The education technology (edtech) industry is booming. As learning continues to move online, the market for edtech startups is expected to reach $404 billion by 2025 according to HolonIQ.

However, the edtech space is getting crowded with companies offering similar solutions. To stand out, founders need creative and innovative edtech business ideas that solve real problems for students and schools.

In this post, I’ll share 25 ed-tech startup ideas spanning products, services, platforms, and more. These ideas range from elementary literacy apps to AI tutoring to social-emotional learning tools.

If you’re an entrepreneur looking to make an impact in education, use this list to spark your next edtech venture. Let’s dive in!

Also if you want to generate unlimited startup business ideas, use our free startup business idea generator.

Literacy Apps for Emergent Readers

Reading is a fundamental skill in life. Yet more than 80% of low-income kindergarteners aren’t reading at grade level in the US.

An ed-tech company could build engaging apps to help young learners aged 3 to 7 practice literacy skills through games, videos, and interactive stories. Features like progress tracking and tips for parents could also be included.

Potential customers include preschools, elementary schools, and families looking for at-home learning options.

Interactive Math Games

Math anxiety affects up to 20% of the population worldwide. An edtech startup could create interactive video games for K-12 students to help build math confidence while learning in a risk-free environment.

Games could cover topics like fractions, algebra, geometry, and beyond. They could adapt to individual student needs and provide real-time feedback. The platform could also give teachers dashboards to monitor student progress.

The target customers would be school districts, tutoring centers, and families seeking to engage in at-home math practice.

Social Platform for Study Groups

Studying in groups can improve learning outcomes and retention for students. However, busy schedules and location barriers make coordinating study groups difficult.

An edtech startup could create a platform for students to easily find, schedule, and host virtual study sessions. Features could include study playlists, shared notes, polls, timers, and video chat. Study groups could be searchable by course, subject, or school.

The target users are high school and college students looking to connect with peers and collaborate online. Revenue could come from premium subscriptions, tutoring services, or advertising.

Adaptive Test Prep Apps

Standardized testing is a $4 billion industry in the US. An ed-tech company could develop mobile apps to help students prep for tests like the SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, and more.

These adaptive apps could dynamically adjust question difficulty and topics based on individual student performance. Instant feedback could explain both correct and incorrect answers. Gamification elements could also motivate continuous improvement.

The target customers are high school and college students seeking more effective and engaging test prep solutions. Revenue could come from paid downloads, in-app purchases, or subscriptions.

CRM for Private Tutor Management

Tutoring is growing rapidly, with the global market estimated to exceed $187 billion by 2022. Many private tutors still handle client acquisition and session bookings manually.

An edtech startup could create a tutor-focused customer relationship management (CRM) platform to simplify and automate the process. Features could include student profiles, session scheduling, tutor availability calendars, progress tracking, invoicing, and payments.

The target customers are individual tutors and small tutoring agencies looking to scale their business and optimize operations. Revenue could come from SaaS subscription plans.

Personalized Learning Recommendation Engine

With so many online course options, it’s challenging for students to find the best ones to meet their learning goals. An edtech startup could develop an AI-powered recommendation engine that evaluates students’ needs and interests to suggest personalized online courses and learning materials.

The platform could gather data on learning styles, strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations using questionnaires and quizzes. It could then use machine learning algorithms to select the top learning recommendations across education providers.

Target customers include both learners looking to upskill and education companies wanting to improve customer matching. Revenue streams could include affiliate fees or advertising.

AR/VR Labs for Science Experiments

Lab experiments help science students understand concepts by applying them hands-on. However, lab materials can be expensive for schools to obtain.

An edtech startup could create virtual labs to simulate science experiments in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Students could conduct experiments by manipulating 3D models through touch, voice, and gesture controls. Detailed lab reports could also be auto-generated.

The target customers are K-12 schools and districts seeking to expand lab offerings in a cost-effective way. The product could be sold as an annual school-wide license.

Career Exploration App for Teens

Picking a career path is both exciting and daunting for teenagers. An edtech startup could develop a mobile app to guide students through the career planning process step-by-step.

Students could take career aptitude tests and explore job descriptions, salaries, education requirements, and more. They could save careers to customized lists to compare options. Links to related college programs and apprenticeships could also be provided.

The target customer base is high school students seeking career clarity. Monetization could occur through in-app advertisements, premium features, or school district partnerships.

Learning Analytics Dashboards

Data analytics is transforming how schools measure student outcomes. An edtech startup could build interactive dashboards for K-12 teachers and administrators to visualize key learning analytics.

The dashboards could include data on attendance, grades, assignment completion rates, standardized test scores, and other metrics. Users could filter data by demographics, classes, or grade levels to spot trends. Automated alerts could track at-risk students.

