Brainspark Games is a multi-award winning EdTech gaming studio, developing free, culturally inclusive, AI-powered, Augmented Reality, educational mobile games aligned with the national curriculum, including climate education. The company is now pioneering neurogames technology, and building I/GCSE games, Brainspark Games can condense 12 weeks of term-time learning into a few hours of fun, fast gameplay.

This progress wouldn’t have been possible without Innovate UK’s support. Before that, Reedah El-Saie, Founder of Brainspark, invested her personal salary savings over three years to develop a prototype and test the demand for educational mobile games.

Reedah said: “I decided to apply for an Innovate UK grant because we had been declined by banks, and we were too early stage for investors. Securing the Audience of the Future grant was huge because we were able to build our very first climate game prototype.”

Innovate UK grant funding and wider ecosystem support

Brainspark has greatly benefitted from Innovate UK’s support.

“We’ve now been awarded seven Innovate UK grants, which has been absolutely mind-blowing. It’s been a real game changer for how Brainspark has grown and evolved. It’s really validated the concept.”

Among these grants, Brainspark Games received the Women in Innovation Award, which Reedah used to develop a Shakespeare-themed game designed to improve literacy through fun and immersive experiences. She also won the Inclusive Innovation Award, recognising Brainspark’s commitment to diverse characters and role models.

The biggest breakthrough came with the Investor Partnerships grant funding that enabled the business to secure angel investment matched by Innovate UK.

Reedah explained: “We secured a staggering £1.4 million in funding through leading UK games angels, matched by Innovate UK’s Investor Partnerships. This has been massive for us – it’s enabled us to grow our team, accelerate production, and focus on commercialisation.”

The support went beyond funding – Innovate UK’s wider ecosystem has played a crucial role in developing skills, connecting with other businesses, and creating new relationships.

Reedah said: “I think what’s unique about Innovate UK is the wider support system they have to offer. I’ve had doors open through various network opportunities and we’ve been supported by the Department for International Trade.

I really benefited from the mentorship through Innovate UK Business Growth, where there was an intense accelerator programme to get us investment ready and we were able to create a kind of wish list of introductions that we needed. The combination of all that support has been really incredible.”

The future

Brainspark’s vision is to reach every corner of the world, beginning with English-speaking regions, Europe, the US, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa—areas where demand is high but product offerings are limited. The company has already signed a Letter of Understanding with Pakistan’s Ministry of Education and is building on this partnership as it moves forward.

Reedah added: “We’re pioneering neurogames technology to ensure our games engage with every learner. It’s really important to recognise that up to a third of the population are neurodiverse and the education system is failing those children. We strongly hope and believe that our games will engage every type of learner.”