E-spaces, a London-based AI-enabled teaching assessment platform, was recently awarded a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Grant by Innovate UK EDGE. The company will use the grant to partner with Digital Catapult North East Tees Valley (Digital Catapult NETV) on the practical application and development of its BETA product in schools and colleges.
Alongside designing the research, Digital Catapult NETV will also facilitate partnerships with various regional education providers to trial E-spaces’ software. Gateshead College, a sixth-form college in Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, will be one of at least five schools or colleges participating in the research.
Founded in 2020 by former teacher Yvonne Buluma-Samba, E-spaces uses real-time data to automatically assess, personalize and adapt learning in lessons, enabling immediate intervention and prediction of grades. The platform lets students answer planned questions, allowing teachers to make real-time decisions. It also helps predict student grades based on the data collected during ongoing class assessments. The startup partners with schools globally and some of its revenues are used to feed the most in-need children.
Speaking on the partnership with Sunderland Software City, Founder & CEO of E-spaces, Yvonne Buluma-Samba, said:
We’re on a mission to reduce teacher burnout and attrition while increasing student engagement and performance across state, grammar, independent schools, and further education colleges. We’re developing cutting-edge technology for teachers by teachers that are easy to use and makes a real difference to schools. This grant, and our subsequent partnership with Sunderland Software City, enable us to work directly with schools to see how the latest version of our product works within classes on a larger scale than our pilot.
The grant will be provided by Innovate UK EDGE, the business growth and scaling service of the UK’s national innovation agency. Innovate UK EDGE is a service which supports ground-breaking, ambitious innovation-driven businesses through advisory support and funding to facilitate access to infrastructure and expertise provided by Digital Catapult and RTOs. It is a specialized, not-for-profit, and knowledge-focused organization dedicated to developing and transferring science and technology to benefit the economy and society.
Ashmita Randhawa, DPhil, Head of Innovation, Digital Catapult North East Tees Valley, added:
E-spaces aim to restore the joy of teaching and learning, helping reduce teacher attrition and burnout while improving student engagement and performance. This mission is equally urgent and important. Digital Catapult NETV is, therefore, delighted to partner with e-spaces to address local educators’ needs through tech and innovation.
As part of the collaboration, E-spaces can explore and test new product ideas, seeking technical expertise and specialist sector knowledge. It will also gain advice on regulatory and government processes. Innovate UK EDGE also offers access to networks of customers, services and funders and supports identifying opportunities for R&D, collaboration, and partnership building. E-spaces will run BETA testing programmes with several schools, building upon e-spaces’ existing pilot programmes, which it has run with more than 100 teachers and 1,000 students to date.
Sunderland Software City supports and grows the North East tech sector by helping people explore careers, start businesses and grow their organisations. The platform delivers tailored programmes and events to help individuals and organisations access the networks, knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive in tech.
