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Ripyl® Named Best Startup at EDUtech 2025, Cementing Commitment to Innovative, Human-Centred Business Education
July 2025, Sydney, Australia
Ripyl®, an innovative educational platform redefining how business and commerce are taught in schools, has been named Best Startup at EDUtech 2025, winning the prestigious Shark Tank Competition at one of the world’s largest EdTech events.
Over two action-packed days, more than 11,000 educators, innovators, and industry leaders gathered at the ICC Sydney to explore new ideas, hear from global voices, and celebrate the future of education. Ripyl stood out from a strong field of 48 companies, with 26 pitching live to a panel of judges, including impressive finalists like Well-Nest, Lima AI, and Gradeo.
The judges recognised Ripyl for:
A well-established, practical model already impacting classrooms across New Zealand, Australia, and nine other countries.
Demonstrated readiness for global scale, grounded in real-world use and feedback from educators and students.
A clear commitment to quality, with resources co-designed alongside teachers and validated directly with students to ensure relevance and accuracy.
“In a space increasingly dominated by AI-driven content, Ripyl stood out by keeping educators and learners at the centre,” said Dave Craig, Ripyl’s Founder. “Our modules aren’t auto-generated by AI. They’re built by teachers, shaped in classrooms, and informed by the students we serve. This is EdTech redefined, a platform built with and for teachers, and one that never forgets who education is really for, our students!”
Founded in 2019 in New Zealand, Ripyl provides curriculum-aligned, ready-to-use resources, from lesson starters and case studies to design thinking challenges and extended projects, giving teachers practical tools to engage students with real-world business challenges. By empowering young learners to develop critical thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurial mindsets, Ripyl is shaping the next generation of business leaders.
The conference also featured a dynamic panel discussion on entrepreneurial thinking in the classroom, where Dave Craig joined Dr. Hugh Chilton (ScotsX) and Jeanette Tran (STEM Reactor) on the Innovation Stage. The conversation emphasised the importance of teaching students how to lead, fail fast, and build resilience through real-world experiences, critical thinking, and creativity.
“Australia gets EdTech,” Craig added. “Sydney is a global hub for educational innovation, and winning Best Startup here isn’t just a milestone, it’s a validation of our approach and our commitment to growing deeper roots in this key market.”
Ripyl extends special thanks to EDUgrowth and Terrapin for curating an exceptional conference, and to all the educators, leaders, and EdTech partners who made EDUtech 2025 an unforgettable experience. As EDUgrowth shared:
“Founded in 2019, Ripyl® is revolutionising how business and commerce are taught in schools by providing practical, hands-on learning experiences… Congratulations to Dave Craig and the entire team for their groundbreaking vision and commitment to shaping the future of education through innovation.”
Looking ahead, Ripyl remains committed to building high-quality, relevant resources that are fact-checked, human-centered, and grounded in the realities students face, ensuring every learner has the opportunity to build skills for tomorrow’s world.
As Craig concluded, “AI will continue to be part of what we do, but it will never replace the human connection that makes education powerful. The biggest wins are still ahead. Just like us Kiwis, kangaroos can fly too!”
From Accelerator to Global Vision - How Ripyl® is Revolutionising Business Education
13 February 2025
The idea for Ripyl® wasn’t born in a boardroom, it was sparked in the fast-paced world of startups and innovation. While running a mini accelerator programme at a powerhouse incubator in New Zealand, Ripyl®’s founder saw a troubling pattern - young adults entering the accelerator lacked fundamental business knowledge.
Sure, entrepreneurs are ideas people, but ideas alone aren’t enough. Without an understanding of core business principles, many struggled to turn their concepts into viable businesses. That’s when the lightbulb moment happened - what if we could equip students with these essential business skills earlier? What if school education wasn’t just about theory but integrated real-world commerce and entrepreneurship into the classroom?
That question turned into action.
In 2019, Ripyl® launched as a pilot programme in New Zealand, working with over 750 primary and intermediate school students across the Manawatū region. The goal? To create an interactive, relevant, and structured programme that not only taught business principles but made them real, engaging, and applicable.
