Up Learn
Up Learn is a UK-based online education platform delivering AI-personalized, exam-board-specific A Level and GCSE preparation courses with an A*/A money-back guarantee, serving individual students via subscriptions and 685+ schools and MATs via institutional licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Up Learn does
Up Learn is a London-based online education platform founded in 2016 that delivers exam-board-specific preparation courses for UK A Level (16-18) and GCSE (14-16) students, with an A*/A or 8-8 money-back guarantee on results. The platform offers six A Level subjects (Economics, Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Biology) across AQA, Edexcel, OCR A, and Cambridge International specifications, plus a GCSE Combined Science (AQA Trilogy) course. Content is delivered through interactive bite-sized videos (each minute reportedly requiring 16+ hours of production), AI-powered personalization, an Up Score mastery tracker, and spaced-repetition features like Refresh Knowledge, Strengthen, and the AI Check self-marking tool. Up Learn has partnerships with the UCL Institute of Education for cognitive science research and with Wonde for school MIS data integration.
Up Learn operates a tiered subscription model with Up Core (standard access with tutoring support) and Up Master (premium with examiner marking and priority tutoring), available as monthly subscriptions or one-time payments covering access until final exams. The go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer self-serve sign-up via uplearn.co.uk with a 3-day free trial, and a B2B motion targeting schools and Multi-Academy Trusts with special pricing, teacher dashboards, and a flagship three-year partnership with The Harris Federation (28 sixth forms). The platform is trusted by 685 UK schools and runs a scholarship programme that has provided 50,000+ free places to students on Free School Meals, distributed via charity partners IntoUniversity, The Access Project, Sutton Trust, and Crowd Scholar.
Commercially, Up Learn is a privately held, founder-led company (Guy Riese, founder & CEO) with only one disclosed external funding round (~$3.18M from Forward Partners in 2018), suggesting the business has since scaled largely on cash generation. The company is registered in England and Wales as Up Learn Limited, maintains a 11-50 employee base, and reports 50+ million learning minutes over the trailing 12 months with 97% of completing A Level students achieving A*/A grades.
Up Learn firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Up Learn
- Legal name
- Up Learn Limited
- Website
- https://uplearn.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Up Learn is a UK-based online education platform delivering AI-personalized, exam-board-specific A Level and GCSE preparation courses with an A*/A money-back guarantee, serving individual students via subscriptions and 685+ schools and MATs via institutional licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Up Learn industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Exam Preparation Platform
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adaptive Learning & Personalized Instruction Software (EDAJAMAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Adaptive/Personalized Curriculum & Intelligent Courseware (EDAFACAE), AI-Powered Tutoring & Study Assistant Platforms (EDANAGAD), Intelligent Practice & Mastery Learning Platforms (Spaced Repetition, Skill Drills) (EDAFAFAD)
Keywords
Where Up Learn is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Up Learn business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Course Subscription (Access Until Exams): One-time upfront payment for full access through the student's final exam date (available until 31 July). Best value option for committed learners. Includes full course content and money-back guarantee eligibility.
- Individual Course Subscription (Monthly): Pay-as-you-go monthly subscription model providing access on a monthly basis with ability to cancel anytime. Ideal for students preferring short-term flexibility.
- Multi-Course Discount: Students purchasing multiple courses receive a £100 discount for each additional course purchased. Additional revenue stream through course bundling and upsell.
- Support Tier Upsell (Up Core vs Up Master): Two-tier support model: Up Core includes basic tutoring, while Up Master adds exam paper marking by experienced examiners and priority tutoring support for an enhanced experience.
- School/Institutional Licensing: Schools purchase packages at special rates, providing students with platform access and teachers with dashboard tools. Special school pricing creates B2B revenue stream.
