The Tools Competition is pleased to announce the seven winners selected from over 350 submissions in the Building Pathways to Postsecondary Success track!
The track focused on solutions that advance postsecondary learning and workforce development outcomes by expanding access to opportunity, increasing social mobility, strengthening institutional systems, and providing better support for learners and workers.
This track was run in partnership with Axim Collaborative.
This year’s winning tools improve learner success by enhancing engagement, inclusivity, and access to ongoing skill-building and support across education and career pathways.
Winners of the Building Pathways to Postsecondary Success Track
Catalyst Level – $50,000 prizes for early-stage tools
- ARISE Cyber Labs | George Mason University
ARISE Cyber Labs is a browser-based augmented reality platform that turns abstract IT and cybersecurity concepts into hands-on labs students can run on any device. - Quality Talk Amplified Online | Arizona State University
Quality Talk Amplified Online (QTAO) is an AI-powered approach to classroom discussion designed to help postsecondary students in online classes engage in more productive small-group discussions.
Growth Level – $150,000 for products with some users and scale
- Evidence-Based Career Mentorship | Mentor Spaces
Evidence-Based Career Mentorship is a platform that turns workplace volunteering into structured, behavioral-science-backed mentorship — and measures whether it changes students’ career outcomes.
- SkillFlix for AYA + SocialWise | dfusion, Inc
SkillFlix AYA + SocialWise is an AI-enhanced conversation agent integrated into a patented, RCT-tested Microskills® video library that gives autistic young adults a personalized, neuro-affirming space to learn, practice, and build the social-emotional skills they need to thrive in college and beyond.
- Spark | University of California, Irvine
Spark is a student-centered, mobile-first web application combining rich student data, Canvas data, and UCI student support resources into a secure, personalized dashboard aimed squarely at helping students succeed in their desired academic pathways.
Transform Level – $300,000 for established platforms with 10,000 or more users
- JAX Biomedical Pathways | The Jackson Laboratory
JAX Biomedical Pathways delivers equitable, scalable workforce readiness training through online, career-connected learning and community college partnerships, lowering barriers for learners while building stackable skills in biology and AI. - Navvy | Student Basic Needs Coalition
Navvy is a student-centered peer navigation platform that helps college students identify, apply for, and receive public benefits and basic needs resources.
Learn more about the winners in all tracks here.
“The Tools Competition is unique in that it focuses the attention of technology innovators on the broad-access sector, which is where students are likely to benefit most,” says Philipp Schmidt, Vice President of Technology Innovation at Axim Collaborative. “Every year, I am inspired by the ingenuity of the solutions being proposed, using research, evidence, and technology to tackle some of the most important but non-obvious challenges in education today.”
The Tools Competition is open to teams with tools at all stages of development and is run over three phases with support for teams to refine their ideas. Finalists pitched their tools before a panel of judges. View judges in this track here.
To date, the Tools Competition has named 171 winners from 53 countries over six cycles, who are currently reaching over 51 million learners and educators.
The Tools Competition is a program of Renaissance Philanthropy, organized by The Learning Agency, and made possible through the generous support of the Walton Family Foundation, Griffin Catalyst, Axim Collaborative, Oak Foundation, Cinelli Family Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Join our mailing list to receive updates on the next competition cycle—launching in September 2026!
