GESAwards Bootcamp
When: January 19 & 20, 2026
Where: Cooley - 22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ
The Global Edtech Startup Bootcamp is a two-days event prior to GESAwards London Finals, exclusively for GESAwards finalists, providing them with practical tools and specific opportunities to grow their businesses. The crowd in the bootcamp includes 40-50 selected startups from around the globe, in different stages and from various verticals of Edtech, as well as GESAwards global partners.
The bootcamp is first of all an opportunity to connect, share experiences, challenges and opportunities across the global EdTech industry. The agenda includes presentations of industry leaders, workshops and discussions, with an emphasis on practical, hands on experience for the participants, enabling them to generate usable outcomes.
Day 1 - January 19
9:30
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GESAwards 2025, The Largest Global EdTech Network
Cecilia Waismann
EdTech Fast Forward
Avi Warshavsky
Networking – Getting to Know YOU
Ilan Ben Yaakov, Ran Magen
EdTech for Leadership Wellbeing: Supporting Those at the Top When It Matters Most
Lord Jim Knight
EdTech Investment Today: Signals from a Changing Market
Benoit Wirz
Panel of Investors
Victoria Throen Longhi, Benoit Wirz
Go to Market: Building EdTech on Proof, Not Hope
Michael Forshaw
Designing Education Kids Actually Want
Amanda Slavin, Heather Lyons, Houtan Froushan
EdTech Driving Dynamic Corporate Upskilling
Lucian Cosinschi, Wayne Holmes
12:30 - 13:30
Lunch break
Built to Invest: Getting Market-Ready and Protecting What Matters
Katie Lee Carey, Helen Pantelides, Aaron Archer, Leo Spicer-Phelps
Future-Proofing Your Business: Compliance, HR and M&A Readiness
Russell Anderson, Rita Sobral, Caroline Hobson, Chris Stack
One Region, Many Markets: Understanding Asia's Rapid Transformation
Valeriy Platonov, Seonghye Yoon, Norihisa Wada, Glenn Low
Why Coaching Is a Startup's Real Advantage
Yuliana Topazly, Lucie Lachnitova, Amanda Dickens, Hugo Cheyne
Dynamic Roundtables led by industry experts
Pierre-Antoine Ullmo, Norihisa Wada, Michael Forshaw, Jitske van Os, Tamas Haiman
Day 2 - January 20
12:30 - 13:30
Lunch Break
Women Who Built EdTech Businesses
Anna Cejudo, Morayo Ojikutu, Yana Crispil, Anna Moustakas, Yesim Ozsoz, Shweta Homji, Irit Touitou, Giannina Honorio Heredia
Not Just Gimmicks: The Real Power of AI Avatars in EdTech
Alan Bekker
Hype, Hope, and Hard Truths: AI in EdTech
AI for Learning, Cognitii, Mathew, Pladdra, Logbook, Daniel Landau
Go to Market: Building EdTech on Proof, Not Hope
Michael Forshaw
High Growth, High Change: Capturing Opportunity in LATAM & Afric
Ernest Gavor, Alex Paiva, Fernando Valenzuela
Europe's Growing EdTech Market
Pierre Antoine Ullmo, Félix López Capel, Matteo Bagnato
17:00 - 19:30
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Cooley & EdTech Hub invite: GESAwards Network Drinks
All Bootcamp Participants
9:30
Welcome Coffee
Holon IQ: EdTech Global Market Intelligence
Meg Hamel
Step Into the Spotlight: The Power of the Founder Brand
Elinor Honingstein, Ilan Ben Yaakov
EdTech Founders Entering Global Markets
Vincent Fung, Stephen Jull
What Gets Funded and Why
Matt Johnson, Melody Lang, Monique Malcolm-Hay, Tamas Haiman
Investors & Funders Round Tables
Vincent Fung, Stephen Jull, Matt Johnson, Melody Lang, Monique Malcolm-Hay, Norihisa Wada, Avi Warshavsky
Speakers
Lord Jim Knight
Director of Suklaa Ltd
Alex Paiva
Head of Products, Positivo Tecnologia
Alexandre Glaser
Principal, Educapital
Kate Lee Carey
Cooley LLP
Victoria T. Longhi
Investor, Owl Ventures
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Seonghye Yoon
CRO, Learningspark
Avi Warshavsky
CEO, MindCET
Benoit Wirz
Founding Partner, Brighteye VC
Stuart Abrahams
BESA Exec Council Member
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Irit Touitou
CEO, CET
Cecilia Waismann
VP, MindCET
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Yuliana Topazly
Head of Partnerships. DOHE
Alan Bekker
CTO Kaltura
Lucian Cosinschi
Learning Design, Higher Ed
Amanda Slavin
The Future Frequency
Ernest Gavor
Co-Founder, Ghana Society Edu Tech
Félix López Capel
Director, SEK Lab EdTech Accelerator
Fernando Valenzuela
CEO, Edlatam Alliance
Houtan Froushan
Programme Director, UCL EdTech Labs
Elinor Honigstein
Global Marketing WeWork
Ilan Ben Yaakov
VP Learning experience, MindCET
Jitske van Os
Managing Director, Dutch EdTech
Leo Gmeiner
CBO, School Guardian
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Monique Malcolm-Hay
VP Rethink Capital
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Melody Lang
Partner MPA Capital
Meg Hamel
VP, HolonIQ
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Matt Johnson
Director EdTech Oppenheimer Fund
Lucie Lachnitova
Artic Fox Coaching
Amanda Dickens
Executive Coach & Mentor
Chris Stack
Partner Cooley LLP
Pierre-Antoine Ullmo
CEO, TYME EDUCATION
Michael Forshaw
CEO, EdTech Impact
Rita Sobral
Partner Cooley LLP
Morayo Ojikutu
Founder Flow
Stephen Jull
Venture Partner, Emerge Education
Caroline Hobson
Partner Cooley LLP
Tamas Haiman
Co-Founder at SuperCharger Ventures
Hugo Cheyne
Founder Trailblaze
Valeriy Platonov
Co organizer, EdCrunch
Aaron Archer
Partner Cooley LLP
Leo Spicer-Phelps
Partner Cooley LLP
Heather Lyons
Founder Kita
Wayne Holmes
Professor AI UCL
Norihisa Wada
Director, Global EdTech Acceleration Committee
Patrick Hayes
Chief Development Officer, Times Higher Education
Daniel Landau
Founder CEO Avris
Vincent Fung
Partner, IBIS Capital
Ran Magen
V.P. Product Innovation, MindCET