The success of the initial pilot confirmed a strong demand. In 2021, Ripyl® expanded into high schools, launching a programme tailored for older students and began developing a custom-built online platform designed to enhance scalability and support business teachers effectively.
Fast forward to 2023 - Ripyl® was awarded New Zealand’s Best Youth Programme, an accolade awarded by the Global Entrepreneurship Network. Now, Ripyl® is a fully-fledged digital platform and global teacher network designed to prepare the next generation for the real world of business. With a team of five, an expert-led board, and a curriculum-aligned resource built by teachers, for teachers, Ripyl® is not just another education tool; it’s a movement to bring business learning into classrooms worldwide.
A Global Classroom: Connecting Teachers & Experts Across Borders
Ripyl® is more than just an online learning platform, it’s a global teacher network. Whether teachers are based in Perth, Australia; New York, USA; or Auckland, New Zealand, they can connect, share insights, and collaborate through Ripyl®.
One of the platform’s most powerful features is its ability to bring external experts into the classroom. Teachers can invite entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry specialists to join their class via Zoom, offering students firsthand insights from professionals around the world. This real-world exposure ensures that students are not only learning about business, they’re actively engaging with the people who shape it.
Staying Connected: Learning from Teachers and Students
Despite growing into a scalable digital platform, Ripyl® remains deeply embedded in classrooms. The team still provides in-school delivery, ensuring they stay connected with both teachers and students.
This direct engagement allows Ripyl® to:
Hear directly from teachers about the biggest challenges they face in business education.
Gain valuable student feedback that helps shape new resources and interactive learning experiences.
Refine and improve offerings to ensure Ripyl®’s content remains practical, engaging, and impactful all while teaching complex concepts.
By keeping a hands-on approach, Ripyl® doesn’t just deliver content, it evolves based on real classroom needs.
Bridging the Gap in Business Education
Ripyl®’s core audience is high school business teachers working with students in the first few years of their high school journey. While many existing programmes focus on senior students or financial literacy, Ripyl® fills a critical gap in business and commerce education for younger students.
Rather than competing with existing youth-focused initiatives, Ripyl® is designed to be complementary. By giving students an early start in business, Ripyl® ensures they are better equipped, more confident, and more engaged when progressing to senior-level enterprise and financial literacy programmes.
From Startup to Scale-Up: Ripyl®’s Growth and Investment
The journey from an idea to an award-winning platform has been fast-moving and strategic. Ripyl® secured early-stage funding through Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand’s leading government agency supporting innovative startups. This initial grant helped Ripyl® refine its offering, validate its impact, and build a scalable model that is now attracting significant interest from educators worldwide.
Since then, Ripyl® has raised over a quarter of a million dollars in investment, reinforcing its position as a game-changer in the education sector. The company is now focused on strengthening its presence in local markets, becoming the ‘go-to’ source for New Zealand business teachers while expanding into Australia, the USA, Canada, and the UK to extend its global impact.
What Makes Ripyl® Different?
Built for Teachers, by Teachers – Every module is designed in collaboration with educators who understand the needs of the modern classroom.
Real-World Business Learning – The programme connects theory to practice, ensuring students learn through real-world case studies, challenges, and interactive activities.
Support Materials for Teachers - The platform equips educators with step-by-step notes and ready-to-use worksheets, streamlining preparation and ensuring confident, effective delivery of the Ripyl® framework.
A Strong Support Network – Backed by a diverse board of experts, including business owners, entrepreneurs, accountants, and educators, Ripyl® combines industry knowledge with educational best practices.
A Global Teaching Network – Teachers can connect with peers around the world, share insights, and even collaborate on cross-border classroom projects.
Industry Access for Students – The platform allows teachers to bring in external experts, giving students direct exposure to entrepreneurs and professionals shaping today’s business landscape.
Ongoing In-School Delivery – The Ripyl® team remains hands-on in classrooms, continuously adapting and evolving the programme based on teacher and student feedback.
A Focus on Scalability – The Ripyl® platform is ready to scale, providing educators with an easy-to-use, adaptable tool that can be deployed across multiple countries and curricula.