The target customers are school districts seeking to make data-informed decisions. Revenue could come from annual district-wide access fees.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) App

Social emotional skills like self-awareness and relationship building are gaining focus in K-12 education. An edtech startup could create a research-backed mobile app to help students cultivate SEL competencies.

App features could include daily SEL activities, mindfulness exercises, mood tracking, goal-setting tools, and personalized growth insights. Teachers and parents could track progress and provide support.

The target customers are elementary and middle schools looking to improve SEL instruction. Revenue could come from per-student licensing fees, premium family accounts, or school partnership models.

Homework Planning & Progress App

Managing deadlines and homework can be overwhelming for many students. An ed-tech startup could develop a mobile app to help students plan homework time, set reminders, track productivity, and celebrate progress.

App features could include assignment calendars, timers, to-do lists, and motivational tools like points and badges earned for completing tasks. Parents could track homework progress and receive reminders to review work.

The target customers are K-12 schools and families seeking to build better homework habits. Revenue could come from parent-paid subscriptions or school-district partnerships.

Corporate eLearning Platform

The workplace training market is expected to reach $362 billion by 2026. An ed-tech startup could create a platform to help companies deliver online training and development programs at scale.

Features could include content authoring tools, individual learning plans, expertise tracking, certification courses, discussion forums, and analytics dashboards. Machine learning could suggest learning paths based on skills gaps.

Target customers include corporate L&D departments, HR teams, and other business buyers seeking to upskill and engage employees. Revenue could come from annual platform access fees.

College Admissions Consulting Marketplace

Navigating college admissions is difficult, driving demand for consulting services. An ed-tech startup could connect students to vetted independent educational consultants (IECs) via an online marketplace model.

Students could search for consultants, view profiles, compare services, and book sessions. Consultants could list availability, areas of specialty (e.g. essay writing), and rates. Video meetings could take place directly on the platform.

Target customers are anxious high school students and parents seeking admissions expertise and guidance. Revenue could come from consultant subscription fees and booking commissions.

Pedagogical Video Creator

Videos can be highly engaging online learning tools. However, teachers lack time to create high-quality educational videos themselves.

An edtech startup could develop a platform enabling teachers to easily build custom pedagogical videos based on lesson plans. Automated graphics, text overlays, animation, and audio recording could make video creation simple and intuitive.

Target customers include teachers, school districts, and creators of online courses seeking to boost production value and student engagement. Revenue could come from subscription plans.

Online Coding Camp Marketplace

Coding camps like General Assembly offer intensive training for developer jobs. An edtech startup could create a platform to compare coding bootcamp options, schedules, and student outcomes.

Learners could browse bootcamps, read alumni reviews, enroll directly, and access job search help. Camps could list open courses, highlight graduate hiring rates, and fill last-minute seats.

Target customers are prospective career-changers looking to learn coding skills. Revenue could come from bootcamp subscriber fees, commissions, and job placement partnerships.

AI College Advisor Chatbot

Chatbots are gaining popularity across industries, projected to generate $142 billion annually by 2025. An edtech startup could develop a personalized chatbot to advise students on college planning.

Integrating AI and natural language processing, the virtual assistant could have text or voice conversations about college research, applications, financial aid, and decisions. It could provide deadline reminders, essay brainstorming, and more based on individual student needs.

Target customers are high school students looking for on-demand college guidance and support during the admissions process. Monetization options include per-message pricing, subscriptions, or licensing to schools and districts.

Adaptive ESL Learning App

Over 44 million people in the US speak English as a second language. An edtech startup could build a mobile app using speech recognition and adaptive learning technology to help ESL students improve their pronunciation and conversational abilities.

The interactive speech training games could adjust difficulty levels automatically as learners progress. Personalized lesson plans could be generated covering vocabulary, grammar, idioms, and more. Progress tracking could capture vocabulary growth and areas for improvement.

Target customers include both local ESL learners and schools with international student populations. Revenue models could include direct consumer purchases, TOEFL/IELTS test prep packages, or bulk discounts for institution partners.

Remote School Culture Platform

Both hybrid and fully remote learning can impact student engagement and school culture. An edtech startup could create a platform to help virtual schools maintain an inclusive, connected environment.

Features could include live all-school assemblies, school clubs, messaging between students and teachers, campus announcements, interactive social walls, and virtual spirit events like rallies, talent shows, or dances.

Target customers are K-12 schools with hybrid or distance students seeking to build community remotely. The platform could charge per student seat license or annual school subscriptions.

Mental Health Lesson Plans

Student mental health issues are on the rise, intensified by the pandemic. However, most teachers feel ill-equipped to provide adequate support.

