Synap is an intelligent online assessment and learning platform that uses the principles of spaced repetition to enhance long-term retention and accelerate learning. Spaced repetition has been shown to increase the rate of memorisation.[1]
History
Synap was co-founded in 2015 by Dr. James Gupta and Dr. Omair Vaiyani, both graduates of Leeds Medical School. Originally conceived under the name 'MyCQs', the platform initially operated as a native iOS application and website, catering primarily to UK medical students. It allowed users to create and share crowdsourced quizzes in a Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) format, leveraging spaced repetition principles similar to tools like Anki.[2][3][4]
During Synap's early years, James Gupta briefly served as the Chief Technology Officer for JumpIn, a student-focused taxi booking app that was later acquired by Addison Lee in 2014.[5][6] Following this acquisition, James returned to focus on advancing MyCQs alongside co-founder Omair Vaiyani.
In 2014, MyCQs secured funding and mentorship from Jisc, an education technology charity,[7] and received a scholarship from The University of Leeds,[8] enabling the integration of sophisticated algorithms grounded in educational psychology.[9] These developments led to a strategic pivot towards personalised learning,[10] prompting the company to rebrand as Synap in 2015.[11]
Synap experienced significant milestones in subsequent years, including a successful equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube in August 2015.[12][13] James and Omair graduated from medical school in 2017, thereafter committing full-time to Synap's growth by expanding the team and establishing offices in Leeds.
In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Synap intensified its focus on online examinations in response to increased demand for remote learning solutions.[14][15] By 2023, Synap developed Synoptic, an in-house proctoring solution that monitored over 1,000 exams within six months, addressing the need for secure online examination environments.
Infrastructure
Synap was originally developed on Facebook's Parse platform.[16] In January 2016, Facebook announced that Parse would be closing down, and advised developers to migrate their apps to other services.[17] As of March 2016, Synap has been hosted on Amazon Web Services, using the newly open-sourced Parse Server, which itself uses Node.js. The website is developed in Ember.js, and uses a MongoDB database, making Synap an example of full-stack JavaScript development.[18]
Recognition
Synap has been featured in The Oxford Public Health Magazine.[19]
In December 2015, Synap was listed as one of 10 British AI companies to look out for by Business Insider.[20]
Selected as a Runner-up for ‘EdTech of the Year’ at the 2021 British Data Awards.[21]
Selected as a Finalist for 'Innovation of the Year' and 'Education Initiative of the Year' at the 2024 British Data Awards.[22]
Products and Services
Synap offers a comprehensive suite of educational tools and services:
Online Exams: Enables educators to create and administer secure online exams through the platform.
Synoptic: In-house proctoring tool offering features such as intermittent webcam snapshots, screen replay, and automatic breach detection, designed to ensure exam integrity in remote settings.
Online Course Delivery: Supports development and delivery of online courses and assignments with built-in authoring tools.