What’s Next?
Ripyl® is now focused on scaling internationally, forging partnerships with schools, education ministries, youth organisations, and industry experts to make business education more accessible, engaging, and impactful.
“As educators and entrepreneurs, we believe that business and commerce education shouldn’t just be a box-ticking exercise; it should inspire students, equip them with practical skills, and open doors to real opportunities,” says Dave Craig, Founder of Ripyl®. “Business is essential in life – teaching us resilience, problem-solving, and to see opportunity in every challenge. We’re excited to take Ripyl® to the next level, ensuring that teachers worldwide have the tools they need to prepare their students for the future.”
With momentum building and interest growing, Ripyl® is actively seeking collaborations, partnerships, and investment to fuel its next stage of growth.
For media inquiries and partnership opportunities, or to learn more, visit www.ripyl.net or contact the Founder, dave@ripyl.net.
Palmerston North-based company The Brave Venture wins award
2 November 2023
A Palmerston North-based company unlocking entrepreneurial skills in young people has been recognised with a major New Zealand award.
The Brave Venture, which started engaging with schools in Manawatū in 2019, won Best Youth Programme in New Zealand for 2023 at the Global Entrepreneurship Network New Zealand (GEN NZ) awards in Auckland last week.
The Brave Venture won Youth Programme of the Year for its Ripyl programme, which competition judges said recognised “unwavering commitment to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in our youth”.
Founder Dave Craig said the team was humbled to be nominated and proud to have their work recognised with the award.
“We’re on a mission to change a generation of learners, and to be acknowledged alongside finalists Young Enterprise and Flying Geese as organisations that are making a difference to the lives of our ākonga, is truly awesome. We couldn’t believe it when we heard our name as the winner,” he said.
The venture was growing. More than 1200 students had participated in the Ripyl programme, many in the Manawatū and Whanganui areas. Craig said plans were now under way to more than double the number of students involved New Zealand-wide in 2024.
“We have a clear pathway to help develop our youth, creating vibrant young people excited and equipped to take on the world.
“We try and instil in youth skills we need and learn in adult life. We basically take technology completely out of the classroom and encourage the use of pencil and paper - and brain - to free-think creatively and problem solve.”
Amazingly, a fundamental difference encouraged by The Brave Venture is to step back from the use of technology to allow good old-fashioned brainstorming and discussion.
“That’s where the magic happens.”
Craig said it was the type of model that had the potential to change the business landscape in New Zealand and students engaged with business people to put together plans and presentations.
He said many of the students could carry the skills and critical thinking they were learning into their adult working life. It focused on developing practical skills that would lead to success in any field.
The Brave Venture takes students on a journey, taught essential skills, and complimented the school curriculum.
“We get back to basics. Students traditionally use three items: a pencil, a piece of paper, and their brain. In the start-up world, we call that our competitive advantage.”
Meanwhile, GEN NZ chair Dave Moskovitz said judging was tough and New Zealand was experiencing an explosion of diversity among young entrepreneurs.
“Most of our ventures have a social bent to them, trying to improve society and the world that we live in with new products and services...our entrepreneurs give us hope that our children and grandchildren will live in a fairer, healthier, exciting, human-centric and sustainable world.”
GEN NZ’s mission was to “connect entrepreneurs to the people and resources they need to thrive locally and globally.”
The award winners from GEN NZ Awards were:
• Academic Initiative of the Year: Velocity - The University of Auckland Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme.
• GEN NZ Connector of the Year: Pauli Sosa.
• Entrepreneur of the Year: Rick Kiessig of Kimer Med.
• Entrepreneur Support Organisation of the Year: Doso, previously known as Startup Taranaki.
• Investor of the Year: Maria Jose (MJ) Alvarez of WNT Ventures.
• Māori Entrepreneur of the Year: Kaye Maree Dunn.
• Public Sector Initiative of the Year: Jenny Douché from Callaghan Innovation.
• Social Entrepreneur of the Year: Sasha Lockley of Money Sweetspot.
• Youth Programme of the Year: The Brave Venture.
• Special Award: Suse Reynolds.
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