An edtech startup could partner with child psychologists, social workers, and counselors to develop K-12 mental health curriculum. Lessons could cover skills like managing anxiety, detecting depression, bullying prevention, healthy coping strategies, and more.

Target customers include school districts and health education companies seeking evidence-based resources. Revenue models could include licensing costs per school site or per student.

Microschool Management App

Microschooling and pods are gaining appeal as personalized learning options for families. Operating them can be challenging for parents and teachers.

An edtech startup could create an app to simplify the administration of micro-schools and home pods. Key features could automate attendance, scheduling, progress reports, permission forms, group messaging, and collecting pod family tuition payments.

Target customers are micro-school operators, from individual tutors to specialized local programs, looking to reduce administrative burdens. Revenue could come from annual access fees or per-student pricing.

Blockchain Credentials Platform

Blockchain technology offers the ability to create tamper-proof digital records and credentials. An edtech startup could build a platform for issuing and verifying educational certificates on a blockchain ledger.

Schools could award digital diplomas, badges for skills learned, and training certificates to students’ blockchain-secured e-wallets. Students could then share these verified credentials securely with employers or college admissions teams.

The target customers are high schools, colleges, training bootcamps, and certification providers seeking to reduce fraud. Revenue could come from transaction fees or volume-based subscription plans.

Teacher Development App

Ongoing skills development is key for teachers yet overlooked by many school districts. An edtech startup could create a mobile app to provide personalized micro-learning and mentorship for teachers.

The app could deliver short daily training activities focused on high-demand topics like classroom management, inclusive instruction, and hybrid teaching. Users could join support communities, book 1:1 coaching, try new strategies, and track growth.

Target customers are K-12 school districts looking to improve teacher training amid budget constraints. Revenue models could include district-wide licensing or individual teacher subscriptions.

International School Finder Platform

Relocating families often struggle to find the right international school abroad. An edtech startup could develop a search platform to help families evaluate and choose international schools worldwide.

Families could browse school profiles or take a needs assessment quiz to match with recommended schools. Comparisons of curriculum, programs, reviews, fees, and open seats could simplify school selection for global moves.

Target customers include relocating parents, expatriate assignment professionals, and global mobility teams. Revenue could come from subscriptions, advertising, or affiliate placements.

LMS Plug-ins Marketplace

Learning management systems (LMS) like Canvas by Instructure power online learning for schools and universities worldwide. However, their capabilities are limited out-of-the-box.

An edtech startup could build a marketplace for third-party LMS plug-ins that add new features like gamification, social learning, and multimedia integration. API hooks could make plug-in adoption turnkey for platforms like Canvas, Blackboard, and Moodle.

Target customers are LMS administrators in higher education looking to improve learner engagement on existing platforms vs costly rip-and-replace options. The startup could charge vendors a commission on each plug-in sale.

Interactive Coding Games for Kids

Coding helps build critical thinking, yet most schools don’t teach it until middle or high school. An edtech startup could develop fun iPad games for kids aged 4 to 9 to learn coding fundamentals like commands, sequences, loops, and conditionals.

The games could feature playful characters and progress through scaffolded levels as students advance. Analytics could provide parents with insights into coding progression.

Target customers include elementary schools and parents looking to introduce coding earlier through hands-on games vs screen-based instruction alone. Revenue could come from app purchases or in-game advertising.

Voice-Powered Flashcard App

Flashcards are a cornerstone learning technique, but paper flashcards can be tedious to create and organize. An edtech startup could build a mobile app that leverages voice AI to instantly generate digital flashcards.

Students could recite any vocabulary term or concept and the app would auto-generate a flashcard for practice and study. The flashcards could also include images, audio pronunciation, and definitions powered by machine learning algorithms.

Target customers are high school and college students seeking an easy way to study via flashcards on their phones. Revenue could come from a free version with premium subscriptions or features.

Micro-Learning Subscription for Employers

Micro-learning breaks training into short, focused bursts for better knowledge retention. An edtech startup could create a micro-learning video library for corporate soft skills development.

Topics could range from leadership and collaboration to empathy and digital literacy, each taught through 3-5 minute animated videos. Learners could take retention quizzes and earn professional development points or badges.

The target customers are corporate learning departments seeking bite-sized video content for employee training. Revenue could come from annual enterprise access fees.

AI Tutoring App

AI-driven learning apps are forecast to grow 47% annually through 2028. An edtech startup could develop an AI tutoring web or mobile app to offer personalized academic support to K-12 students.

Powered by natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, the virtual tutor could answer questions, explain concepts, identify knowledge gaps, and recommend learning activities tailored to each student.

Target customers include parents looking for affordable after-school tutoring and school districts lacking resources for personalized instruction. Revenue could come from monthly family or district-wide access subscriptions.

