Young Newtown entrepreneurs secure £415,000 AI research contract

Two former Newtown High School pupils who started a technology business in a garage have secured a major government contract to lead international research into identifying dyslexia in children.

Jamie Fones and Will Griffiths, both aged 26, founded Redpen AI in 2024 and now operate the business from Newtown's historic Royal Welsh Warehouse, also known as the Pryce Jones Building.

The pair have secured a £415,000 contract from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to lead a 12-month research project involving universities in England and Spain.

The project will investigate whether artificial intelligence can identify early signs of dyslexia by analysing photographs of children's handwritten schoolwork.

It is the second significant government contract secured by the Newtown business in just two years, following an initial award of £64,478 in December 2024.

Jamie was born and raised in Newtown, attending Penygloddfa Primary School before moving to Newtown High School. Will grew up in Sarn and also attended Newtown High School.

Their business began in a garage in Newtown, combining Jamie's background in technology and artificial intelligence with Will's experience as a primary school teacher.

Jamie previously worked in technology consulting and cloud engineering, while Will trained as a teacher at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

The company initially developed technology designed to reduce the amount of time teachers spend marking and assessing pupils' handwritten work.

Its system allows teachers to photograph children's written work, which is then analysed using artificial intelligence to generate draft feedback and track progress. Teachers remain responsible for reviewing the feedback and making educational decisions.

The technology is now being used with primary schools across Wales and England.

The latest contract will see the company work with researchers at the University of York and the Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain.

The research, which began this month and will run until September 2027, will examine whether patterns in children's handwriting, spelling and written language can provide reliable indications that a pupil may have dyslexia.

The aim is to help teachers identify children who could benefit from additional support or further assessment without requiring separate screening exercises.

However, the project remains at the research stage, and the proposed technology has not yet been scientifically validated as a means of identifying dyslexia risk.

Jamie said: "When Will and I started Redpen, we wanted to build technology that could make a genuine difference in classrooms. To be leading a £415,000 research project just two years later, alongside internationally recognised researchers, is a huge milestone for us.

"We've already seen how AI can help teachers understand pupils' work and provide more personalised support. This project takes that vision further. If we're successful, we could help teachers recognise when a child might need additional support much earlier, using the work they're already doing every day."

Will said his experience in teaching had highlighted the difficulties schools face in identifying pupils who require additional help.

"Having worked as a teacher myself, I know how difficult it can be for schools to identify children who need additional support. Teachers are already stretched, and with an estimated 10% of children having dyslexia, there are potentially thousands of pupils struggling in school without anyone fully understanding why."

He added: "Being awarded £415,000 by UKRI is a massive opportunity for us. There's still plenty of research ahead, but if we can help even a fraction of these children get the support they deserve earlier, the impact could be enormous."

The contract is being funded through a UKRI research and development programme focused on improving the identification of special educational needs. It is a research contract rather than a conventional business grant.

The project will also need to address questions around the accuracy of AI assessments, the handling of children's personal information and the risk of incorrectly identifying pupils as having dyslexia.

Dr Elpis Pavlidou, Associate Professor of Psychology in Education at the University of York, said: "AI has real potential to help us flag risk sooner but it needs to be grounded in rigorous evidence and high ethical standards."

For the two former Newtown High School pupils, the contract marks another stage in the development of a business that has remained based in their home area rather than relocating to a major technology centre.