Australian edtech company Paperly has secured $3 million in new funding to speed up its expansion at home and overseas. The raise comes as schools face heavier compliance demands and pressure to deliver more with limited resources, which is pushing leaders to abandon manual, paper based processes. Paperly positions its workflow platform as a way to strip out administrative friction so teachers and staff can redirect time toward learning and student support.
Funding Round and Market Backing
The $3 million round includes ongoing support from existing investor Purpose Ventures and welcomes new backers Tribe Global Ventures and Skalata. Their participation signals growing investor conviction that school operations technology is becoming critical infrastructure rather than a discretionary add on. Capital from this round will focus on accelerating product innovation, deepening customer support and building the foundations for sustained international growth.
Rapid Growth and Sector Momentum
Since its seed funding in 2023, Paperly reports a 4,600 percent increase in annual recurring revenue, placing it among the fastest growing platforms in the school operations segment. More than 250 schools are already contracted for 2026, including both government and independent institutions, multi campus networks and diocesan groups. This trajectory reflects a broader industry shift as schools move beyond traditional SIS and LMS tools toward specialist platforms that handle day to day operational workflows those systems were never designed to manage.
Product Evolution and Leadership
Paperly was founded in 2018 by Daniel Dawson, who experienced firsthand the strain created by fragmented processes, manual forms and disconnected systems in schools. The platform initially focused on specific pain points such as excursions, forms and parent communication, then progressively expanded to support hundreds of workflows across the wider school environment. In 2023, Jak Tidman joined as chief operations officer, drove commercial maturity and strategic partnerships and was later formally recognized as co founder in light of his contribution.
Customer Led Product Development
The company builds its roadmap around direct customer feedback rather than speculative feature ideas. Paperly reinvests about 60 percent of its earnings into product development so the platform can evolve quickly in line with emerging school requirements. This approach has enabled the team to ship regular enhancements that tackle recurring operational challenges faced by teachers, administrators and leadership teams across different school types.
International Expansion and Local Presence
Strong demand has prompted Paperly to expand its physical footprint beyond its Perth base, with teams now operating in Melbourne, Brisbane and the United Kingdom. The company has already onboarded schools in Asia and continues to receive inbound interest from additional international regions, which is informing its expansion roadmap. To support this growth, Paperly is building local teams that can provide region specific expertise, implementation support and product capabilities, while viewing the United States as a major long term opportunity.
With new funding in place, Paperly plans to scale its presence across Australia, grow in the United Kingdom and Asia, and increase investment in engineering, product development and customer experience. The company also intends to deepen strategic partnerships and reseller channels, strengthening its position within the global edtech ecosystem. While the round marks a significant milestone, Paperly frames it as the next phase in a longer journey to help schools replace administrative complexity with clarity, consistency and confidence.