Jan 24, 2025
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On International Day of Education, we’re highlighting startups that are part of our Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Education program.

Yuval Passov
Head of Google for Startups,, Emerging Markets, Google
AI can never replace the expertise, knowledge or creativity of an educator — but it can be a valuable tool to enhance and enrich teaching and learning experiences and outcomes around the world. The Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Education program provides mentorship, resources and Google technology to startups using AI to create personalized, accessible and engaging learning experiences for teachers and students.
This International Day of Education, meet members of the current Growth Academy cohort from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa using Google AI to improve educational outcomes and build solutions:
“Google`s commitment to accessibility and inclusion in the AI space continues to push boundaries. Their LearnLM and sign language models enable us to empower learners and sign language educators with world-class tools.” - Endre Olsvik Elvestad, CEO, SignLab
SignLab —Oslo, Norway
It’s estimated that more than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents, but only 20% of families with deaf children regularly use sign language at home—often due to lack of affordable sign language education. SignLab is developing a digital learning platform to make learning sign language more accessible and cost-effective for all. With online and offline access, and the ability to complement classroom learning, SignLab's platform uses integrated videos to teach hand shapes, body language, and spatial representation. Powered by artificial intelligence, including LearnLM and Google’s Isolated Sign Language Recognition, the SignLab platform now boasts over 3 million users worldwide and 10 million signs taught.
“All of the proven learning methods like handwriting and group reading mostly disappeared throughout COVID, so the idea behind Jotit was to take all those simple things and bring them into the 21st century.” - David Bleicher, CEO, Jotit
Jotit — Tel Aviv, Israel
In a world increasingly dominated by screens, handwriting remains crucial for comprehension, knowledge retention, and creativity. Jotit cofounders David Bleicher, Yuval Chomski and Dr. Aric Katz are bringing "digital-paper" to classrooms, empowering both students and teachers to enjoy the benefits of digital and analog methods. Built on Google Cloud Platform and Vertex AI, the Jotit platform offers tools such as advanced handwriting recognition, real-time collaboration tools, and customizable workflows for K-12 students across the U.S. and Israel. With a recent $10 million seed round led by Owl Ventures, Jotit plans to expand into new markets, hire more staff, and further develop their artificial intelligence-driven technology to simplify learning for students.