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I’m Jonathan Viner. I help EdTech leaders and investors turn complexity into clarity, make smarter decisions and scale with confidence and impact. Contact me here to talk about working together.
Hello and welcome to today’s Nordic EdTech News. Hope that those celebrating had a glad midsommar and we start today in Oslo, the site of this year’s Nordic EdTech Summit, where Norway’s government is doing their bit to provide attendees with plenty of talking points.
There are two big, interlocked Norwegian policy stories this week, though the interlocking is more convenient than causal. Last Tuesday, Riksrevisjonen (the Office of the Auditor General) released a damning audit of two decades of basic-skills policy. It revealed that nearly a third of Norwegian pupils leave ten years of compulsory schooling with weak reading, writing or maths skills. The number of pupils affected has risen sharply since 2015, and the auditor general’s overall verdict was “kritikkverdig” (”indefensible”), despite sustained funding and attention. One of the report’s conclusions is particularly pointed: nobody can say with confidence which interventions have worked or not, because the Ministry of Education has done too little to evaluate its own initiatives.
Three days later, the government unveiled its new plans to “change everyday school life”, and AI was the headline. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre used his press conference to announce that AI should not be used in compulsory education settings. Although it’s not a full ban, the direction of travel is pretty clear. Importantly, pupils who need AI-based support for learning difficulties have been considered and final classroom judgement about AI’s use still sits with teachers.
This landed alongside a new statutory right to printed textbooks, an extension of the curriculum rewrite beyond maths, and a parallel, longer-running tightening of exam conditions. This will see locked-down “secure browser” exams scaling up through 2027. None of this actually resulted from the audit’s recommendations, but the publication of the audit handed the package a press hook, which the government has leaned into.
But it’s worth sitting with that for a moment. A report whose own findings point to unclear effects of two decades of initiatives and weak evaluation has been followed by measures that confidently name screens and AI as the problem and books as the cure. This interpretation was supplied by the government itself in its response to the auditor’s report and then announced as if it flowed from the audit.
While the Norwegian government sees restriction as the answer to AI eroding trust in academic work, Inspera was making the opposite case with its wallet. The Oslo-HQ’d assessment platform announced that it has acquired Graide, an AI marking and feedback tool (Link). The move builds on the strategic partnership the two companies launched last December with the aim of enhancing assessment integrity and efficiency.
Whilst on acquisitions, ILT Education is publicly looking for new businesses to join their portfolio. The business states that it is “eager to engage in knowledge exchange with entrepreneurs who would like to continue their journey alongside us.” Full details here.
One other significant partnership to update readers on. Given the challenges around evidence and impact highlighted above, it’s great to see UNICEF and Helsinki Education Hub join forces “to advance evidence-backed, safe and inclusive EdTech” (Link). The partners will collaborate to leverage research-based innovations, AI and EdTech that address the global learning crisis.
In company news, Sweden’s Kognity swung from a SEK 7.1m loss to a SEK 6.6m profit in 2025, even as revenue fell from SEK 224.1m to SEK 207.3m (Link). The turnaround came from cost discipline (headcount down from 106 to 92) and the sale of two subsidiaries, Lanterna Education Ltd and Lanterna Europe AB. CEO Hugo Wernhoff stated in press coverage that the resulting cash position, a healthy SEK 120.8m, will be mainly directed into AI-powered tools for teachers and students.
Nordic EdTech companies continue to perform strongly on the international stage. Congratulations to Magma Maths who were named Company of the Year at the UK’s MAT Excellence Awards (Link). And to Skolon who were named the European Award winner at last week’s EdTechX Awards. They’ve also launched Skolon AI Studio “to make it easier for the entire partner and school community to benefit from the possibilities of AI.”
And finally, do check out my interview with Cliff Hansen, Publishing Director at Lindhardt & Ringhof Education, after their acquisition of Studentlitteratur. He didn’t mention that the business was also buying Teacherspace (now EdSpace) an AI-powered personal assistant for teachers (Link).
