Innovative Startups Will Compete in the 2018 Future of Education Technology Conference Pitchfest

The event presents an opportunity for educators, analysts, and investors to learn about trailblazing new technologies to transform education.

December 28, 2018

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.―The National Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) announced 12 promising education technology startups who will participate in the 2018 FETC Pitchfest, a competition allowing educators and a panel of judges to determine the hottest tools and resources coming to the EdTech market. Partnering with Arc Capital Development, FETC will identify and showcase the next generation of innovators, allowing these startups to share their cutting-edge products and services with a community of more than 10,000 professionals representing districts, schools, and classrooms. The FETC Pitchfest has developed a reputation for being the ideal opportunity for industry analysts and investors to discover innovative new companies, investigate participants’ product offerings, and engage directly with the founders and creators. It is the only event where participating companies represent the best-of-the-best startups nominated by industry accelerators.

“The FETC Pitchfest is exciting and important as it provides the opportunity to discover not only the many companies and technologies that are making a difference in education today, but also those that will propel us into the future of learning,” said Rebecca McKenna, VP of Global Events for LRP Conferences. “We are pleased to be partnering with Arc Capital Development for this year’s Pitchfest and we’re confident the participating startups will excite attendees and investors alike with their innovative solutions.”

Participating startups of the FETC Pitchfest will have five minutes to present and up to three minutes to answer questions from the judges. The unique panel of judges includes superintendents, administrators, and CIOs selected from a broad range of backgrounds in education and technology. The winner will be determined by the judges and audience polling.

“Arc Capital Development is excited for this opportunity to work alongside FETC to highlight some of the most innovative new companies in education technology,” said Rita Ferrandino and Kevin Custer, Founding Principals of Arc Capital Development. “These companies have developed technology that is cutting-edge and demonstrates a clear understanding of the needs of schools and districts. We look forward to seeing how each group performs in the FETC Pitchfest competition.”

FETC’s 38th annual event will take place January 23 – 26, 2018, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., and will feature more than 600 expert-led learning opportunities along with an Expo Hall that will have more than 400 exhibiting companies presenting solutions in 3D printing, robotics, assessment, software, and much more. Another important section of the Expo Hall will be the Startup Pavilion, where attendees can discover emerging companies, demo original products, and meet the entrepreneurs whose innovation is changing the marketplace. In combination with the Startup Pavilion, the Pitchfest demonstrates FETC’s commitment to recognizing and highlighting the best new solutions in education technology.

The preliminary round of the FETC Pitchfest will take place Wednesday, January 24, from 4:50- 6 p.m. in the FETC Expo Hall Booth #909. In the first round, competitors will have three minutes to pitch their product. The finals will take place Thursday, January 25 from 4-4:40 p.m. Companies will have five minutes to present and an additional three minutes to respond to judges’ questions. 2018 Participants are:

• 3DBear ― This Finland-based company provides a full classroom solution for teaching with the help of 3D printing, augmented reality, and virtual reality.
• 5 More Minutes Ltd ― This company, based in Finland, will present their TeacherGaming solution, which elevates learning by combining quality games, ready-made lesson plans, and learning analytics into one package to make game-based learning accessible to all.
• Agents of Discovery ― This Canadian company will present their educational platform and mobile game that uses the latest innovations in augmented reality and interactive learning to facilitate play, thinking, and problem-solving.
• CAPIT Learning ― This Los Angeles-based group will present CAPIT Reading, a teacher-led, language-agnostic, foundational reading curriculum for K-2 students and older struggling readers.
• CatchOn – This company, based in Hong Kong, has created an easy-to-read dashboard that streamlines data and presents powerful information to show the most-used apps or favorite apps, quickly.
• E4Effort ― This Minnesota-based startup will present their system that is used to increase student effort and motivation by measuring and reporting effort in four categories: Ready, Participation, On Task, and Behavior.
• FuzePlay ― This company, based in Utah, develops tech toys that close skills gaps by inspiring play around futuristic technologies.
• Learnmetrics ― The Chicago-based company has developed a fully customizable dashboard designed to help organizations turn learning data into a ‘GPS’ for their goals, operations and outcomes.
• Orange Neurosciences ― This AI-based tech company from Canada has developed an SaaS based cognitive platform, ReadON, a remediation designed to reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental accommodation in school and provide better outcomes for students with learning differences and Dyslexia.
• TippyTalk ― This Ireland-based company’s technology allows a person with a verbal disability to communicate by translating pictures into text messages, which are then sent to a family member or caregiver’s phone.
• Weird Enough Productions ― This Georgia-based company combines education on media literacy with original content to provide a full service solution to media misrepresentation.
• Wibbu ― This company, based in the United Kingdom, creates digital resources for schools, including the new language learning video game, Ruby Rei, which uses the latest techniques in game-based learning to improve engagement levels, test scores and English language learner integration.

Registration is open for the 2018 Future of Education Technology Conference. For additional information and to register, visit fetc.org/register or call toll-free 1-800-727-1227. Learn more about the FETC Expo, including the Startup Pavilion, Pitchfest, and exhibiting companies at www.fetc.org/expo.

About the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC)

The Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) annually attracts thousands of education and technology leaders from around the world. Delivering strategies and best practices for student success and schoolwide advancement, FETC is known as one of the nation’s premier education technology events. Recognized for its outstanding program year after year, FETC provides CTOs, CIOs, Innovation Directors, Special Ed/Pupil Services Directors, Early Childhood Directors, Media Specialists, Technologists, Administrators and other Educators, the opportunity to explore the most effective integration of technology across the curriculum — from PK-12 — through premium sessions, intensive workshops, various concurrent sessions, live demonstrations of several hundred hardware and software products, plus much more.

About LRP Conferences

LLC LRP Conferences, LLC, an affiliate of LRP Publications, produces more than a dozen professional conferences and trade shows annually including: Campus Technology Conference, Ergonomics Conference & ErgoExpo, Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC), Recruiting Trends Conference, Talent Acquisition Tech Conference, and Women Leaders in Education Conference.

About LRP Publications

LRP Publications, founded in 1977 by Kenneth Kahn, is a broad-based media company serving business and education professionals. Specializing in the fields of education administration, education law, education technology, federal employment, human resources, workers’ compensation and disability, the company publishes hundreds of books, pamphlets, newsletters, videos and online resources on various topics including Title 1 and Special Education. Additionally, LRP publishes two industry-leading magazines: Human Resources Executive® and Risk & Insurance®, plus delivers top-quality training and professional development with eLearning, conferences and tradeshows including: HR Technology Conference & Exposition®, National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Individuals with Disabilities®, National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference® & Expo and dozens more. For a complete list of LRP products, eCourses and conferences, please visit www.lrp.com.

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