Partner Article

Plato Academic - Bridging the tech and teaching gap

AI-powered study buddy, Plato, is an artificial intelligence system designed to integrate directly with student digital learning environments, helping to improve student engagement, retention, and academic performance through tailored and accessible support.

Based in Leeds, Plato Academic Limited set out to create a platform that would empower students to better grasp their course materials, prepare effectively for assessments, and manage their coursework with confidence.

With a goal to bridge the gap between traditional learning and the modern demands of digital education, Plato’s AI-powered solution provides course-relevant and contextual assistance through a smart and intuitive system that enhances the learning experience for students.

This support not only enables students to get 24/7 on-demand help, with each answer personalised to their modules, but also frees up time for academic staff by reducing pressure on one-to-one interaction. Professors and teaching teams simply don’t have capacity to offer individualised support at scale, Plato ensures students can get the answers they need independently, allowing staff to focus their time on delivering excellent teaching and helping students with more nuanced discussions and interactions.

With the concept fully formed and development complete, Plato was ready for market, with some partner universities piloting the platform as part of a trial period.

Next, they needed a strong market strategy and a clear sales pipeline in order to get the Plato name in front of the right people. That also meant understanding the scale of their potential market, including how many universities and colleges existed, how many students they served, and what volume of sales would be required to scale sustainably. This stage involved in-depth market research and a close look at both the opportunities and challenges across the UK higher education landscape.

To scale effectively, the business would also need to explore investment opportunities and ensure they were well-prepared for future funding conversations, as well as learning about which route to finance would best suit them.

“Joining the Innovative Entrepreneurs programme offered many valuable opportunities to access structured guidance, mentorship and valuable networks,” commented Co-Founder & Director, Dragos Popa.

“We needed support to navigate early-stage startup growth while balancing product development and commercialisation, and build up traction with university partners to enable us to demonstrate the real impact of Plato,” he continued.

Business Coach Ralph D’Attorre worked closely with Plato throughout their time on the programme. Through a series of in-depth sessions, Ralph developed a strong understanding of the business, its mission, the unique challenges it faced, and the barriers to growth. The coaching also provided a space to step back and look at the business holistically. As Plato juggled the demands of growth, product development, and external engagement, having regular sessions with an experienced sounding board helped keep things on track.

Together, they explored the sales process, refining and improving their sales pipeline. Identifying past and potential bottlenecks, they were able to reshape the pipeline in a way that made the process more efficient and better matched to the needs and expectations of their target market. It was a detailed, collaborative process that took time, but it gave the Plato team real clarity and renewed confidence in their ability to drive sales forward.

“As a founder, I was trying to balance product development with the commercial side of the business, and I knew we needed help building traction and momentum with potential university partners,” Dragos explained. “We also wanted to better understand what investment would look like for us and how we could approach those conversations in a confident and structured way.”

“One of the standout aspects for me was the one-to-one coaching,” he added. “It helped me address key challenges around defining our sales pipeline and identifying ways in which our sales cycle could be sped up. The insights, connections, and clarity gained through the programme have positioned us strongly for this next phase.”

The impact of the programme can now be seen across several areas of the business. Plato has a clearer understanding of the higher education sector, a more confident approach to funding conversations, and a sharper, more compelling investment strategy. Their sales process is now more focused and agile, enabling them to approach university partnerships more effectively.

Reflecting on the experience, Dragos added:

“Ralph has been amazing throughout our coaching sessions. His guidance has been instrumental in helping me develop my business while maintaining a focus on making consistent progress.

“Ralph has a unique ability to break down complex challenges into manageable steps, making it easier to navigate obstacles and focus on what truly matters. He also ensured that I followed through on the pre-agreed action points, keeping me accountable and motivated. I truly value his support and expertise, which have been crucial to the continued development of my business.”

Now equipped with a stronger strategy, improved focus, and renewed momentum, Plato is ready to take its next big step, expanding its footprint across more institutions and driving investment to fuel further innovation in AI-powered academic support.

Business Coach Ralph D’Attorre commented: “It’s been a real pleasure supporting Dragos and watching both him and his business develop. Being a part of their journey has been a brilliant experience and Plato has huge potential, we can’t wait to see what they do next.”

With a stronger strategy, clearer goals, and a renewed sense of momentum, Plato is now looking ahead. The focus is on deepening university partnerships, expanding into new institutions, and securing investment to support further product development and growth.

Backed by the insights and structure gained through the IEP programme, they’re better placed than ever to enter this next phase of growth.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by RTC North .