AWS EdStart fueling the EdTech startup community

To help startups build innovative teaching and learning solutions using the AWS Cloud, AWS, along with the National Science Foundation (NSF), Education Technology Industry Netwrk (ETIN), and AT&T, sponsored the Start-up Pavilion and Pitch Fest at ISTE 2017. The Edtech Start-up Pavilion and Pitch Fest offers up-and-coming companies the opportunity to participate at ISTE. Pitch Fest contestants and winners received AWS Promotional Credits to accelerate their businesses and enhance the education industry.

AWS EdStart is an AWS program committed to the growth of educational technology (EdTech) companies who are building the next generation of online learning, analytics, and campus management solutions on the AWS Cloud.

Congratulations to the winners of the Pitch Fest: BrainCo and CodeSpark.

BrainCo: BrianCo’s Focus EDU product is an integrated classroom system that improves education outcomes through real-time attention level reports. BrainCo’s devices detect brain waves and use the AWS Cloud to host the data from these IoT wearables with the aim of building the world’s largest brain wave database. Their product allows educators to quantify student engagement in real-time. With this information, they can create strategies to increase classroom engagement, identify students who need extra attention, track improvements over time, and increase student attention.

“BrainCo specializes in Brain Machine Interface (BMI) wearables and our products are changing the way we interact with the world,” said Max Newlon, research scientist, BrainCo.

BrainCo will use AWS to enhance its platform’s ability to use Machine Learning (ML) and also to scale globally as BrainCo sees an increase in demand for their product and solutions in international markets.

CodeSpark: CodeSpark introduces kids as young as four to fundamental computer science and coding concepts. Their app, codeSpark Academy with The Foos, uses a “no words” interface to turn programing into play. With fresh content added every month, kid coders can stretch the limits of their creativity and sharpen their skills.

“AWS is where all of our crucial customer data, progress, and creative output is stored. Since kids are designing and coding thousands of games a day on our platform in every country in the world, it’s critical that our backend infrastructure be reliable, fast, and easy to deploy. AWS is a critical component of our tech stack and allows a small team to have global ambitions,” said Grant Hosford, Founder, CodeSpark.

CodeSpark will use their AWS Promotional Credits to host their player database, website, and app data for millions of players worldwide.

Startups and established EdTechs, like Remind, Instructure, Desire2Learn (D2L), and Ellucian, are not only scaling on AWS but also accelerating their market share through the AWS Education Competency program. Learn more.