Sumdog is an adaptive learning service that uses ‘gamified learning’ to improve students’ results in Maths and English. The company’s platform is aligned to key UK and US education curricula.

Impact Objective: Improve educational outcomes for children and young people.

Using game design and game elements, as well as an online multiplayer gaming function, Sumdog motivates and engages students to learn. Its algorithms adapt to each individual’s needs to decide which question to deliver. Sumdog is currently used in 26% of all UK primary schools, 22% of all US elementary schools and last year actively engaged a total of 3 million children in the UK and the US.

Andrew Hall, chief executive of Sumdog, said: “As a high-impact company, our core mission is to close the educational attainment gap by helping all children reach their full potential. By capturing children’s imagination, Sumdog wants to become a world leader in online learning, starting with maths and English but ultimately covering a much broader range of subjects.”

Ishaan Chilkoti, at Nesta Impact Investments, said: “We believe Sumdog has developed a proven platform for online learning. They have shown a clear commitment to achieving social impact and are already reaching large numbers of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, both here in the UK and in the US.”