ETIH Innovation Awards: Higher Education Innovation Award shortlist shows technology reshaping universities
Platforms and systems across universities show how AI, infrastructure, and digital strategy are reshaping delivery, operations, and student experience.
As part of our ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 category spotlight series, we are taking a closer look at the categories shaping this year’s inaugural awards. With over 140 entries submitted, the breadth and quality of innovation across the EdTech sector has been clear.
This category recognizes the most transformative use of EdTech in colleges and universities, focusing on solutions that improve student experience, teaching, and administrative processes, with winners set to be announced on May 11.
Where higher education systems are being rebuilt through technology
This category focuses on how institutions are using EdTech to rethink how higher education operates. Submissions include AI-native teaching models, student lifecycle platforms, campus-wide digital infrastructure, and tools designed to improve access, engagement, and employability.
Judges are assessing how effectively these solutions are implemented across real institutional environments. This includes whether platforms integrate into existing systems, how they support both staff and students, and whether they deliver measurable improvements in outcomes such as retention, efficiency, or workforce readiness.
There is also a clear emphasis on scale and sustainability. Strong entries demonstrate adoption across departments or institutions, alongside evidence that the technology reduces friction rather than adding complexity. Not every solution will fully replace existing systems, but those that show practical, repeatable impact stand out.
Finalists
Adjunctions is transforming how colleges and universities connect with talented professionals ready to share their real-world expertise in the classroom. Our platform makes it easy for institutions to find and engage qualified adjunct faculty while helping industry experts discover meaningful teaching opportunities. Through our collaboration with OneHE, we’re launching AdjunctionsPRO, an exclusive training program that equips professionals with the tools and confidence to become impactful educators. By uniting academia and industry, Adjunctions is expanding access to high-quality instruction, enriching student learning, and empowering the next generation of educators to make a difference in higher education.
BoodleBox is the AI platform purpose-built for higher education. Launched in August 2024, it now serves 116+ institutions across the United States, delivering the AI-Native Classroom through a single, governed, multi-model environment. Faculty teach with and about AI; students build verifiable, employer-ready AI skills; institutions govern AI safely, equitably, and affordably. Proprietary token-reduction technology achieves up to 96% compute savings, making equitable AI access environmentally sustainable. In 18 months, BoodleBox has achieved $3.4M in Fully Ramped Contracted ARR, 594% year-over-year growth, and 175% Net Revenue Retention, demonstrating that purpose-built AI for higher education drives transformative, lasting institutional impact.
DFR is an AI-assisted education platform designed to train financial analysts for real-world roles. We combine adaptive learning, applied casework, and continuous assessment to move beyond static courses and theoretical exams. Our system personalises learning paths, measures applied competence, and reinforces practical skills employers value. DFR bridges the gap between academic finance education and professional readiness, improving outcomes for both learners and hiring organisations.
Ellucian Student is higher ed’s complete solution that powers the end-to-end student lifecycle. Built on a unified, SaaS-native platform with embedded AI, it connects admissions, financial aid, academics, student success, HR, and finance into one intelligent ecosystem. Purpose-built for higher education’s complexity, Ellucian Student transforms fragmented systems into coordinated, data-driven action. AI-powered capabilities such as predictive retention models, smart academic planning, scholarship matching, credit recognition, and intelligent automation proactively support students while reducing administrative burden. Across Ellucian’s AI-embedded platform, these capabilities have reached 10M+ unique users and enabled 2.23M+ workflow runs, helping institutions improve outcomes, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
Impact Consulting has developed a scalable, technology-enabled work-based learning initiative that bridges the gap between academic learning and real-world experience.
Through a structured digital ecosystem including a student portal, skills-based quizzes and project delivery frameworks, the initiative enhances student readiness for the workplace while supporting universities in embedding employability into curricula.
By combining data-driven insights, digital learning tools and real client projects, Impact Consulting has improved student engagement, confidence and practical skill development. The initiative enables institutions to deliver measurable outcomes in employability, student satisfaction and industry collaboration at scale.
The London School of Innovation (LSI) is the UK's first AI-native higher education institution, granted Degree Awarding Powers by the Office for Students in March 2026 after one of the most rigorous regulatory processes in higher education. LSI replaces lectures with 24/7 personal AI virtual tutors delivering hyper-personalised theory, while human professors focus entirely on active discussion, collaborative problem-solving, and one-to-one mentorship. LSI's proprietary technology features over 150 integrated AI agents, Interactive Knowledge Graphs, role-play simulations, and instant formative feedback.
Pathify (Campus Experience Platform)
This Fall, Pathify announced the Campus Experience Platform (CXP), a new class of higher education technology unifying every system, user and interaction across the digital campus. As the institution’s “central nervous system,” the CXP replaces siloed portals and front-end solutions with a single, personalized interface serving prospects, students, faculty, alumni, parents and staff. Built for the end user, Pathify’s CXP integrates hundreds of systems to simplify digital sprawl, strengthen belonging and deliver measurable ROI. With more than 250 institutions, from community colleges to R1 research universities, using its CXP, Pathify leads the transformation of higher education’s digital ecosystem worldwide.
SMART Technologies (SMART Board Mini)
The SMART Board Mini is an interactive podium designed to bring active, collaborative learning to any space in a higher education institution, from lecture halls and breakout rooms to personal offices. Compact but fully featured, it gives faculty a single device for interactive presentations, hybrid teaching, and real-time collaboration, without the need for multiple tools or complicated setup. With a 4K AI-enabled camera, 8-microphone array, industry-leading digital inking, and the ability to mirror content to any external display, the SMART Board Mini removes the barriers between instructors and their students wherever learning happens. Recognised at ISE 2025 as Best of Show.
Thesis Elements is a cloud-based Student Information System purpose-built for small to midsize institutions. Elements drives operational efficiency with an affordable, user-friendly system providing critical operations and administration functions including improving student success, enabling faster financial aid decisions and easier federal and state reporting, integrating with an institutions’ campus technology ecosystem including LMS, CRM and ERP systems. With the average implementation time under 12 months, Elements streamlines operations, improves access to essential student data and increases self-service tools for students, all built on modern technology designed to help future-proof the institution.
Explore the full shortlist
You can explore the full ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 shortlist to see the companies and platforms shaping this year’s awards. Winners will be announced on May 11.
