Ben Ward, 23, and Jonathan Graham, 24, sold their AI-powered study platform, StudyStash, to EdTech company Kortext for an eight-figure sum just a year after graduating from the University of Birmingham. The founders created the platform to transform their own course notes into adaptive study materials using neuroscience principles. Their journey began while studying computer science at the University of Birmingham, where they also worked together on PwC’s technology degree apprenticeship before launching StudyStash as a side project.
The Platform’s Growth and Reach
StudyStash integrates with major learning management systems like Canvas, Blackboard, and Moodle, generating personalized flashcards, practice tests, and podcasts that adjust as students learn. The platform now serves tens of thousands of students across 160+ institutions in the UK, Europe, US, and Africa, including California State University, Minnesota State, and Colorado State. Beyond these institutions, StudyStash has expanded to schools and colleges across England, partnering with St. Mary’s University, Loughborough University, and City St George’s as early adopters.
Partnerships extend to California’s 2.2-million-student community college system and Finland’s University of Oulu. At one Washington state university, StudyStash users had zero drop-out rates compared to 16% among non-users. The platform also works with EAB, a consultancy serving 2,800+ institutions, and counts UCL, Imperial College London, and the University of Oxford advisors among its ranks. Additionally, StudyStash has supported the training of 1,000 surgeons across 15 African countries through its partnership with the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, demonstrating its global impact in medical education.
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Founders’ Background and Vision
Graham highlighted institutional trust as key to growth: “Universities set a high bar, and we built StudyStash to meet it from day one. That’s been central to how quickly we’ve grown: combining the speed of a startup with the standards institutions expect of an established partner.” He further noted their progress: “Since launch, we’ve raised equity finance, scaled to 160+ institutions on three continents, broken into the US market and now been acquired by one of the largest e-learning providers in the field.”
Acquisition and Future Plans
Kortext, founded in 2013 and working with thousands of universities globally, will keep StudyStash as a distinct brand. Ward and Graham will continue as CEO and CTO, relocating to Silicon Valley. The acquisition provides StudyStash access to Kortext’s reach while maintaining its identity. Ward reflected on their journey: “We had so much traction that it was an easy decision to turn this into our first venture, and StudyStash was born.” He added, “We’ve proven we can build, sell and scale and now Kortext gives us the reach to drive StudyStash to reach its full potential.” The platform’s initial success with the University of Birmingham’s incubator programme, Raise, paved the way for expansion into diverse educational markets.