What Cognassist does

Cognassist is a UK-based SaaS platform that provides digital cognitive assessment and personalized learning and workplace support tools for further education (FE) colleges, apprenticeship providers, and enterprise employers. Founded in 2017 by Chris Quickfall, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at university, the company administers a scientifically validated Digital Cognitive Assessment (DCA) covering reading decoding, verbal memory, non-verbal memory, and processing fluency, then uses AI (via its "Kai" learning assistant, applied only post-profiling) to generate individualized support plans aligned to each learner's cognitive profile. The platform is structured around an Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle that produces audit-ready evidence trails for Ofsted inspection, LSF1 learning support funding compliance, and Equality Act 2010 reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

The product surface includes Personalised Support Plans, Monthly Support Records with AI-assisted compliance tooling, Adaptify (a 2025-launched free tool for real-time lesson personalization), Cognitive Mapping and Personalised Workplace Adjustments for employers, the Inclusion Index (Ofsted intelligence product), and a Microsoft Teams integration. The DCA is verified in JCQ and Patoss guidance for Access Arrangements and recognized by Ofqual-regulated Awarding Organisations and End Point Assessment Organisations. Cognassist holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, GDPR/ICO, and WCAG 2.1 AA certifications, and is B Corp certified with an Impact Score of 108.3 (April 2023).

Revenue is generated through subscription/per-seat SaaS licensing delivered via a sales-led GTM with field sales and "Book a Demo" CTAs. The platform serves 150-200+ UK FE colleges and apprenticeship providers, has assessed over 400,000 individuals, and the company claims to have enabled over £100 million in learning support funding for customers. Named customers span education (University of Exeter, Bedford College Group, T2 Group, Realise, Train Together, Brighter Horizons Training, Educationwise Academy) and enterprise (Siemens, Dyson, Rentokil, Centrica, Openreach, Informa, MTC, Multiverse, Vitality, JD Sports, Hays Travel, Goddard Vets). The 2023 £4M investment from Gresham House Ventures was explicitly deployed to expand into the enterprise neuro-inclusion market, and the company is positioning for the upcoming Ofsted inclusion judgment (September 2026) and the £83M Inclusive Mainstream Fund (July 2026) as regulatory tailwinds.

Name

Cognassist

Legal name

Cognassist UK Ltd

Website

https://cognassist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cognassist is a UK SaaS platform that delivers scientifically validated digital cognitive assessment, AI-assisted personalized learning plans, and workplace neuro-inclusion tools to further education colleges, apprenticeship providers, and enterprise employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Technology (Neuro-inclusion Software)

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM)

Keywords

• Digital cognitive assessment
• Neuro-inclusion platform
• Personalised learning support
• Further education software
• Workplace neurodiversity tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscription: Cognassist operates as a SaaS platform supporting people with hidden learning needs and neurodiverse employees. Revenue is generated through subscription and per-seat licensing to educational institutions (FE colleges, apprenticeship providers) and enterprise employers. The platform enables better support for neurodiverse employees and enhances understanding and productivity in the workplace.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cognassist is a UK SaaS neuro-inclusion platform that performs a scientifically validated Digital Cognitive Assessment and then generates evidence-based personalised learning and workplace support plans. The platform serves further education colleges, apprenticeship providers, and enterprise employers, embedding an Assess-Plan-Do-Review graduated approach that produces audit-ready evidence for Ofsted inspection, LSF1 funding claims, and reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Product overview

