A Cwmbran entrepreneur whose GCSE and A-Level Maths grades were once predicted to be a D has built an education technology business aimed at giving every student access to personalised learning support.
Sion Brown is the founder of AIMAITES, an AI-powered education platform based in Cwmbran that helps students learn, reduces teachers’ workloads and develops resources for schools.
The idea for the business came from his own experience of overcoming academic challenges.
Despite being predicted a D grade in Maths, additional private tutoring helped him achieve an A* at both GCSE and A-Level.
That transformation inspired him to create a platform that could offer tailored support to students regardless of their background.
Business Wales team
He shared his story with the Welsh Government’s Business Wales team.
He said: “My own exam experience showed me the power of personalised support. Students struggle because they lack it, and teachers struggle because they lack capacity.
“AIMAITES harnesses AI to help teachers reduce their workload and give every student access to the tailored support that unlocks their full potential.”
The company now operates three platforms, providing AI-powered personalised learning for students, workflow tools for tutors and resources designed to help schools cut down on marking workloads.
Sion said the business is driven by a desire to make education more accessible and engaging.
He said: “We want to see a world where every student, regardless of their financial or other background, has access to high-quality, tailored education.
“We believe personalised learning, delivered in a fun and interactive way, is the key to achieving that.”
Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP)
As AIMAITES has grown, the business has received support from the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP), which Sion said helped the company focus its ambitions and scale more effectively.
He said: “Before joining AGP, we pushed multiple large initiatives simultaneously, which diluted focus and slowed progress.
“With AGP’s support, we prioritised smaller, high-impact elements delivered in phases, enabling us to iterate quickly, validate with users and build stronger foundations.”
Among the company’s recent achievements was becoming a supplier to Adnodd, the Welsh Government-backed body responsible for bilingual educational resources.
AIMAITES has also been commissioned to develop anti-bullying resources due to be launched in 2027.
This year, the business reached the final four of the UKRI and Innovate UK Agentic AI Pioneers Prize and was named a finalist in the Department for Education’s Tutoring Tools Pioneers Programme.
Sion said the recognition has provided momentum as the company looks to expand further across the UK.
AITutoring
“We’re rolling out a new version of AITutoring with a range of pioneering features, and we’ll be running pilots with multi-academy trusts in England and schools in Wales to make personalised education more accessible and inclusive,” he said.
“Reaching two national finals has given us fresh validation as we expand our footprint across the UK.”
The company also recently received a highly commended award for Innovation & Technology at the Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent Business Awards.
Sion believes his determination has been key.
He said: “The number one predictor of success isn’t talent; it’s grit: the ability to persevere through setbacks.”