25 June 2025
HedgeHog Financial Wellness has been announced as overall winner of this year’s coveted AWS EdTech Accelerator, run by The Learnovate Centre in Trinity College Dublin, with the support of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Ten EdTech startups were selected to join the eight-week programme, and received support and mentoring on building a digital solution to address a learning need or problem.
All participants presented their solutions to Learnovate, AWS, and industry judges at the final ‘Pitch Day’ showcase which took place on June 17th at the AWS Offices in Dublin.
HedgeHog Financial Wellness was announced as overall winner and will receive $100,000 USD of AWS cloud credits.
Judges said HedgeHog stood out for its innovative, evidence-based approach to a critical global issue: the spread of financial disinformation among young people.
Through its interactive, guilt-free financial wellness workshops, HedgeHog empowers students with the real-world financial skills they need to thrive. HedgeHog is building a strong foundation for financial literacy that is inclusive, practical, and scalable.
The judges praised the startup for its clear global relevance, thoughtful pedagogy, and potential to create lasting societal impact by equipping the next generation with the confidence and tools to make informed decisions in an increasingly chaotic financial world.
The other nine companies who were successful in making it onto the accelerator programme were: Future Learning, Rocket Learning Rewards, Mantra Strategy, Anytime Creativity, IntegrityIQ, Cobblestone Learning, iAir Academy, ScenarioWorx and WorkJuggle.
This is the second year of the successful AWS EdTech Accelerator run by The Learnovate Centre, a leading global future of work and learning research hub, and AWS. Last year’s winner was ALPACA, which developed a game-based tool that identified potential reading issues in children earlier.
Entry was open to early-stage startups that are developing digital solutions to problems related to education and who want to accelerate growth and scale operations.
The companies also received seven full-day workshops led by experts in learning, business and technology.
Learnovate Director Nessa McEniff said:
“We are delighted to announce HedgeHog Financial Wellness as the winner of this year’s AWS EdTech Accelerator. The programme attracted exceptional startups with innovative ideas in the learning space, reflecting the vibrant EdTech community in Ireland. With this Accelerator, Learnovate continues to provide expertise and support to the growing and vibrant community of EdTech startups in Ireland.”
Learnovate Commercialisation Manager Tom Pollock said:
“It’s been exciting to see such a strong cohort of Irish EdTech companies engaging with cutting-edge research and innovation. We’re proud to support the commercialisation of impactful learning technologies through initiatives like the AWS EdTech Accelerator. This programme exemplifies how academic expertise, industry partnership, and entrepreneurial ambition can come together to develop solutions that address real educational challenges.”
Stephen Bonney, EdTech Account Manager, at AWS said:
”The AWS EdTech Accelerator is an intensive programme designed to accelerate Ireland’s most promising education technology startups. By combining AWS’s cloud expertise with specialised EdTech mentoring, we’re helping Irish founders build scalable solutions that transform learning.”
Judge Andreea Wade, General Partner at Delta Partners, said:
“It was a pleasure to join the judging panel for the Learnovate and AWS EdTech Accelerator. Congrats to all the teams – the ambition and clarity of thinking were inspiring. What set HedgeHog Financial Wellness apart was its goal of tackling a globally relevant issue with precision and purpose.
“The startup’s solution is grounded in strong evidence, targets a clearly-defined global market, and, most importantly, confronts the rising threat of financial disinformation. In an age where young people are increasingly exposed to misleading content without the tools to critically assess it, its work is not just timely, it’s essential.”
Caitlin Hafer Co-Founder of HedgeHog Financial Wellness said:
“Winning the AWS EdTech Accelerator is an incredible milestone for HedgeHog. The $100,000 USD in AWS cloud computing credits is a game-changer – giving us the tools to grow faster and smarter. More than that, it’s a huge vote of confidence in what we’re building at HedgeHog. It’s a powerful validation of our mission to make financial wellness education accessible, practical, and free from guilt and confusion. Young people today face a flood of misinformation about money online. We’re here to give them the clarity, confidence, and real-world tools they need to navigate it. This win means we can keep doing that work, on a bigger scale, and help more students feel capable and in control of their futures.”
Pictured (l-r) at the 2025 AWS EdTech Accelerator ‘Pitch Day’ were Tom Pollock, Learnovate; winner Caitlin Hafer, HedgeHog Financial Wellness; and Stephen Bonney and Samir Kumar, AWS. HedgeHog Financial Wellness won $100,000 USD worth of AWS credits to help scale the startup’s innovative approach to financial wellness education for students. The AWS EdTech Accelerator is organised by the Learnovate Centre at Trinity College Dublin and sponsored by AWS.
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