Today at the AWS Public Sector Summit in Brussels, it was announced that AWS EdStart, a program that is designed to help startup educational technology (EdTech) companies build teaching and learning solutions on the AWS Cloud, is now available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

AWS is committed to helping entrepreneurs build the next generation of online learning, analytics, and campus management solutions on the AWS Cloud. This new global focus for AWS EdStart will enable startup EdTech companies from around the world to move faster by providing AWS Promotional Credits, community engagement, customized trainings, joint marketing opportunities, and technical support.

The goal of the AWS EdStart Program is to engage and support EdTechs as they build, launch, and grow their solutions. AWS EdStart is focused on innovative teaching and learning technologies that create positive student outcomes. The program aims to make it easy for early-stage EdTech companies to find the resources and relationships they need to be successful. It is a community of like-minded people and companies who seek to solve complex education problems globally.

Since launching AWS EdStart in the U.S. in early 2017, the program has issued over $2M in AWS Promotional Credits to help customers revolutionize the education industry. As AWS look toward bringing AWS EdStart to other regions around the world, it is worth looking at the positive impact AWS EdStart members have already made in education.

A few examples of startup EdTech companies innovating with AWS EdStart include:

• Accredible: Accredible has a mission of making learning credible and accessible to anyone, everywhere. They use certificates, digital badges, and Blockchain to automate and secure education credentials. Their digital certificates and badges enable organizations to award students with proof of skill, individuals to prove their credibility, and for employers to identify the ideal job candidate.
• Sown To Grow: In Sown To Grow, students set learning goals, track their own progress, and write reflections on the strategies that work best for them (or new ones they want to try). Teachers set expectations, monitor growth, and provide feedback on student reflections. The platform provides scaffolding with learning strategies that are proven to work and insights for teachers to better reach struggling students. The result? Students care more, focus on growth, and become better, more empowered learners.
• Gradescope: Gradescope allows instructors to grade handwritten, digital, and coding assignments in less time. The tool supports almost any format (paper exams, book problems, quizzes, programming projects) and any type of question. Class time isn’t spent collecting homework, since students can upload images or a PDF of their work directly to Gradescope, and students get their work back as soon as it’s graded, rather than having to wait until the next time they see their instructors.

Alan Heppenstall, CTO, Accredible, said, “We’re very excited to see the fantastic support we’ve experienced from AWS EdStart get rolled out to Europe. Early stage education technology companies really benefit from a knowledgeable community and bespoke support to build and scale effectively on AWS.”

Startups can apply to join AWS EdStart if they are less than five years old, are located in an approved AWS Region, and generate less than $10M USD in annual revenue. Applications should include a plan for an innovative solution for students, teachers, or administrators that solves a current problem and/or disrupts current educational models.

Amazon Web Services will continue to bring AWS EdStart to other regions in 2018 including India, Japan, and China.

Learn more about how AWS EdStart can help you build teaching and learning solutions on the AWS Cloud.