Estendio is a multi award winning Scottish tech startup that wants to create inclusive technology to allow users to unlock their potential. Present Pal was launched in 2018 as a solution to the communication challenges and anxiety Chris Hughes, the CEO and founder, was experiencing as a dyslexic university student. The Present Pal App works like a set of interactive flashcards that support you providing you with a new, improved and more accessible way to create presentation notes.
Around 93% of university students need to present as part of their university course, however this disproportionately impacts the 300,000 UK students with disabilities. The accessible flashcard app is now supporting over 5,000 students in around 100 colleges and universities across the UK. As the only accessible presentation support app that helps individuals create accessible notes that help with communication difficulties, the company has witnessed great success. Estendio was the first European company to receive an AI for accessibility award from Microsoft. The company also received a highly commended award for the Tech4Good accessibility award in 2020 recognising the accessibility of the app.
Looking forward, as a result of their rapid expansion, Estendio looks to create 15 further roles in marketing, software development and sales within Scotland in 2021 – doubling their headcount to more than 30 employees. The company will also look to enter into the North American higher education and school markets, as well as release more innovative EdTech products in the future.
- Gabriel and Scottish Investment Bank supported the business at the very beginning of the journey with an investment of £50k. This allowed the creation of early prototypes
- Production of management accounts for first 18-24 months
- Financial forecasting guidance
- Mentoring
- Governance
- Liaison with the board regularly
