Recap: Views from ASU+GSV on education innovation and technology

There is no bigger conference for the education technology and innovation community than the annual Arizona State University + Global Silicon Valley SummitFor attendees, it’s a chance to be seen and heard by people who want to change the world, whether pitching an education startup idea, raising funds, investing in education, or meeting and connecting with others to share ideas. 

Navitas joined an international delegation including six of our University Partners from Australia, the UK and the US. We participated in sessions and conversations along with 3,500 CEOs, entrepreneurs, educators, investors and industry leaders from around the world, all pushing for change in education. Notably, Navitas Ventures attracted significant interest after sharing the latest map of the global EdTech sector, Landscape 2.0.

Key themes we took away from the conference 

Click to explore the highlights below, or re-watch our panel discussion:

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Supporting education innovation

The sense during many conference discussions was that a lot of EdTech entrepreneurs are building solutions based on their own personal experiences, usually without a deep background in education. This can mean building solutions without really understanding the problem that needs solving, whether that be for the teacher or student. There has been progress here, with a new appreciation of the need to spend time with teachers and students in order to build something that will really help.

Education providers may not realise that they offer an attractive testbed for new technology. Conversely, investment companies don’t have the expertise to be able to meaningfully talk pedagogy with EdTech startups. Education organisations can build their own internal mechanisms to partner more often with startups. There was huge interest in our corporate venturing arm, Navitas Ventures, as a model for bridging the gap between investment and education providers. For institutions yet to start such startup mechanisms and incubators, companies like EduGrowth help to set up and connect incubation hubs.

For more insights, explore Landscape 2.0, add your startup to the map via the Global EdTech Census, and keep an eye out on Yammer for further updates from the summit. Stay tuned for the next ‘Big Picture’ webinar.

Meet the panel

John Wood CEO University Partnerships, Australasia
John has overall responsibility to lead and grow the operations of Navitas’ Australasian University Partnerships colleges and also oversees the relationships with Navitas’ partner universities.

Maria Spies GM, Learning and Teaching Services, Navitas
L&T Services drives and supports innovation across curriculum, teaching and the student experience. Maria also leads the digital learning futures portfolio for Navitas Ventures.

Tim Praill GM, Strategy & Transformation, Navitas
Tim leads Navitas’ global Strategy & Transformation supporting group strategy, corporate development and ventures projects.