UK higher education sector to solve these problems for universities.  It is clear from Jisc’s learning and teaching reimagined report, that there has never been a greater desire for innovation, and we are excited to relaunch Step Up as one of the key tools to help achieve this”.

The Step Up startups ready to support the sector:

Aula: Delivering engaging online classes
Bibliu: Bringing textbooks to life
Blackbullion: Helping universities to build student’s financial capability
Enroly: Simplifying and making post-acceptance administration secure
Examity: Online proctoring
Fika : Mainstreaming mental fitness
Fourth Rev: Driving employability in the digital community
Handshake: Powering university employability offices
Inkpath: Lifelong skills and career development platform
Interfolio:  Making faculty specific scholarly data instantly actionable
Morressier: Providing virtual conference solutions
Note Taking Express: Advanced note-taking solutions
Open Campus: Drupal based campus management solution
Peergrade: Facilitating peer feedback sessions with students
Riipen: Cloud-based “Future of Work” experiential learning platform
Stucomm: Providing students with the right information, at the right time, via the right channel 
Uni Buddy: helping students thrive through sharing their experience
Unitu: Helping universities and student unions to deliver faster improvements to the student experience
Virtual Internships: A virtual internship program that combines real work experience with a comprehensive learning and training program
Uniwise:  Helping universities deliver secure and accessible digital assessment

You can learn more about EdTech here: https://global-edtech.com/edtech-definitions-products-and-trends/