Discentis: how Italian EdTech looks beyond borders

Discentis is an Italian social-impact EdTech startup that designs innovative training paths for teachers, helping schools transform learning. Its mission is to create a virtual space where educators today in Italy, tomorrow worldwide, can meet, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. By combining innovative methods, quality content, and peer-to-peer exchange, Discentis empowers teachers so that students can thrive in a changing world.

Founded in 2022, Discentis quickly reached over 6,000 educators across Italy through professional development programmes. In 2023, the startup joined NextEdu, which gave the team the momentum to accelerate growth and look beyond national borders.

After the acceleration programme, Discentis strengthened its team, moved into its first office, and laid the foundations for internationalisation. The following year, it won the Welfare, che impresa! award, joined SocialFare’s acceleration programme, and successfully closed a €500k funding round. Most recently, Discentis launched its online community for teachers, which already brings together more than 3,500 educators. According to the founder and CEO, Viviana Pinto, NextEdu was pivotal in helping them realise that Discentis was not just a local project but a startup with the potential to scale internationally. 

“NextEdu gave us the tools and the confidence to think bigger and act bolder.”

With clear goals for the next 12–24 months, growing their teachers’ community, launching a premium plan, expanding internationally, and deepening partnerships with institutions, Discentis is proving how Italian EdTech can scale globally, starting from Turin.

👉 Applications for the third edition of NextEdu are open until 22 September 2025, thanks to the generous support of Fondazione Sviluppo e Crescita CRT, in collaboration with OGR Torino. Apply here: www.xedu.co/nextedu