ExamRevision is Ireland’s fastest-growing Teaching & Learning Platform for Irish secondary schools - the “21st Century Textbook”- containing bite sized video tutorials, self-correcting quizzes, ppt presentations, notes, exam papers and teacher dashboards for assigning and monitoring student progress.

The platform replaces traditional textbooks, revision guides and exam paper booklets with a single, integrated digital solution used by students, teachers and schools. It delivers curriculum-aligned content and classroom tools that enable teachers to assign work, track progress and personalise learning, while giving students flexible, on-demand access to high-quality resources.

We sat down with co founder Keith Walsh and asked him about his business journey to date and the LEO supports they've had along the way

What lead you to setting up your own business?

My background is in education, having worked as a Business and Geography teacher, where I developed a strong understanding of how students learn in different ways. From a young age, I’ve also had an entrepreneurial mindset, always looking for opportunities to create and improve things. Combining these two experiences, I became particularly interested in how technology can be used to support a wide range of learners- whether that’s through visual, interactive or self-paced learning tools. That belief has played a key role in shaping the approach behind ExamRevision.

Why and when did you decide to become self-employed?

ExamRevision had been rapidly developing since its launch and Keith made the decision to fully commit and take the leap into self-employment in 2023. At that point, the platform was already gaining strong traction, with over 40,000 students and teachers using it, and it was clear there was a real need to continue expanding and developing what we had built. We had already brought on a full-time web developer to support the growth of the platform and the next natural step was for me to go all in as well. It was a risk, but one grounded in real momentum, real usage and a clear belief in where the platform could go. Since then, we have employed 8 full time and 5 part time staff.

What do you believe makes your business different from others in your industry?

What sets ExamRevision apart is our strong focus on teaching and learning, and our aim to help every student achieve their best. We’re not just providing content - we’re supporting the full learning process by giving students clear explanations, structured resources, and the ability to learn at their own pace in a way that suits them.

A big part of what drives us is helping to level the playing field. Not every student has access to grinds or extra support outside the classroom, so we’ve built a platform that makes high-quality learning accessible to everyone. At the same time, we place a strong emphasis on supporting teachers - through high-quality, ready-to-use content, student tracking tools and features that allow them to easily set assignments and cover work. We work closely with schools and continuously refine the platform based on real feedback, ensuring it remains practical, relevant and genuinely improves outcomes for both students and teachers.

Biggest Challenges and Opportunities to date?

One of the biggest challenges in the early days was building awareness and trust. As a new platform, schools needed to see real value before committing and that meant getting in front of teachers, demonstrating the product and proving that it could genuinely support both teaching and learning. Like any startup, there were also challenges around balancing limited resources while trying to grow the platform, improve content and support an increasing number of users at the same time.

Those challenges created real opportunities. As more schools came on board and started using the platform, word of mouth became a huge driver of growth. Seeing strong engagement from students and positive feedback from teachers gave us the confidence to keep developing and expanding. There’s also a growing openness within education to using technology in a meaningful way, which has created a great opportunity for us to position ExamRevision as a practical, trusted tool that supports both students and teachers in the classroom and beyond.

Have you changed your business model or target market? What lead you to this pivot?

Yes, we have evolved our approach over time. Initially, we were focused more on individual students and parents, offering subscriptions directly to support study outside of school. While that worked well, we quickly saw a much bigger opportunity at a whole-school level.

Through engagement with teachers and Principals, it became clear that schools were looking for a structured, reliable platform they could roll out across all students and subjects, rather than something used in isolation. That led us to shift our focus towards whole school licences, which allow us to support both students and teachers in a more integrated way. This pivot was really driven by feedback from the schools themselves. It allowed us to have a greater impact, embed the platform into everyday teaching and learning and ultimately deliver more value across the entire school community.

One stand-out moment that made you feel like you were on the right path/ or one that made you rethink strategy?

One stand-out moment for me was attending an education conference where I had the chance to speak with a large number of school leaders in a short space of time. What really stood out was how many of them came up to say how useful their staff and students were finding the platform. These weren’t prompted conversations - it was genuine, unsolicited feedback about the impact it was having in their schools.

That was a big moment of validation. Up to that point, you’re always refining and second guessing whether you’re focusing on the right things, but hearing that consistent message directly from Principals and teachers gave me real confidence that we were on the right path. It reinforced our focus on supporting whole schools and continuing to build tools that work for both teachers and students.

LEO supports received and direct benefit to you and your business.

The support we received from the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) has been really valuable in helping us grow ExamRevision, particularly during key stages of expansion. Through the Trading Online Voucher, we were able to further develop our technology at a time when the platform was growing rapidly and demand was increasing. The Priming Grant then helped us to scale the platform even further and invest in redesigning our tech architecture to support long-term growth. More recently, the Expansion Grant has supported us in growing the team, allowing us to bring in additional staff to continue developing and improving the platform.

Alongside the financial support, access to advice, mentoring and the wider LEO network has also been hugely beneficial. Overall, these supports have played an important role in helping us build momentum and scale the business with confidence.

LEO Supports Received

• Training
• Mentoring
• Priming Grant
• Business Expansion Grant
• Trading Online Voucher
• Lean for Business
• Green For Business
• Peter Sheridan Dublin City Enterprise Awards Winner 2026

Photo: Presentation of Peter Sheridan Dublin City Enterprise Award 2026 (L-R): Keith Walsh, ExamRevision, Cllr. Ray McAdam Lord Mayor of Dublin, Áine Devlin, ExamRevision Warren Cray, Head of Enterprise, Dublin City Council, and Paddy Ward, ExamRevision

Plans for the future?

Looking ahead, our focus is on expanding beyond Ireland into the UK and wider international markets. We’ve built ExamRevision as a scalable SaaS platform, which puts us in a strong position to grow into new regions while maintaining the quality of the experience for both students and teachers. The goal is to continue refining the platform so it can be adapted to different curricula and education systems, while keeping the core focus on supporting teaching and learning. We see a significant opportunity to scale the business internationally and bring the same level of support to a much broader audience.

What advice would you give to new entrepreneurs?

My advice to new entrepreneurs would be to start with a real problem and stay close to your customer. In our case, everything came from real classroom experience and that continues to guide how we develop the platform today. It’s easy to get caught up in ideas, but the businesses that succeed are the ones that are solving genuine, everyday challenges. I’d also say don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you start. Get something out there, test it and be prepared to adapt quickly based on feedback. Being flexible and willing to pivot is key, especially in the early stages.

Finally, be prepared for it to take time and persistence. There will be challenges but if you believe in what you’re building and you’re seeing real traction, that momentum will keep you going. Surround yourself with good people, ask for advice and make the most of supports available - such as your Local Enterprise Board—these supports can make a huge difference along the way.