Cambridge-based edtech company, Summatic, is redefining how students learn and teachers assess with its AI-powered platform for interactive learning and quantitative testing. With tailored business growth support from Innovate UK, the company has secured more than £100,000 in funding, increased its revenue fivefold and created five new jobs. It has also expanded its pilot contracts and product line, and signed significant international deals with high-profile educational institutions, including the National University of Singapore, the University of Notre Dame and Formula 1 Schools Thailand.
With a founding mission to improve access to high-quality STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, Summatic enables schools, colleges and universities to deliver advanced assessments with instant feedback, while significantly reducing marking and administrative time for educators.
Daniel Appleby, Chief Operating Officer at Summatic, says: “We are using technology to deliver more equitable learning outcomes for students, while alleviating the marking and admin burden faced by teachers. Our platform helps institutions deliver quality, reliable assessment at scale, providing students with instant feedback, unlimited practice and quicker learning loops.”
Funding support fuels commercial growth
Summatic began working with Innovate UK Business Growth in November 2021, following a referral from the CPCA Growth Hub – the business support arm of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which helps local businesses access funding, expertise and growth support. After an initial needs assessment, Innovation and Growth Specialist, Tom Graver, developed a tailored action plan with the company focused on securing funding, strengthening investment readiness and exploring new markets.
With Tom’s guidance, the company successfully applied to several innovation funding support initiatives. It secured £100,000 in publicly funded grants, including a £13,600 Innovate UK Young Innovators Award (2022–2023), a £50,000 Innovate UK grant (2023) and a £50,000 Contracts for Innovation award from the Department for Education (2024) to support the delivery of AI-driven tools in UK schools.
To support investor engagement, Summatic also accessed Innovate UK Business Growth’s Invest-Ability Intensive Training. This helped the team sharpen its pitch deck, clarify its valuation strategy and practice investor presentations.
Daniel explains: “The pitch support from Innovate UK Business Growth helped us present our business case more effectively to investors. It also helped us understand how to frame our commercial story around both educational outcomes and business growth.”
Innovation development enhances user experience and retention
As Summatic transitioned from early pilots to full-scale delivery, Tom provided innovation management support to help the team apply key learnings. This led to the successful expansion of a pilot contract with the University of Salford, which grew from 90 to 300 students. The company has since reported zero client churn across all pilot customers.
To improve the product experience and platform usability, Summatic was referred to Innovate UK Business Growth’s Design for Growth initiative. This provided expert input on user journey optimisation and interface design, resulting in a streamlined product and enhanced digital presence.
Summatic has also launched a new direct-to-consumer version of its platform, enabling individual learners to access high-quality STEM support beyond the classroom.
Daniel adds: “Securing Innovate UK Business Growth support has allowed us to transition from an early-stage prototype to a fully commercialised company operating across multiple countries. We’ve been able to develop both our technology and our delivery model to meet the needs of institutions and individual learners alike.”
Internationalisation driven by strategic support
International growth was a key priority in Summatic’s action plan. Working with Tom, the company joined Innovate UK’s Global Explorers, enabling it to explore market opportunities on the East and West coasts of the US.
Further support came through a referral to the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), leading to introductions with in-country DBT teams and participation in a Southeast Asia trade mission.
As a result, Summatic has secured significant new international contracts. These include the delivery of the National Independent School Alliance’s (NISA) NAAT (National Analytical Aptitude Test) exam across India and a deal with Formula 1 Schools Thailand to deliver their learning programme with STEM content through the Summatic platform. The platform has also been adopted by leading institutions including National University of Singapore, Cambridge Judge Business School, the University of Notre Dame and the London School of Economics.
Daniel concludes: “Global Explorers gave us a clearer understanding of how to approach new markets and connect with international stakeholders. It made a big difference in how we position our offer globally, highlighting the scalability of our platform and building credibility with overseas partners.”
AI-powered learning with global and societal impact
Since working with Innovate UK Business Growth, Summatic has increased its revenue fivefold, created five new jobs and expanded its presence in both domestic and international markets.
Its AI-powered platform is directly improving educational productivity by reducing admin time for teachers and offering more personalised learning pathways for students. With new contracts across the UK, US, India and Southeast Asia, the company is continuing to scale its commercial and social impact – supporting better outcomes in classrooms worldwide.
Securing Innovate UK Business Growth support has allowed us to transition from an early-stage prototype to a fully commercialised company operating across multiple countries.
– Chief Operating Officer at Summatic