Aussie EduTech founders place more importance on diversity than other startups

A notable trend in the Australian EduTech space right now is an acute awareness around the need to proactively support particular niche groups in order to create a more inclusive society in the long-term.

Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that it also happens to be one of the segments within the Australian startup ecosystem with the most gender and racially diverse group of founders? The vast majority are focused on providing services related to STEM and Entrepreneurial education. That makes sense, it is part of the national agenda.

Those edutech startups focused on STEM are overwhelmingly focused on outreach regarding Women and Indigenous Australians in tech. This is displayed in a number of ways, like bespoke tutorials, events, meetups and scholarships, to name a handful.

Edutech startups playing in the entrepreneurial or business vertical instead focus on outreach to segments of the community that do not get the same upskill opportunities as the bulk of society, such as individuals with disabilities and low income earners, of which a large portion are youth between 16 and 24 years of age.