StudyStash Co-Founder Jonathan Graham shares insights on the 9 to Thrive Podcast

Can you introduce yourself and share what StudyStash is about?

"Thanks, Nicola. I'm Jonathan, the CTO and co-founder of StudyStash. I'm in my fourth year at the University of Birmingham, studying computer science. 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 I were overwhelmed by the information at university. Initially, it was a tool to help us and our friends, but we soon realised it had the potential to be much more. We thought, 'Wow, this could actually be a business.'"

What was the moment of inspiration behind starting StudyStash?

"I've always been interested in computer science and my parents have always said I was very independent and liked doing my own thing. I’ve always had a bit of something in me that made me want to start my own business. Ben and I started StudyStash by coding together as friends. One day, we went to the wrong lecture room and decided to stay and start coding. It was in that moment we created the first version of StudyStash. We initially built it to help ourselves manage learning better, but when we shared it with others, we realised it could be really useful for many students."

Can you tell us about the pilot program with the University of Birmingham?

"The pilot has been incredibly exciting. It’s engaging over 5,000 students across all five colleges at the university. We've seen strong engagement, with students averaging more than two hours of usage. Additionally, we'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 we expand to other institutions."