StudyStash sold to Kortext after reaching 160 institutions

Two University of Birmingham computer science graduates have sold StudyStash, the AI study platform they built as students, to edtech company Kortext. The StudyStash acquisition was announced on 2 October 2026, a year after co-founders Ben Ward, 23, and Jonathan Graham, 24, graduated. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

From Birmingham coursework to the StudyStash acquisition

The platform began as a way for the pair to turn their own course notes into revision material. Ward and Graham met while studying computer science at the University of Birmingham and working together on PwC’s technology degree apprenticeship, building the product in their spare time.

It became a company through Elevate, the university’s incubator programme. The University of Birmingham was also its first customer and has described a year-long pilot involving more than 5,000 students across all five of its colleges.

StudyStash uses a student’s existing course material to build personalised flashcards, practice tests and podcasts that adapt as they learn, with insights for institutions on how learning is going across their students. It plugs into learning systems including Canvas, Blackboard and Moodle.

The company says it is now used by tens of thousands of students at more than 160 institutions in the UK, Europe, the US and Africa, including California State University, Colorado State and Finland’s University of Oulu. Half of its customers are in the US.

Ward said: “Since launch, we’ve raised equity finance, scaled to 160+ institutions on three continents, broken into the US market and now been acquired by one of the largest e-learning providers in the field.”

“StudyStash brings powerful capabilities that complement our existing strengths and accelerate our AI strategy, while extending our reach further into teaching and learning workflows.”

James Gray, Founder and CEO, Kortext

Founders stay on as StudyStash heads to Silicon Valley

Ward and Graham remain chief executive and chief technology officer. StudyStash will continue as a distinct brand within Kortext. The pair are relocating to Silicon Valley as the company expands in the US. Its business address is in Bristol.

Kortext, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bournemouth, works with thousands of universities on digital content, learning analytics and AI tools for teaching. It says the StudyStash acquisition adds to its portfolio of learning technologies and strengthens its support for institutions in the UK and North America.

Graham said: “With Kortext, we can be even more ambitious. We’re bringing our product and pace of development together with its experience, reputation and reach, giving us the backing to build faster and take StudyStash to many more universities.”

Before StudyStash, both founders ran their own businesses, Graham through Nucleus Consulting and Ward through Silicon Square. In 2023, while still students, they won a £15,000 scholarship from the Elevate programme, according to the university’s School of Computer Science.

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Sources: StudyStash press release, 2 October 2026; Companies House, StudyStash Limited company overview; University of Birmingham, Entrepreneurial spirit, Elevated, 2025; University of Birmingham School of Computer Science post on Elevate scholarship