- Scholarship Program (Social Impact): Free access provided to students on Free School Meals and charity partner participants. While not directly revenue-generating, this program expands market reach and creates future customer pipeline.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | GCSE Combined Science Course - Monthly Plan |
| Subscription | Annual | Access Until Exams - One-time payment |
| Subscription | Monthly | Up Core Support Tier |
| Subscription | Monthly | Up Master Support Tier |
| Subscription | Annual | Multi-Course Discount |
| Subscription | Annual | School/Institutional Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels11 records
Up Learn product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Up Learn is an AI-powered online learning platform that provides exam preparation courses for UK A Level and GCSE students. The platform delivers interactive video lessons, personalised revision via AI diagnostic algorithms, exam-board specific content, practice papers with examiner marking, and 24/7 tutor support, all backed by an A*/A or 8-8 money-back guarantee.
Product overview
Up Learn is an online learning platform providing exam preparation courses for A Level and GCSE students in the UK. The platform operates on a tiered support model with Up Core (standard) and Up Master (premium with exam paper marking and priority tutoring) as the two main subscription tiers. For A Levels, six subject courses are offered: Economics, Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Biology, covering AQA, Edexcel, OCR, and Cambridge International exam boards. For GCSE, a Combined Science course covers Biology, Chemistry, and Physics under AQA Combined Science: Trilogy. The platform also offers Up Learn Turbo as a rapid revision mode, scholarship programs providing free access to FSM-eligible students, and dedicated school dashboards for institutional use. All courses are backed by money-back guarantees (A*-A for A Levels, 8-8 for GCSE).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Economics A Level A Level Economics preparation course covering AQA and Edexcel exam boards. Fully aligned to specification with examiner-created content and A*/A money-back guarantee. For students aged 16-18 studying for A Level Economics.
- Maths A Level A Level Mathematics preparation course covering AQA, Edexcel, OCR A, and Cambridge International exam boards. Includes Pure Mathematics, Mechanics, and Statistics modules for both Year 12 and Year 13.
- Chemistry A Level A Level Chemistry preparation course covering AQA and OCR A exam boards. Includes papers 1-3 content and practicals with A*/A money-back guarantee.
- Physics A Level A Level Physics preparation course covering OCR A and AQA exam boards. Includes optional Astrophysics topic for Paper 3 with A*/A money-back guarantee.
- Psychology A Level A Level Psychology preparation course covering AQA exam board. Includes Issues and Debates content plus optional topics (Gender, Schizophrenia, Aggression, Forensic Psychology, Relationships) for Paper 3.
- Biology A Level A Level Biology preparation course covering AQA and OCR A exam boards. Designed to support school learning with in-depth lessons and summary videos covering entire specifications.
- GCSE Combined Science GCSE Combined Science (Trilogy) preparation course covering AQA specification for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Available in Foundation and Higher Tier, priced from £49.99/month with 8-8 money-back guarantee for Higher Tier.
- School Dashboard Institutional dashboard for schools and Multi-Academy Trusts to set assignments, track student progress and engagement, view section scores, and access built-in tutoring support. Sold as a B2B institutional licence separate from individual consumer subscriptions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of students who complete Up Learn achieve A*/A at A Level
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Up Learn
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Up Learn technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
AI capability5 records
Feature7 records
Up Learn partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- The Harris FederationflagshipUp Learn announced a transformative three-year partnership with The Harris Federation, a distinguished Multi Academy Trust (MAT) with 28 sixth forms in greater London. This strategic collaboration represents a significant milestone, providing Up Learn's personalized learning solution to students across the federation's schools. The partnership includes school dashboards for teachers to track progress and built-in tutoring support.
- IntoUniversitycoreIntoUniversity provides local learning centres where young people are inspired to achieve. They work with Up Learn to verify scholarship status for students and provide free access to Up Learn courses. Students signed up with IntoUniversity can qualify for Up Learn scholarships.
- The Access ProjectcoreThe Access Project works with bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing in-school support and volunteer tuition to help them gain access to top universities. They partner with Up Learn to verify scholarship eligibility and distribute free course access.
- Sutton TrustcoreSutton Trust is a foundation which improves social mobility in the UK through evidence-based programmes, research and policy advocacy. From early years through school, college and university to the workplace, they work to combat educational inequality. Select students on Sutton Trust programmes may be invited to receive scholarships to Up Learn.
