Taunton-based education technology company Schools BI has secured a £150,000 loan from the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund, via appointed fund manager The FSE Group, to support its continued growth and product development.
Schools BI provides data analytics solutions to schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), enabling them to turn fragmented data into actionable insights. With a user base of around 300 schools across 40 Trusts, alongside 30 independent schools and 35 international institutions spanning the Middle East, UAE and US, Schools BI is fast becoming a key player in the EdTech space.
The bespoke Schools BI platform integrates with existing education systems to collate and visualise data from across areas such as student performance, attendance, behaviour, HR, enrolment trends and financials. It enables senior leadership teams and operational staff to make smarter, faster, and more strategic decisions all from a single dashboard.
The funding from The FSE Group will allow Schools BI to invest in software development, platform enhancements, and the recruitment of additional staff to meet growing demand, both in the UK and internationally.
Rhys Gwillym, Founder and CEO of Schools BI, said: “This funding comes at a crucial time as we continue to scale and evolve our platform. Our mission has always been to improve outcomes by equipping school leaders with intelligent, accessible insights. With demand growing across the UK and internationally, particularly in the English-speaking education market, we are excited to expand our team and accelerate our development roadmap.”
With senior members of the management team having worked as teachers or school leaders, Schools BI has built a reputation for understanding the nuanced challenges of school data management a key USP that continues to fuel its word-of-mouth growth and client retention.
Amanda Sheppard, Investment Manager at The FSE Group, commented: “Schools BI has developed a solution that addresses a real and growing need within the education sector both in the UK and internationally. Rhys and his team bring not only strong technical capability but also deep sector knowledge, which is reflected in their product and their client relationships. We’re delighted to support their growth and look forward to seeing their continued success in the global EdTech market.”
Paul Jones from the British Business Bank said: "Schools BI is a good example of how South West businesses are using data and technology to make a real difference in their sectors. This isn’t just clever tech, it is technology built by people who know education. That combination of insight and innovation is helping them scale with confidence and we're delighted that our South West Investment Fund Fund is supporting their growth."
With the global English-language international school market growing by 7% year-on-year, Schools BI says it isis well-positioned to scale its reach and offer measurable value to more educational institutions worldwide.
The purpose of the South West Investment Fund is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West. It offers a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million.
The fund is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for South West smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.