Mobile learning startup Coursepad wins Most Innovative Startup Award at Ideas.Inc.

The Ideas.Inc. Business Challenge, organised by Nanyang Technological University, is an annual elimination-style startup competition in Singapore that guides entrepreneurs under 35 from idea to fundraising. Over the past three months,  12 startups were selected to receive SGD$ 50k for concept prototyping and pitching to partnering angel investors at the end of challenge. This year, with a quieter closed-door approach, the challenge concluded with its  StartingUp 2013 conference on 31st August.

Winning big this year is Mobile learning startup Coursepad, who walked away with the Most Innovative Startup Award. Inclusive of this is an investment of up to SGD 200k.

Soft-launching its platform at the StartingUp conference, Coursepad aims to revolutionise workplace learning by converting e-learning courses into fun social games. “In traditional e-learning, it’s all about just reading materials, completing tests and hoping the learning sticks. Coursepad turns learning objectives into fun challenges that learners can complete with their friends,” says Kevin Chan, Coursepad’s CEO and co-founder.

Education is a sector that is beginning to find new offerings with a mobile and social learning slant. Coursepad does face competition from other companies such as Teamie in providing a collaborative and mobile learning platform.

However, with pilot clients from the team’s past experience at a previous events iPad rental company, the team does have a clear direction in its product and distribution channels. Coursepad is currently having trials with companies in the training, education and financial industry.