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‘Start-up’ Adaptical makes it easier for teachers and improves student performance
Artificial intelligence (AI) now moves from routine tasks to classrooms, shaping how people learn, organize, and interact with technology. From voice assistants and smart devices to location services and personalized education, AI is becoming a familiar ally in schools. Adaptical stands at the intersection of this shift, turning sophisticated tech into practical classroom tools.
Adaptical emerged from the collaboration of three engineers who met at university with a clear mission: ease teachers’ workloads while tailoring learning content to meet the diverse needs of every student. The company began its journey in 2018, with formal formation in 2020 and a team that has grown to thirteen by 2021. The driving force behind the venture is a shared conviction: technology can reinvent education, but it must be guided by pedagogy and classroom realities. The founder-mentors describe education as a field where intelligent tools still have much room to grow, yet hold immense promise for uplifting daily teaching practice.
Tailored testing and assessment
The core team, led by system engineers from Catalonia, focuses on creating Mathew, a platform that generates customized quizzes aligned with theoretical content delivered by teachers. The system estimates that teachers spend about an hour and a half crafting each assessment; Mathew can produce personalized tests in under a minute. It also adapts quizzes to each learner using prior knowledge and a pedagogy readiness check. At present, pilots are running in mathematics, with ambitions to expand to other subjects as the platform scales.
It also supports newcomers in learning environments, aligning with the new educational framework LOMLOE, and developers are exploring tutoring improvements by predicting student performance. The company asserts strong predictive accuracy, claiming that it can anticipate class outcomes with a margin of error under one. This capability aims to identify needs early and tailor support accordingly.
Redefining the teacher’s role
Mathew is designed to complement, not replace, teachers. The aim is to streamline routine tasks so educators can focus more on instruction and mentoring. This philosophy reflects a broader trend where organizations regulate and integrate AI tools to support professional work while preserving human judgment at the center. For example, the debate around conversational AI, including widely used chatbots, centers on striking a balance between efficiency and reliability in educational contexts. While powerful, such tools must be applied with caution to avoid misinformation and to preserve the integrity of learning experiences.
Strategic backing and growth
The project has attracted early financial support, with an initial investment of €30,000, followed by a €170,000 round from eight angel investors, and a planned milestone of €1 million in funding. The accelerator Lanzadera, linked to the prominent business figure Juan Roig Mercadona, has expressed long-term interest and is set to play a mentoring and strategic role in 2022. The team notes that access to capital has improved as they demonstrated traction and progress, and they remain optimistic about ongoing funding avenues.
Current monetization is subscription-based, with pricing that varies from a basic option to a comprehensive center-wide plan. The basic license is described as enhancing daily teaching routines, while the advanced option is positioned to boost student outcomes through content adaptation and personalized learning paths. The company highlights that licensing models are designed to scale across schools and districts, with alignment to functional needs and implementation scope.
Financial outcomes show a solid year of activity, with 173,000 euros generated in 2022 and a forecast of reaching halfway to one million euros in the current year. The vendor portfolio includes licenses for publishers and corporate partners, and there are plans to launch a monthly option for teachers who prefer in-person engagement at a modest 8.99 euros. The estimating premise is that the tool can cut teacher prep time by up to 20 percent, enabling educators to reallocate time to direct student support and instructional design. profitability is projected by the end of 2025, supported by a growing client base that already includes several higher education institutions such as the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).
Plans to showcase the solution at industry events continue, with the upcoming EdTech Congress Education Technology trade fair scheduled for mid-April at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) campus. This event provides a platform to demonstrate how Mathew can accelerate lesson creation, personalize learning, and help teachers manage classrooms more efficiently while maintaining focus on outcomes and equity.