- Crowd ScholarminorCrowd Scholar offers university scholarships for the UK's most promising students from disadvantaged backgrounds. They partner with Up Learn to verify scholarship access for eligible students.
- University College London Institute of EducationcoreUCL Institute of Education is the education school of University College London, specializing in postgraduate study and research in education. Up Learn works with academic institutions to conduct ethical research in educational neuroscience and behavioural sciences including cognitive science, for the purpose of improving the Service and discovering insights into how humans learn.
- WondecoreWonde is a data management platform used by schools to sync student data. Wonde schools can automatically sync student records, classes, and email addresses to Up Learn through data connection. The Data Manager role involves managing this Wonde integration.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Up Learn competitors and assessment
Company assessmentPeers
Direct peers
- Seneca Learning: UK-based free adaptive learning platform covering GCSE and A Level across a much broader subject range (English, History, Geography, MFL, sciences). Most directly comparable competitor to Up Learn in UK secondary exam prep, differing primarily via a freemium model and wider subject catalogue versus Up Learn's paid, outcome-guaranteed STEM/Economics focus.
- CENTURY Tech: UK AI-powered adaptive learning platform for schools, combining diagnostic AI, personalised content, and teacher dashboards. Closely comparable to Up Learn on the B2B school motion and AI-personalisation thesis, though CENTURY Tech is broader across subjects and primary/secondary.
- Sparx: UK-based platform (formerly Sparx Maths and Hegarty Maths) providing AI-personalised maths and science homework and revision for secondary schools. Comparable to Up Learn in selling into UK secondary schools with subscription licensing and student progress tracking.
- Twig Education: UK-headquartered STEM content provider for secondary schools globally, with video-led resources and curriculum-aligned materials. Comparable to Up Learn on curriculum-aligned video content production for secondary STEM, with greater international reach but less exam-board specificity.
Broad incumbents
- Kerboodle (Pearson): Pearson's digital teaching and learning platform for UK secondary schools, covering a wide range of GCSE and A Level subjects. Broader incumbent than Up Learn with deeper exam-board coverage but less personalised AI-led revision and no outcome guarantee.
- Oak National Academy: UK government-backed free online classroom and revision resource covering full GCSE and A Level curriculum. Comparable in subject breadth and UK secondary audience; differs as a free public-sector alternative that competes on price rather than personalisation or outcomes.
- Quizlet: Global study platform with spaced-repetition flashcards, practice tests, and AI tutor features widely used by UK A Level/GCSE students. Comparable on adaptive practice and learning analytics, with much broader global scale but less exam-board-specific UK curriculum depth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Up Learn social profiles
Digital presenceUp Learn financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Up Learn leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Up Learn funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Up Learn M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Up Learn
What does Up Learn do?
Up Learn is an AI-powered online learning platform that provides exam preparation courses for UK A Level and GCSE students. The platform delivers interactive video lessons, personalised revision via AI diagnostic algorithms, exam-board specific content, practice papers with examiner marking, and 24/7 tutor support, all backed by an A*/A or 8-8 money-back guarantee.
Is Up Learn a public or private company?
Up Learn is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Up Learn founded?
Up Learn was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Up Learn based?
Up Learn is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Up Learn make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Course Subscription (Access Until Exams) is the primary driver. The others are individual Course Subscription (Monthly), multi-Course Discount, support Tier Upsell (Up Core vs Up Master), school/Institutional Licensing and scholarship Program (Social Impact).
Who are Up Learn's main competitors?
Dr Frost Maths is listed as a peer. Direct peers are Seneca Learning, CENTURY Tech, Sparx and Twig Education. Broad incumbents are Kerboodle (Pearson), Oak National Academy and Quizlet.
Does Up Learn have an API?
No public API is recorded for Up Learn.
What industry is Up Learn in?
Up Learn's product category is Online Exam Preparation Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAE, Adaptive Learning & Personalized Instruction Software, with a secondary code of EDAFACAE, Adaptive/Personalized Curriculum & Intelligent Courseware. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 7372.