The third edition of NextEdu, the international acceleration program dedicated to startups in the Education Technology sector, officially kicks off, supported by Fondazione Sviluppo e Crescita CRT, an impact-oriented body of Fondazione CRT, and xEdu, a Finnish accelerator of EdTech startups, in collaboration with OGR Torino, hub of Fondazione CRT.

The protagonists will be ten startups, which have been selected through an international call: innovation and lifelong learning characterize the seven Italian companies and the three non-European ones, which in the four months of acceleration will be supported in the creation of transformative learning solutions, with a strong pedagogical impact, with a view to close connection with the local ecosystem. The spectrum of sectors touched is wide: from personalized language learning to upskilling through gamification, from the creation, through artificial intelligence, of individualized and accessible educational content, to post-graduate professional training.

The common goal is to create inclusive and effective learning environments, developing growth potential and enhancing transversal skills, both in school education and in informal education and professional upskilling/reskilling experiences. The thematic verticals on which it focuses include experiential and adaptive learning technologies, artificial intelligence applied to teaching, micro learning, blended learning, learning tools for neurodiversity and accessibility, as well as corporate training.

NextEdu 2025 involves mentors, investors and entrepreneurs from all over the world, while strengthening connections with the local ecosystem, through interaction with the OGR ecosystem with other acceleration programs and with the participation of startups in the network and initiatives related to innovation and education, from the Social Festival of Educational Communities to Turin Capital of Innovation, actively coming into contact with local actors, with a view to mutual exchange.

To underline the value of the impact generated by EdTech companies, the program was inaugurated by a day of work led by Prof. Pierluigi Sacco, Full Professor of Economic Policy, Senior Advisor at the OECD Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions, and Cities, Associate Researcher at metaLAB (at) Harvard.

The edition will end on February 11, 2026 with a Demo Day with international guests, in which startups will show the results of the course to an audience of potential investors with a particular vocation for Educational Technology.

The 10 selected companies

Boosted AI (Italy): Boosted AI is an innovative LMS platform that automates most of the manual tasks of teachers, while offering full support and access to students. It also provides clear performance analytics and data, suggesting personalized versions of content based on each individual’s specific educational needs.

Curans (Jordan): Curans is the first virtual patient simulator focused on the MENA region. It offers evidence-based clinical cases, an AI-based adaptive assessment system, and a facility that complies with accreditation requirements. The platform covers the entire clinical pathway, including medical history, physical examination, laboratory investigations, imaging, diagnosis, treatment and discharge.

Experta Business Solutions (Italy): the company develops “Xcamp – the Excel course that wasn’t there”, modular, free and online. An innovative digital training project that has already helped thousands of professionals and students to master Excel, following a course in a structured way through a playlist of 10 levels of theory on Youtube and a library of exercises, always available.

MemorAIz (Italy): offers a suite of integrable modules (summaries, quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, chat with tutors, audio guides, study plans, etc.) that can be inserted into existing platforms — such as LMSs, websites, apps, publishing platforms or museum applications. MemorAIz uses artificial intelligence, gamification and pedagogy to promote faster and more effective learning.

Minerva AI (Italy): Minerva offers teachers an easy-to-use platform that transforms, through artificial intelligence, tasks that would require hours of work in a matter of minutes. Teachers can generate personalized learning activities, curriculum-aligned paperwork, and interactive exercises for students.

Newsreel Media (United States): Newsreel is designed to deliver news in a radically different way — interactive, multimedia, and tailored to today’s attention spans. The app provides a daily interactive briefing and an ever-expanding library of timelines that explain how news evolves over time.

PRC Multimedia (Italy): PRC Multimedia develops the Fam@Academy app, for a digital approach to learning the Italian language, designed not only for native speakers, but also for foreigners or second-generation students attending Italian schools. The app contains listening, pronunciation and vocabulary exercises, quizzes for all levels and 1to1 and group challenges.

SecureQuest (United Kingdom): SecureQuest has developed Cyber Nemesis, a virtual reality platform designed to capture users’ attention and improve cyber resilience through experiential training. It is a state-of-the-art video game, which transforms cybersecurity training into an interactive experience.

SimpleRead (Brazil): SimpleRead transforms traditional reading into a fully adaptable, multisensory experience designed to maximize the comprehension of people with dyslexia, ADHD, and other specific learning needs. The platform is based on the SR method — an approach to reading that combines optimized text presentation, synchronized audio narration, and related images every few sentences.

VirtuaMentis (Italy): VirtuaMentis trains tomorrow’s psychologists with AI-driven hands-on experiences, through a digital platform that supports psychological training through interactive tools, simulations and practical content. Digital patients respond in real time to user interactions and interventions, offering an immersive and realistic experience comparable to a mental health “flight simulator”.

(Source: OGR Torino press release)