Global edtech company launches in China

Edtech company Renaissance, which provides math and reading assessment and practice products, on Wednesday officially launched in China.

The company said the move has been driven by China's growing kindergarten to 12th grade (K12) education market.

Renaissance's London-based international division, which operates in 95 countries, has established an office in Beijing and is working with a data center in Shanghai that will host all its products for the Chinese market.

More than 18 million students across the globe use Renaissance's cloud-based tools.

Erez Tocker, Renaissance managing director, said China's vision for its education system "chimed perfectly" with what his firm offers.

"The Chinese government is ahead of many others in its desire to see innovation in K12 education, personalized English language learning and edtech in the classroom," he said.

"Here in China, we're seeing a move away from traditional teaching and learning toward a more personalized curriculum – one that responds to each learner's individual strengths and weaknesses."

Renaissance's launch in China comes after three years spent exploring what would work best for Chinese customers and how to adapt the company's products to best suit the Chinese education system, he said.

Danny Whitehead, British Council deputy country director for China, said: "The UK is a world leader in teaching, learning, assessment, and education technology, and I'm delighted to see that students and families now have the opportunity to access the benefits of a UK education through Renaissance's products right here in China."

Education and language partnerships are powerful tools to build trust and understanding and to foster cultural exchange, he said.

Tom Simpson, China-Britain Business Council managing director of China operations, said the council will continue to support education providers across the UK, China and the world to enhance all learners' study experience.