Coding Bootcamps for Professionals

With over 500,000 open computing jobs, demand for tech talent is high. An edtech startup could partner with employers to offer intensive, short-term coding bootcamps tailored to working professionals looking to transition careers.

The bootcamps could focus on high-demand skills like Python, JavaScript, cloud engineering, and data science. Online and in-person formats could be offered to maximize flexibility for working learners.

Target customers are B2B employers seeking talent pipelines in technical roles. Revenue could come from tuition fees paid directly by corporate partners.

Virtual Field Trips Platform

Field trips expand learning beyond the classroom but can be logistically difficult for schools to orchestrate. An edtech startup could create an immersive platform for virtual field trips.

Students could tour interactive 3D museum exhibits, journey through historical recreations of ancient sites, visit planets in VR spacecraft, dive along coral reefs, or shrink down to explore the human body. Related supplementary lessons could also be offered.

Target customers include K-12 schools, districts, and home education families looking to enhance instruction through virtual trips globally. Revenue could come from site licensing fees or discounted bulk purchases.

Digital Portfolios for Students

Tracking student work products over time is valuable yet challenging. An edtech startup could develop a platform for students to create shareable digital portfolios showcasing academic achievements and life experiences.

Students could compile their best assignments, projects, internships, community service, and extracurricular activities on both web and mobile formats. Integrations could auto-import work from Google Drive or Github.

The target customers include high schools and higher education institutions seeking to enable students to showcase holistic skills for colleges, scholarships, and employers. Revenue models could include free plans or premium subscriptions with additional features.

Parent Communication App

Regular school-to-home communication is linked to better student outcomes. However, managing parent notifications can be time-consuming for teachers and districts.

An edtech startup could create a simple app enabling schools and teachers to quickly share announcements, newsletters, calendar invites, and emergency alerts with parent communities. Parents could select preferred languages and communication channels.

Target customers are K-12 schools and districts aiming to streamline community engagement and outreach. Revenue could come from annual site licenses or per-user pricing.

Digital Lesson Subscription Service

Developing creative lesson plans is difficult for time-strapped teachers. An edtech startup could offer a digital lesson subscription service, with new complete lesson packages added weekly.

Lessons could come with student handouts, slide decks, learning objectives, discussion ideas, and diverse assessment options. All content could align to curriculum standards. Subject-specific packages could be offered.

Target customers are teachers and school districts seeking affordable, quality instructional content. Revenue could come from individual teacher memberships or bulk district pricing.

AR Math Game Apps

Gamification makes learning math more motivating and interactive. An edtech startup could publish special augmented reality math games for smartphones and tablets.

By overlaying 3D game elements on the real physical environment, students could go on virtual math quests throughout their homes and neighborhoods. Games could target skills from counting to calculus.

The target customers are parents and educators seeking to boost math comprehension and confidence through immersive AR experiences. Apps could be monetized through paid downloads, in-app purchases, and advertising.

Corporate Online University

Employee development programs are fragmented across most large companies. An edtech startup could partner with major corporations to launch branded online corporate universities.

These centralized learning hubs could offer a range of video courses, microlearning modules, virtual instructor-led training, mentoring programs, and certificate courses tailored to each company’s competency models and training needs.

Target customers are enterprise L&D leaders looking to consolidate and digitize training initiatives for global workforces. Revenue share models based on content production costs could be negotiated.

English Learning App via AI Avatars

Over 1 billion people globally are learning English, with the e-learning market size projected to reach $93 billion by 2028. An edtech startup could leverage conversational AI to create next-generation mobile apps for English learners worldwide.

The apps could feature AI avatars that act as virtual language partners for learners. Learners could practice conversational English via voice and text chats. Avatars could give corrections, explain concepts, and adapt to individual proficiency levels.

Target customers include both consumer language learners and institutions like test prep centers, universities, and international K-12 schools. Revenue models could include app downloads, subscriptions, or bulk licenses.

Related Posts

• 15 AI Startup Business Ideas to Launch in 2023
• 15 Billion Dollar Startup Ideas to Launch in 2023
• 15 Disruptive Foodtech Startup Ideas to Shake Up the Industry
• 15 Fintech Startup Ideas to Disrupt the Financial Industry
• Billion Dollar Startup Ideas for Non-Technical People

Those are 25 potential ed-tech startup ideas spanning products, services, and platforms for learners and educators globally. The education industry offers major opportunities to improve access, engagement, and outcomes through innovation.

With creativity and purposeful execution, these ideas could help transform learning experiences and unlock human potential. I aimed to cover a diverse mix of concepts to spark founders’ thinking. Let me know if you would like me to expand on any idea in more detail!

The post 25 Edtech Startup Ideas to Transform Education in 2023 appeared first on Tactyqal.