Building StudyStash as a Student Entrepreneur
Listen to Jonathan's full interview on the 9 to Thrive podcast
From University Halls to EdTech Innovation
Jonathan Graham, CTO and co-founder of StudyStash, shares his journey of building an ed-tech platform while studying computer science at the University of Birmingham. From a small coding project to a platform engaging over 5,000 students, discover how StudyStash is revolutionising higher education.
Students
students engaged across all five colleges at UoB
Average Usage
average usage per student
Student
computer science student building the future
The StudyStash Vision
StudyStash is an ed-tech platform that combines neuroscience and AI to revolutionise how students learn in higher education. It started as a small coding project when Ben and Jonathan were overwhelmed by the information at university. Initially, it was a tool to help them and their friends, but they soon realised it had the potential to be much more.
From Personal Tool to Business
The moment of inspiration came when Jonathan and Ben went to the wrong lecture room and decided to stay and start coding. It was in that moment they created the first version of StudyStash. They initially built it to help themselves manage learning better, but when they shared it with others, they realised it could be really useful for many students.
The University of Birmingham Pilot
Scaling Impact
The pilot has been incredibly exciting, engaging over 5,000 students across all five colleges at the university. Students are averaging more than two hours of usage, demonstrating strong engagement with the platform.
Additionally, they're running a research study alongside the pilot to measure the effectiveness of StudyStash compared to other learning tools. This research will be key as they expand to other institutions.
The Student Entrepreneur Journey
Building While Learning
Jonathan has always been interested in computer science and his parents have always said he was very independent and liked doing his own thing. He's always had a bit of something in him that made him want to start his own business.
The journey from a university coding project to a platform serving thousands of students demonstrates the power of student-led innovation and the importance of solving real problems you experience firsthand.
