Global EdTech Prize Top 10 Finalists on AI, Access & Impact

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And so the key thing is that we want them to show and not just tell. Our finalists, more often than not, are able to demonstrate rigorous trials, independent validation, peer-reviewed research, and pointing to actually improved learning outcomes. I'll give you an example. The winner of last year's prize, Reimagine Learning, went on to win the Audacious Prize of $100 million because they did this run where they also competed in the Global EdTech Prize, and they won. We're so proud of them. But they're able to do all that, and that's a good example to give you about a nonprofit using edtech to scale their impact.

[upbeat music] Welcome to EdTech Insiders, the top podcast covering the education technology industry. From funding rounds, to impact, to AI developments across early childhood, K12, higher ed, and work, you'll find it all here at EdTech Insiders. Remember to subscribe to the pod, check out our newsletter, and also our event calendar. And to go deeper, check out EdTech Insiders Plus, where you can get premium content, access to our WhatsApp channel, early access to events, and back-channel insights from Alex and Ben. Hope you enjoy today's pod. [upbeat music] We're here with one of our absolute favorite guests, a frequent guest on EdTech Insiders, who's been running the Global EdTech Prize. Uh, Vikas Pota is an entrepreneur and investor in education and digital businesses. He founded T4 Education, the Global EdTech Prize, and World's Best School Prizes. He's executive chairman of the Education Leaders Forum, founder of Initio Partners, and co-founder of Carter Fleet, a leading PR firm in education and technology. Vikas Pota, welcome back to EdTech Insiders.

Thank you so much for your kind introduction, Alex.

Oh, oh, I always enjoy speaking with you, and we get to do this on a frequent basis because the Global EdTech Prize has become a really meaningful prize in the space. So for those who still may not have heard about the Global EdTech Prize, give us the overview of it and as well as what the path has looked like. I think you're in your second year now, right?

That's right. I mean, we created this prize to scale impact. We wanna discover the greatest innovations wherever they can be found that are driving change and grappling with the most crucial challenges in today's classrooms. But the impact of innovation will always be limited if it exists in a vacuum, which we realize. That's the power of a prize. To surface these innovations and then give them a global platform that helps them attract investment, to scale, to get on the radar of policymakers and school leaders is what it's about. And what's really unique and what really gets our finalists in front of the intended audience is how it's judged. All of our 10 finalists across the three categories, so