Coracle is an award winning technology company that delivers secure, offline-first e-learning. Whatever the circumstances, we want everyone to be able to participate in learning in a digital world.
Our Story
Coracle is a Cambridge based EdTech company, on a mission to create a world where no-one is isolated from learning opportunities.
We aim to be responsible in all that we do. We’re environmentally conscious and as a socially driven organisation, are proud to be a certified B-Corp.
We are empowered by our unifying values:
Security: We work in some of society’s most challenging environments. That’s why our software is secure and our people are vetted and highly trained.
Equality: We fundamentally believe that everyone has the right to develop their digital skills, so that they can unlock opportunities and change their life for the better. Thanks to our work, learning is inclusive and no-one gets left behind. We create the same equitable opportunities within our team.
Creativity: Thanks to the creativity and innovation of our team, we have been able to reimagine education-based technology and put digital learning in the hands of some of the hardest to reach learners.
What’s in a name?
A Coracle is a small boat, used since Roman times. These lightweight craft are so portable that fishermen can pick them up and carry them on their shoulders. Coracle digital is synonymous with this flexible vessel. Coracle’s users can pick up their studies and carry them with them wherever they go, and access a rich library of knowledge whenever they want.
Founder Story
James spent his early career as a chartered shipbroker and fund manager, trading freight. He kept noticing the same problem: people lacked the knowledge they needed to make informed decisions. In 2006, a Christmas conversation with a digital pioneer at Cisco sparked an idea. What if technology could bring education to people who couldn’t otherwise reach it? James took a proposal to the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, digitised their distance learning courses, and Coracle was born.
Then came the financial crisis, and a pivot. Rebuilding the business through angel investment, James found himself drawn to a deeper question: what does education mean for the people society has most written off? He returned to the University of Cambridge to study for an MPhil in Psychology and Education, researching the role of education on prisoners’ mindsets and rehabilitation. The academic work and the business mission fused into one. Coracle turned its focus to prisons and today, Coracle operates across more than 90% of prisons throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as other challenging environments such as YOIs, secure schools and NHS facilities.
James advises the government on digital inclusion as a member of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)’s Digital Inclusion Action Committee (DIAC), is a trustee of the National Extension College (NEC) and is the Chair of Rebooted, a charity that connects prisoners and their families to digital learning via recycled devices, to improve their lives for the better.
Founder Story
James spent his early career as a chartered shipbroker and fund manager, trading freight. He kept noticing the same problem: people lacked the knowledge they needed to make informed decisions. In 2006, a Christmas conversation with a digital pioneer at Cisco sparked an idea. What if technology could bring education to people who couldn’t otherwise reach it? James took a proposal to the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, digitised their distance learning courses, and Coracle was born.
Then came the financial crisis, and a pivot. Rebuilding the business through angel investment, James found himself drawn to a deeper question: what does education mean for the people society has most written off? He returned to the University of Cambridge to study for an MPhil in Psychology and Education, researching the role of education on prisoners’ mindsets and rehabilitation. The academic work and the business mission fused into one. Coracle turned its focus to prisons and today, Coracle operates across more than 90% of prisons throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as other challenging environments such as YOIs, secure schools and NHS facilities.
James advises the government on digital inclusion as a member of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)’s Digital Inclusion Action Committee (DIAC), is a trustee of the National Extension College (NEC) and is the Chair of Rebooted, a charity that connects prisoners and their families to digital learning via recycled devices, to improve their lives for the better.