If you’ve got a story that you’d like me to include in a future issue of this newsletter, please email hello@10digits.org, tag me on X or LinkedIn or use #nordicedtech / #balticedtech.
Thanks for reading, Jonathan
Nordic EdTech Summit update
I was back in Oslo recently for TEK Norge’s summer EdTech event and to check out our amazing venues for the Nordic EdTech Summit.
The (nearly) complete programme and speaker line-up is on the website and it is shaping up to be the strongest agenda we’ve put together yet.
We have fewer than 50 tickets remaining. So if you’re thinking about attending, please book sooner than later!
You’ll be in good company. Attendees from the following companies have recently confirmed their spots!
The Minister of Education and Research acknowledges that AI is the education sector’s biggest challenge. (Link)
AI is pushing universities towards compulsory in-person exams. (Link)
80% of students at Aalborg University believe that AI has the potential to advance their learning with 84% percent using it daily or occasionally. But they fear using it incorrectly and being “caught cheating.” (Link)
Aalborg is also working with the University of Southern Denmark to develop a joint digital platform that will “strengthen innovation and make the path from research to business both shorter and simpler.” (Link)
GradeAid made the podium at Nordea’s Årets Handiprenør 2026. (Link)
Head of Learning at Kata Fonden argues that “AI in schools does not require a ban – but better teaching.” (Link)
The first year of AI Leap brought AI to almost every upper secondary school in Estonia, 94% of teachers who participated in the programme used it in their work, and 63% have transformed their teaching as a result. (Link)
Estonia’s AI advice to Denmark: Include teachers from day one.
Annie Advisor was named runner-up at the NN Social Innovation Startup Award 2026. (Link)
Sanoma Pro tested a new AI tool with teachers. They found that it helped with lesson planning, saved time and made differentiation easier. (Link)
Seppo’s new workforce readiness platform uses AI-facilitated simulations to reveal how people think, communicate, and make decisions. (Link)
Norway’s Sikt has signed an agreement with CSC to give Finnish education and public sector users access to their AI platform. (Link)
TechClass has been officially awarded the prestigious “Strongest in Finland” Platinum certificate by Suomen Asiakastieto Oy. (Link)
Valamis deepens their presence in the Benelux countries through a new reseller partnership with TTA International. (Link)
The Ministry of Education and Children’s Affairs has presented draft regulation on the use of phones and smart devices in primary schools. The draft is publicly available and open for comments. (Link)
Iceland needs to plan and spend to address a “20-year infrastructure debt in educational materials.” (Link)
Skolas Vārds is implementing an EDIC pilot project with Tilde to test the use of AI “in the automation of educational content creation processes.” (Link)
New research shows that Lithuanian teachers see the greatest value of AI in saving time, ease of use, and quick integration into daily work. (Link)
Talents For Tech and Google.org are launching a €2.3 million initiative to strengthen practical AI skills across seven Central and Eastern European countries, including Lithuania. (Link)
New figures from the Norwegian Publishers Association show a big drop in textbook sales in HE. Over 784,000 books were sold in 2021, but only just over 463,000 were sold last year.
Alta Municipality has selected itslearning as its core learning platform (LMS) for all schools. (Link)
Lære invited students from nearby schools to their HQ to celebrate the business’ 20th anniversary. (Link)
The University of Agder (UiA) has developed a new AI tool to help staff handle student requests for exam grade justifications. (Link)
Visma Flyt has launched a new app for parents /guardians as well as establishing a new business focus on research and innovation (Link).
We Are Learning partners with Sopra Steria to offer “highly relevant, contextual training delivered exactly where it’s needed — within the workflow.” (Link)
Congratulations to the finalists in this year’s Swedish Learning Awards. (Link)
As part of their 200 years birthday celebrations, Gleerups are launching MatteMax and offering it to schools free of charge throughout the 26/27 school year. (Link)
School in Njurunda tested Imvi Labs VR product and found that students read better after six weeks. (Link)
Up to 3,000 visitors have already checked out the AI support resources for school principals developed by Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner and other players.
Sara Zetterberg stepped down as CEO of Trainor Sweden after joining the business in 2024. (Link)
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