Nordic EdTech News #98: 2023-10-16
Your Weeks 40 - 41 update from the Nordic and Baltic EdTech ecosystem
Nordic EdTech News is the best way to keep up with the EdTech ecosystem across 8 Nordic and Baltic countries. I curate it from company updates and a wide variety of international sources. It’s a passion project of mine - the rest of my time is spent advising / consulting the companies who lead the future of learning. If you’d like to find out more, drop me an email.
Hello, good morning and thanks for reading today’s NEN. It’s been another busy fortnight, so let’s get straight to it!
One of the biggest challenges facing international education systems, and by extension global EdTech, is an ever-increasing shortage of teachers. Research by UNESCO shows that we’ll need nearly 69 million more teachers by 2030 to achieve universal basic education, yet post-pandemic trends suggest that this gap is actually currently widening.
So it’s great to see Nordic EdTech businesses taking the lead in tackling this challenge. Sweden’s Humly has expanded significantly beyond its home market into the UK and has now raised SEK 145 million / €12.5 million in new capital to accelerate their growth (Link). Alfvén & Didrikson have come onboard as a new investor with Viking Venture continuing to support the business.
The investment will accelerate Humly’s UK market expansion through continued M&A. In fact, just before announcing the investment Humly made their fifth UK acquisition in two years buying M2, a leading education staffing company (Link).
In other M+A news, Finland’s Kide Science confirmed that it has been acquired by US-based Accelerate Learning (Link). The move enables Accelerate Learning to leverage Kide’s play-based STEM lessons for early learners in its home and international markets. Sari Hurme-Mehtälä, CEO and Co-founder of Kide Science, commented: “We’re excited to join Accelerate Learning in setting students on a successful STEM path and creating the next generation of critical thinkers and problem solvers.”
Also in Finland, GraphoGame’s public fundraising campaign with Folkeinvest has now closed, having exceeded the minimum target of NOK 24,972,000. HolonIQ’s global Q3 VC funding report also evidenced positive sentiment for EdTech investment with $904 million raised. This “marked an upswing in total funding on Q2, thanks to a handful of stronger-than-expected Series B/C rounds.”
In less positive news, the Swedish government has confirmed plans to remove the existing curriculum requirement to use digital tools in preschool (Link). The move has been described as “ignorant” by educators. Skolverket, the Swedish National Agency for Education, now has until June 2024 to present proposals on implementing the change.
Rather confusingly, there’s no indication of when these changes will be effective. There’s also a chink of light for EdTech providers in the government’s own press release: “Any use of digital learning tools in preschool must be selective based on clear scientific support and documented educational added value.” Leading companies in the space, such as ILT Education, have already begun to demonstrate how their solutions can deliver on this requirement.
And finally, do check out Teaching Humans. This new course from WeSchool helps content creators harness the power of AI to build “human-tailored training paths” and more engaging / inclusive learning materials.
As always, if you’ve got a story that you’d like me to include in a future issue of this newsletter, please email hello@10digits.org, tag me on Twitter or LinkedIn or use #nordicedtech / #balticedtech.
Thanks for reading, Jonathan
News from Denmark
In a raft of policy announcements, the Danish Government introduces technology as an optional subject and proposes that individual schools should make their own rules for the use of the controversial Aula platform. (Link)
Danske Undervisningsforlag argue that “books are the cheapest, fastest and most effective way to a better public school.”
Drama Studio will be available on Skoletube from the start of November. (Link)
Labster renews its partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science. (Link)
LMS365 launches an AI-powered course discovery functionality to help learners find the courses that will build the skills and knowledge they need. (Link)
Shape Robotics aim to conclude their acquisition of Skriware, the Polish EdTech business, within “the current quarter.” (Link)
News from Estonia
Two interesting articles on Estonia’s unique approach to education: an interview with their Minister of Education and access to their national teaching and learning framework.
Details have been announced for EdTech Hack 2023. It will take place between 10th and 12th November at Tallinn University or online. Sign up here.
ALPA Kids will be featured in a forthcoming Google Play campaign and programme. (Link)
News from Finland
Code School Finland signs a new deal in Saudi Arabia (Link) and expands its teacher training programme with Google (Link).
The new partnership between Edita and Qridi will bring “genuine added value to learning.” (Link)
Check out the full programme for Helsinki Education Week (30 Oct to 3 Nov).
An independent impact report finds that Helsinki Education Hub has benefited both individual companies and the wider EdTech ecosystem. (Link)
Kwizie's beta version is now live as part of their mission to “transform passive video consumption into an immersive, interactive learning journey.” (Link)
Oppiva Invest launches a free, new guide to vocational training in Finland with invaluable EdTech market information. (Link)
Important, but challenging, article featuring Mika Kasanen and the untimely demise of School Day.
SMOWL has been chosen by Finland’s Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) to proctor their entrance exams. (Link)
News from Iceland
News from Latvia
New research finds that 82% of Latvian parents are “concerned about the use of smart devices” in schools. (Link)
Top tips on delivering successful corporate learning programmes from Baltic Computer Academy. (Link)
News from Lithuania
If you missed EdTech Lithuania’s recent "Scaling your EdTech startup abroad" event, a recording of the event is available here.
According to research from Oxsico, 85% of school children are aware of AI tools such as ChatGPT with 79% using them as part of their learning. (Link)
Teachers Lead Tech are developing a digital entrepreneurship curriculum for 5th-8th graders with Junior Achievement Lithuania. (Link HT:Tech Philomaths)
News from Norway
Screen or book? The school must decide. 3 key ways in which Skole Norge can develop a holistic approach to digital.
Review all of the presentations from Sikt’s recent conference on AI, teaching and learning. (Link)
Aiba, whose AI-powered solution keeps children safe online, has raised NOK 15 to 20 million in new investment from Spintop Ventures and others. (Link)
Fairsight secures NOK 20 million in its first round of funding (Link) - their assessment platform aims to “transform recruitment for the better.” Kjetil Holmefjord from Sondo Capital outlines the rationale for their investment here.
Learnlab has integrated AI into its digital tool package, supporting formative assessment and lesson planning. It’s now available in Norway and Denmark.
Scrimba’s founders announce that they have sold 4.5% of the business to Schibsted, but confirm they still own the majority of the company’s shares. (Link)
News from Sweden
Great piece highlighting the importance of education and EdTech in supporting educational equality and the rapid green economic expansion in Sweden’s north. Heja Norrland!
Albert and Akelius extend their partnership (Link) as Co-CEOs Anne-Louise Wirén and Jonas Mårtensson join the Feminvest podcast to talk about digital learning (Link).
Aline, “the intelligent learning platform for professional and personal development”, shuts its doors after 3 years. (Link)
Booksquare, a subscription service for academic textbooks, rebrands to Edsquare (Link) and signs a new agreement with Bloomsbury Publishing (Link).
InfoMentor wins its third procurement with the City of Stockholm - this time for all of its high schools. (Link)
Kognity for High School Science has been named as a finalist in the 2023 Supes' Choice Awards. (Link)
Manico reports strong revenue growth for its hardware / software platform and closes a SEK 2 million bridge round with Katalysen Ventures and others. (Link)
Compelling Skolon UK customer story with Stanground Academy. (Link)
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