Much of the discussion around AI and young people has focused on what career opportunities may exist in the future. But the technology is already changing education. These honorees have leveraged it to personalize preparation for standardized tests as well as help teachers generate compliant curricula and supporting educational materials.
Acely
For personalizing college entrance exam preparation
Many families pay about $1,000 for college entrance exam prep programs that offer one-size-fits-all instruction, with private tutoring stretching well beyond that. Acely seeks to flip that investment on its head with a personalized program starting at $49 per month that requires only about 20 minutes a day. While that still adds up, the service provides personalized, responsive instruction, not just a barrage of drills. In August, the company formed a partnership with the organization behind the ACT to co-market its prep platform nationwide.
Chalkie
For making AI a helpful teacher’s pet
The exceptional emotional intelligence needed to effectively connect with young minds likely leaves teaching relatively low on the list of jobs humans will soon cede to AI. Chalkie keeps the technology squarely in the toolset of human teachers by creating educational resources grounded in sound pedagogy, learning objectives, activities, assessment, and recap tasks, with a special emphasis on making lessons academically and structurally effective. It can also tailor curricula to national and state standards such as Common Core and even adapt lessons to meet IEP-mandated requirements. In March, the edtech startup raised a $4 million seed round. It also recently crossed the million-teacher mark in its user base.
ClassDojo
For helping to develop early reading skills
Education platform ClassDojo’s Dojo Sparks coaches young readers using specially tuned speech recognition, an adaptive science-driven curriculum, and a child-friendly design that integrates motivation and repetition. The company says that using it for 15 minutes a day in classrooms can take some children from pre-literacy to second-grade reading in six months or less. Beyond the classroom, ClassDojo has been expanding its online tutoring and school communications offerings. It recently shared that it is used by 45 million families and teachers worldwide.
The companies and individuals behind these technologies are among the honorees in Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech awards for 2026. Read more about the winners across all categories and the methodology behind the selection process.
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