A new permanent track of the Global EdTech Startup Awards

Closing the skills gap won’t come from hiring. It comes from learning faster than work changes.

The GESA Workforce Learning Track surfaces the startups building the next generation of how people learn at work — and connects them to the enterprises that need them.

Become a sponsor Apply as a startup

Powered by MindCET  ·  8,000+ startups, 130+ countries since 2014  ·  Finals at Bett, London, January 2027

Work is changing faster than hiring can keep up with.

39%

of core skills will change by 2030.

Source: WEF Future of Jobs 2025.

59%

of the global workforce will need reskilling by 2030.

Source: WEF Future of Jobs 2025.

74%

of companies say they can’t keep pace with demand for new skills.

Source: LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2025.

Corporate L&D is a $400B+ global market, and yet 63% of employers still call the skills gap their single biggest barrier to transformation. Hiring can’t close it. Buying another LMS can’t close it.

The next generation of workforce learning will. The GESA Workforce Learning Track exists to find it, validate it, and put it in front of the enterprises ready to deploy it.

For Startups

What we’re looking for.

Startups building scalable solutions across workforce learning and development.

AI-powered reskilling & upskilling platforms

Tools that compress the time from “skill needed” to “skill demonstrated.”

Personalized & adaptive workplace training

Learning that adjusts to the learner’s role, level, and pace in real time.

Skills intelligence, mapping & verification

The skills-graph layer that makes skills-based organizations possible.

Learning embedded in workflows & daily tools

Training that lives inside the CRM, IDE, or ticketing system — not in a separate LXP.

Simulation, practice & experiential learning

Practice environments where people can fail safely and build real capability.

New models for corporate learning at scale

Cohort programs, apprenticeships, work-integrated learning that fit how organizations actually buy.

Credentialing & skills-based hiring infrastructure

Proof-of-skill systems that work for employers and learners both.

Solutions may target enterprises, SMBs, or individual workers — what matters is a clear connection to how organizations build the capability work now demands.

What winners get.

01

An enterprise pilot

With one of the cycle’s workplace partners.

02

Cloud, AI & infrastructure credits

Via the cycle’s startup-programme partner.

03

A capital conversation

A partnership conversation with one of the cycle’s capital partners.

04

Tailored acceleration support

Shaped to the winner’s stage, market, and roadmap.

05

Strategic mentorship

From senior corporate L&D leaders and operators.

06

Global recognition

Across the GESAwards network — 8,000+ startups, 130+ countries.

See the criteria and apply

The 2026–27 cycle.

  1. April 2026

    Applications open.

  2. October 30, 2026

    Application deadline.

  3. Oct–Dec 2026

    Regional semifinals, incl. OEB Berlin.

  4. January 2027

    Global finals at the Bett Show, London.

For Sponsors

Sponsor the track that surfaces the next category of workforce learning.

Corporate training is a $400 billion global market, and demand is rising fast. By 2030, 59% of the global workforce will need reskilling. At the same time, only 0.5% of global GDP is spent on adult lifelong learning. Even the companies that invest heavily often feel underserved: 74% say they cannot keep up with the need for new skills.

That gap is creating room for new workforce learning solutions. Startups around the world are building products across skills intelligence, adaptive training, work-integrated learning, simulation, credentialing, and more.

The GESA Workforce Learning Track is built to identify and elevate the strongest. Sponsors aren’t passive supporters — they shape the criteria, sit on the judging panel, and meet finalists directly.

What sponsors get

  • Access to the full applicant pipeline, including workforce learning startups from more than 130 countries
  • A seat on the judging panel and direct interaction with shortlisted founders
  • Early access to pilot and partnership conversations with finalists
  • Co-branded visibility across track communications, events, and the broader GESAwards platform
  • Thought leadership across the network
  • Market insight drawn from hundreds of applications and founder conversations

Lead

Lead Sponsor

One per cycle.

  • ·Full applicant pipeline from all participating countries, filtered to your criteria
  • ·Logo across all track communications — website, social, press, outreach
  • ·Exclusive invitation to present the prize on stage at BETT London, in January 2027
  • ·Input into the cycle’s evaluation criteria and judging process

Partner

Track Partner

  • ·Access to the curated shortlist of selected winners across regions
  • ·A seat on the judging panel alongside international experts
  • ·Mentorship engagement with finalists in your focus area
  • ·Co-branded visibility across track materials

Supporting

Supporting Sponsor

  • ·Post-cycle trend report on the workforce-learning startup landscape
  • ·Thought-leadership placement in the track’s communications
  • ·Named as an engagement partner in the track’s prize description
  • ·Logo on the track website as a supporting partner
Talk to the track curator

Why this track exists.

Global, not US-anchored

GESA already runs regional semifinals on six continents. This track inherits that footprint from day one — most workforce-learning competitions don’t.

A pilot, not a plaque

Other awards in this space confer recognition. This one bundles a real, funded enterprise pilot with a corporate partner — because recognition without distribution doesn’t move a startup forward.

Workforce-specific, not generic EdTech

AI is one accelerant of this category, not the headline. Skills intelligence, simulation, credentialing, and work-integrated learning all sit inside the scope. The frame is built to outlast the AI news cycle.

Built with operators, not for them

Sponsors shape the criteria, sit on the panel, and meet the finalists directly. The track is a working forum, not a press release.

Curated by

MindCET

Organizer of the Global EdTech Startup Awards since 2014. Operates the international network of regional semifinals across six continents.

Lucian Cosinschi · LVA

In partnership with MindCET on day-to-day curation of the track — sponsor partnerships, judging panel, and finalist selection.

Questions, briefly.

Anything missing? Email workforce-track@globaledtechawards.org.

Is there an application fee?
No.
What stage of startup can apply?
Early-stage and growth-stage, with a product in market or near launch. No geographic restrictions.
What does the funded enterprise pilot look like?
Each cycle’s pilot is shaped with that cycle’s sponsor partner. Winners are introduced directly to the partner team and the scope is co-designed.
How are winners selected?
An international expert panel evaluates against five criteria: clear pain point, pedagogical approach, user experience, business model, and product viability.
How does GESA differ from HolonIQ, GSV Cup, or HR Tech Pitchfest?
Three differences. GESA runs regional semifinals on six continents — most workforce-learning competitions don’t. The prize is a funded enterprise pilot with a corporate partner, not recognition alone. And the scope is workforce-learning-specific rather than generic EdTech.
Can investors and VCs sponsor?
Yes. Funds typically engage at Partner or Supporting tier — the value sits in pipeline access and direct introductions to founders the track has already validated.
Who runs the track day-to-day?
MindCET as organizer, in partnership with Lucian Cosinschi (LVA) on day-to-day curation.