The education technology sector got a fresh boost this December as eleven ambitious founders completed Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center‘s flagship Milestone Makers program.
The Fall 2025 cohort marks a special focus on educational technology at a time when the global EdTech market is experiencing explosive growth. Industry data shows the sector is expected to increase by $170.8 billion through 2029, with AI-driven education platforms leading the charge at a projected 38.3% annual growth rate.
AI in Educational Innovation
Several founders in this cohort are betting big on artificial intelligence to solve persistent education challenges. BrightMatch.ai, led by Jay Veal, has developed an AI system that assesses students’ learning styles and matches them with ideal tutors, achieving a remarkable 95% success rate in student outcomes.
Meanwhile, Farihan Rahman’s InveStar is tackling financial literacy through AI-powered coaching. The Bangladesh-based startup offers 24/7 access to personalized financial guidance, targeting young people and the unbanked population who lack traditional access to wealth-building knowledge.
Solving Global Education Access Problems
The cohort addresses education barriers spanning multiple continents. In Nigeria, where over 1.5 million students fail to secure university admission annually, Fiyinfoluwa Enis built Kollegescout, a marketplace that connects students with universities directly, streamlining the admission process.
Dr. Kenechukwu Ikebuaku’s Mozisha takes a different approach, focusing on workforce development across Africa. The platform equips young professionals with AI-aligned skills through immersive training and connects them with global employment opportunities.
Ruby Igwe from ALX Nigeria is exploring three new revenue streams to expand their tech training programs, which have already impacted hundreds of thousands of young Africans pursuing careers in technology.
Financial Education Gets a Digital Makeover
Two founders are specifically targeting financial literacy gaps. Kerry Ao’s Intertwined has partnered with over 140 K-12 districts and universities nationwide, using AI-powered curriculum and gamified simulations to make financial concepts accessible to students.
Karina Lázaro Suárez developed Freenanzas, an AI financial advisor that creates personalized learning paths based on individual financial situations and risk profiles. The platform combines diagnosis, education, and continuous guidance, moving beyond generic courses to practical, actionable learning experiences.
Gamification Transforms Traditional Learning
Several platforms are using game mechanics to boost student engagement. Edna Martinson’s Boddle Learning has attracted over 7 million sign-ups with its K-6 gamified approach to math, English, and science. Students explore immersive 3D worlds while mastering core skills, proving that learning can be both rigorous and entertaining.
Seun Phillips’ STEMNETICS takes hands-on learning to the next level, challenging students to build rockets, cars, bridges, and robots while connecting their projects to real-world STEM careers.
Expanding Beyond Academic Subjects
The cohort also includes founders addressing social-emotional learning and community development. Morayo Ojikutu’s FLOW integrates social-emotional learning and positive psychology into African classrooms, making emotional intelligence and resilience practical and playful for young learners.
Mayra Lazaro’s COMUHACK uses adaptive algorithms to detect individual learning gaps and design customized training experiences that address each learner’s specific needs.
The Nasdaq Advantage
Unlike traditional accelerators, Milestone Makers provides free personalized coaching, executive mentorship, and tailored resources to help founders achieve specific growth milestones. The program doesn’t take equity, instead focusing on helping entrepreneurs overcome particular business challenges blocking their progress.
Each founder worked on distinct milestones during the 12-week program. Martinson focused on organizational structure to support growth, while Rahman developed tactical marketing strategies. Phillips worked on maximizing partnerships in existing markets, and Ao validated corporate sponsorship strategies for recurring revenue.
This individualized approach reflects the program’s understanding that early-stage companies face unique challenges requiring customized solutions rather than one-size-fits-all advice.
What Sets These Founders Apart
The Fall 2025 cohort represents a shift toward mission-driven entrepreneurship in education. Each founder identified specific gaps in their local or global education systems and built targeted solutions rather than generic platforms.
Their diverse geographic representation, spanning Nigeria, Bangladesh, Peru, South Africa, and the United States, reflects universal challenges, while highlighting the need for locally relevant solutions.
The cohort also demonstrates how AI and gamification are becoming standard tools rather than novelties in education technology. These founders aren’t just adding AI features to existing products; they’re building platforms where artificial intelligence fundamentally improves learning outcomes.
Corporate Partnerships Drive Scale
Major corporations are backing the Milestone Makers program, including Nasdaq, Wells Fargo, KPMG US, JPMorgan Chase, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. This corporate support provides founders access to enterprise partnerships and potential customers beyond traditional venture capital networks.
For EdTech startups, corporate partnerships often prove more valuable than funding alone. Educational institutions prefer working with technology companies that have established track records and enterprise-grade security, credibility that comes easier with major corporate backing.
The Road Ahead for EdTech Innovation
As these eleven founders graduate and scale their platforms, they’re entering a competitive but expanding market. Success will depend on their ability to demonstrate clear learning outcomes, build sustainable revenue models, and navigate complex educational institution sales cycles.
The Winter 2026 Milestone Makers cohort will focus on CleanTech innovation, showing how the program adapts to support different sectors driving societal impact. This rotation keeps the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center at the forefront of emerging technology trends while maintaining its mission to support mission-driven entrepreneurs.
For the education sector, this cohort represents hope that technology can finally deliver on its promise to make learning more accessible, engaging, and effective for learners worldwide. With AI-powered personalization, gamified engagement, and global connectivity, these platforms could reshape how future generations acquire knowledge and skills.
Which platforms will prove they can deliver measurable impact at scale while building sustainable businesses? This cohort of Milestone Makers graduates appears well-positioned to answer that challenge.
