We are excited to announce the 15 finalists named in the Enhancing Post-Secondary Learning track of the 2025 Tools Competition!
In this track, 290 teams sought to improve post-secondary learning outcomes and experiences, while advancing learning engineering as a whole.
Tools in this track will expand access to quality post-secondary learning in the United States and broaden learners’ connections to career success—addressing barriers to social and career mobility, particularly for underserved learners. We saw innovative proposals aimed at improving learning systems and educational environments, enhancing meaningful student support and engagement, assisting learners in navigating college and career decisions, and supporting post-secondary educators.
This track is run in partnership with Axim Collaborative and Calbright College.
Finalists at the Catalyst Prize Level ($50,000)
Catalyst prizes are for early stage ideas or products.
- ImmunoGenius | ImmunoStudio, Inc.
ImmunoGenius is a personalized, adaptive educational platform that empowers diverse adult learners to master immunology and enhance their understanding of biomedical science.
- ZenStudy | ZenStudy, LLC
ZenStudy empowers college students with research-backed strategies and personalized AI coaching to develop effective learning habits—achieving academic success with less stress.
Finalists at the Growth Prize Level ($150,000)
Growth prizes are for products with growing users and scale.
Advize helps students gain confidence and learn about careers effectively via short-form informational interview video content with alumni professionals and AI-recommended content playlists.
- Flourish: Building EQ for Career Success | Flourish App LLC
Flourish is a scientifically validated mobile app that enhances emotional intelligence and soft skills through personalized, gamified micro-learning to improve career readiness and workforce success.
- Lazuli | Learning Design Alliance
Lazuli is an AI co-designer to assist learning designers along the entire learning design path—from analyzing their learners to delivering high-quality educational experiences.
LivedX supports students and non-traditional learners to turn their real-world experiences into recognized credentials—unlocking pathways to higher education, career advancement, and a more inclusive workforce.
- My Learning Coach | Prenostik
My Learning Coach leverages AI-driven insights, chatbot nudges, and proactive in-person referrals to boost engagement, graduation rates, and equity in higher education.
- MyCoach AI: Empowering College Success at Scale | Beyond 12
MyCoach AI is a GenAI-powered success coach designed to help millions of first-generation college students thrive in college and beyond.
- Shimmy Herald | Shimmy
Herald by Shimmy is a multi-lingual mobile app that empowers underserved adult learners with adaptive, visual-based career exploration, job-matching, and micro-credentialing—bridging skill gaps while connecting users to dignified, sustainable livelihoods.
- STEPS: STEM Tutor for Effective Problem-Solving | Stanford University
STEPS combines a curated bank of real-world STEM problems with pedagogically-adapted large language models to help college students develop authentic problem-solving competencies.
- Sway: An AI-Scaffolded Student Chat Platform | Disagree Wisely
Sway is a new kind of chat platform that connects students with differing perspectives into one-on-one conversations and uses AI to facilitate better discussions between them.
Finalists at the Transform Prize Level ($300,000)
Transform prizes are for established platforms with 10,000 or more users.
- CourseWise | Equivalence Systems
Harnessing cutting-edge AI technology and higher education administration research, CourseWise aims to eliminate the frustration, friction, and uncertainty of credit transfer and empower institutions to best serve their students.
- Diagnostic Assessment and Achievement of College Skills (DAACS) | City University of New York
DAACS is a suite of technological and social supports—assessing students’ college preparedness and providing them with feedback and resources—to optimize student learning.
- MentorPRO: Integrating MentorAI to Improve Student Support | MentorPRO, LLC
MentorPRO bridges gaps in learner support services by scaling effective peer mentoring.
SWBL offers authentic and simulated projects—primarily for disadvantaged learners—to acquire and demonstrate durable skills, while featuring an AI-based authoring tool to allow employers to craft better projects more quickly.
See finalists for all tracks here.
The Tools Competition has three phases and multiple prize levels to help winners create or enhance their tools at all phases of development. As they enter the third and final phase, finalists will pitch their tool before a panel of judges who will nominate winners of the competition.
The Tools Competition has previously named 130 winners from 44 countries—projected to impact 131+ million learners worldwide, from early childhood to adulthood. Winners for all opportunities in the 2025 competition cycle will be announced in summer 2025.
The 2025 Tools Competition is a program of Renaissance Philanthropy and is supported by: Schmidt Futures, Griffin Catalyst, Walton Family Foundation, Axim Collaborative, Oak Foundation, and Calbright College.
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