Cognassist is a neuro-inclusion platform offering a unified product architecture centred on its Digital Cognitive Assessment, which forms the foundation for a suite of interconnected tools. The core platform includes Personalised Support Plans that translate assessment results into actionable support, and Monthly Support Records for evidencing learner progress with AI-assisted compliance. An AI Learning Assistant called Kai delivers contextual strategies tailored to individual cognitive profiles. The platform embeds a Proactive Pathway to Inclusion framework (Assess–Plan–Do–Review) that supports the entire graduated approach. Additional offerings include Adaptify for real-time lesson personalisation, Cognitive Mapping for workplace settings, Personalised Workplace Adjustments for employers, and an Inclusion Index research tool. The platform serves three primary verticals: Further Education colleges, Apprenticeship providers, and Enterprise employers, with solutions designed to meet Ofsted inspection requirements and learning support funding compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Cognitive Assessment Industry-leading scientifically valid digital cognitive assessment that profiles how individuals think and learn, including learners without a formal diagnosis. Assesses reading decoding, verbal memory, non-verbal memory, and processing fluency through subtests including VIPS, and creates a consistent baseline for evidence-based support decisions. Used by FE colleges, apprenticeship providers, and employers to identify hidden learning needs.
• Kai: AI Learning Assistant AI-powered learning assistant that gives every learner immediate, expert-level strategies tailored to their unique cognitive profile, reducing cognitive overload and accelerating progress. AI features are applied only post-profiling for personalised support recommendations, keeping sensitive assessment data protected.
• Adaptify Free standalone tool that helps educators personalise lesson plans and adapt learning and support in real time, responding to learner needs without labels or escalation. Designed for everyday inclusion rather than specialist intervention, with no diagnosis, training, or organisational setup required.
• Cognitive Mapping Workplace neuro-inclusion solution that provides cognitive mapping for employers, helping organisations understand how employees think and process information to support their learning, development, and deployment in roles.
• Personalised Workplace Adjustments Provides personalised workplace adjustments for neurodiverse employees, helping managers communicate with staff and enhancing employee engagement and retention through tailored support strategies aligned to each employee's cognitive profile.
• Inclusion Index Ofsted Inclusion Intelligence report product that analyses inclusion language, patterns, and grade correlations from Ofsted inspections, providing strategic insights to benchmark inclusion maturity, identify systemic risks before inspection, and understand APDR cycle phases that predict grade outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 350,000 learners have completed a Cognassist Digital Cognitive Assessment
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Teams integration launched, enabling users to access Cognassist tools and insights directly within Microsoft Teams without switching platforms. Additionally, Microsoft 365 (Office 365) is used for email notifications and internal operations, and Microsoft Azure hosts Cognassist's cloud infrastructure.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pearson Clinical: Major publisher of cognitive and psychometric assessments used across education and clinical settings, including tools comparable to Cognassist's Digital Cognitive Assessment. Operates as part of Pearson's broader education portfolio and competes with Cognassist for institutional assessment budgets in FE and higher education.
• GL Assessment: UK-based publisher of cognitive and educational assessments (part of Pearson). Overlaps directly with Cognassist in screening and identifying learning needs in schools and FE settings, and competes for similar procurement budgets in the UK education market.
• Pymetrics: Neuroscience-based talent assessment platform used by large employers for hiring and workforce decisions. A broader incumbent with overlap to Cognassist's enterprise cognitive mapping and personalised workplace adjustment use cases.

Direct peers

• Lexplore: AI-driven reading and cognitive assessment platform used in schools internationally. Closely comparable to Cognassist in applying digital cognitive assessment to identify learning needs at scale and supporting personalised support in education.
• Cambridge Cognition (CANTAB): Provider of digital cognitive assessment tools (CANTAB) used in clinical research, healthcare, and increasingly workplace and education settings. Directly comparable to Cognassist's regulated cognitive assessment technology and adjacent markets.
• Creyos (formerly Cambridge Brain Sciences): Online cognitive assessment platform marketed to healthcare providers, researchers, and employers. Comparable to Cognassist in offering scientifically validated digital cognitive testing with associated personalised recommendations.
• Texthelp: EdTech vendor focused on literacy, reading, and accessibility tools for learners with diverse needs across education and workplace. Directly comparable to Cognassist's learner support mission and overlapping customer base in FE and apprenticeships.
• Brain in Hand: UK-based neurodiversity support platform that combines personalised support plans with digital tools for neurodivergent individuals in education and workplace. Closely comparable to Cognassist's workplace neuro-inclusion and personalised adjustments offering.
• Cognisess: Talent assessment platform using cognitive and behavioural science for hiring and people development. Comparable to Cognassist's enterprise offering where cognitive profiling is used to inform workplace adjustments, role fit, and inclusion outcomes.
• ThriveMap: Workplace assessment platform using realistic job simulations and cognitive/ behavioural measures to predict role fit. Comparable to Cognassist's enterprise cognitive profiling for workplace inclusion and role alignment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cognassist

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cognassist