Press Release
November 11, 2025 – The winner of the GESAwards Hong Kong track, Dustykid AI has been awarded with an EduEvidence Effectiveness certification.
The Global EdTech Startup Awards
(GESAwards)
The Global EdTech Startups Awards (GESAwards) is the world’s largest EdTech competition, bringing together innovators from over 130 countries and six continents.
Organized locally by Esperanza, the Hong Kong track offers startups a chance to showcase their solutions, connect with global partners, and compete for the title of EdTech Startup of the Year. Participants are evaluated on how effectively they address real educational challenges, introduce innovative learning approaches, deliver great user experiences, scale their impact, and sustain their business models.
- Canpanion addressing the needs of students with special education needs
- DustykidAI tackling youth mental wellness
- ProjectEve combining computer science education with plant biology concepts
- Unlimitics developing the executive functioning skill of children with ADHD and autism
- Writeforce providing a structured and responsible way for students to use AI while improving their critical thinking and writing skills
- Writeright addressing the Chinese language learning needs of students with dyslexia
This year, GESAwards Hong Kong and EduEvidence partnered to introduce a new special recognition: the EduEvidence Effectiveness Certificate. The certificate could be awarded because several of the GESAwards judging criteria align directly with the EduEvidence Effectiveness Bronze Level standards. As part of EduEvidence’s equivalence scheme, the winning startup must demonstrate excellence in three core areas:
- Innovative pedagogy
- Outstanding user experience (UX)
- Clear evidence of learning outcomes
During the GESAwards Hong Kong Finals on 6 November, local EdTech startups pitched their solutions to a panel of judges. The top three were DustykidAI, Unlimitics, and WriteRight, with Dustykid AI ultimately receiving the EduEvidence Effectiveness Certificate for demonstrating strong evidence of impact across all three criteria.
A few words about the winning EdTech:
“Dustykid AI chatbot: the authentic companion that makes your dusty soul shine. Team Dustykid aims to reframe the world with a warm caring AI tool.”
Dustykid AI is an advanced, non-judgmental chatbot designed to be a safe space for users to explore and articulate their deepest thoughts. Its foundation is built on a sophisticated four-part feedback mechanism, ensuring a supportive and growth-oriented interaction:
- Mirroring Feedback: Reflecting the user’s input to ensure validated understanding.
- Self-Reflection Prompts: Guiding users toward deeper introspection.
- Positive Reframing: Offering constructive and optimistic perspectives.
- Encouragement Replies: Providing consistent motivation and support.
Unique Capabilities of Dustykid AI
- Feedback with the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Database
- Empathy Responses with Corresponding Illustrations
- Certified Privacy & Security Standards
- Customizable and Human-in-the-Loop Workflow
- Designed with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) framework
Prof. Natalia Kucirkova delivering a keynote online on GESAwards Finals November 6th
As part of the event, EduEvidence Academic Advisory Board Chair Professor Natalia Kucirkova delivered a keynote on why evidence must start early in the EdTech innovation cycle, especially with startups. The award was presented by Dr. LIN Dan, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at The Education University of Hong Kong and an EduEvidence advisory board member.
The collaboration between EduEvidence and GESAwards with Esperanza marks an important step toward building a more evidence-driven EdTech ecosystem in Hong Kong. By recognizing startups that prioritise educational impact right from the start, EduEvidence and Esperanza are helping shape a market where evidence is a key parameter of success.As Hong Kong continues to build a stronger EdTech market and provide teachers with better support for selecting digital tools through EdCity, certification will play a key role. Certifications offer teachers trustworthy guidance backed by research, helping them make informed choices about which tools to adopt. For early-stage startups, certification can demonstrate that their solutions are grounded in sound pedagogy and research. For more mature products, it provides evidence that the tool has been tested in classrooms and has shown positive, measurable impact on learning.
With a community of over 8,000 startups, the competition provides a unique opportunity for emerging EdTech ventures to present their solutions to a worldwide audience, forge strategic partnerships, and access new business and investment opportunities. Beyond celebrating the most promising startups, GESAwards plays a vital role in strengthening local EdTech ecosystems and driving investment into diverse and emerging markets.
For the Hong Kong track, Hong Kong-based EdTech startups can participate in GESAwards to gain global recognition, and obtain international awards.