Education software development
Give teachers their time back, and give every learner a path of their own.
School and nursery communication with parents, online learning, personalised learning with generative AI, automated production of teaching materials. Digi Dinos also develops and runs its own education products, and education is an area we are actively investing in.
- We build and run our own education products
- Personalised learning and AI tutors with generative AI
- Multilingual and plain-Japanese communication
Sound familiar?
The challenges companies in this industry bring to us most often.
Parent communication still runs on paper and phone calls
Contact books, newsletters and absence calls take teachers' time, and you never know if the message got through.
Messages miss families with foreign roots
You need a way to reach parents who are not fluent in Japanese, and grandparents who will not install an app.
Individual attention does not scale
There is no time to tailor material to each student's weak points or to answer questions outside class.
Producing materials and tests is manual and slow
Typesetting fixes and back-and-forth with vendors take time, and past questions are hard to find and reuse.
School admin is spread across tools
Students, course schedules and accommodation live in separate tools, and the admin work keeps growing.
No one to run your e-learning
You want to deliver lecture videos and materials online, but nobody can build the platform or keep it running day to day.
What we build
We learn how your business works first, then build only what you actually need.
School-to-parent communication apps
Automatic absence tallies, notices and surveys, class and one-to-one messages, photo and video albums, and push notifications for emergencies.
Online learning platforms
Lecture videos, practice questions and e-books in one learning site and app.
Generative AI personalised learning and AI tutors
Analyse learning history to generate a curriculum automatically, with an AI tutor that answers around the clock and automatic creation of similar questions.
Automated material production and question databases
Manage questions, answers and assets in a database and pour them straight into InDesign to speed up typesetting.
School operations and student management
One back office for students, course schedules and online classes, linked to a learner app.
Multilingual and plain Japanese
We practise multilingual and plain-Japanese (yasashii nihongo) communication design in our own product, so messages reach families with foreign roots.
Case studies
A selection of projects we have delivered. Clients are described by industry only, under our confidentiality agreements.
School-to-parent communication platform
- Challenge
- The school still used paper contact books, so information could not be shared with parents in real time.
- What we did
- We are digitising the contact book: automatic intake and tallying of absence and lateness notices, school events and schedules, surveys, secure class and one-to-one messages, photo and video albums of activities, and push notifications for emergencies. At graduation, families can download the full message history and growth records in one go.
- Technology
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- Laravel
- Nuxt.js
- Flutter (iOS / Android)
- AWS (S3 / CloudFront)
- MySQL
ResultDesigned to replace the paper contact book with real-time sharing between school and parents.
National exam prep platform with generative AI
- Challenge
- Tailor study to the weak points of each student aiming to become a nurse, pharmacist or similar, while also answering questions outside class.
- What we did
- AI analyses learning history to find weak points and generates a personalised curriculum. We are building an AI tutor that answers students' questions 24 hours a day using a large language model (LLM), and automatic creation of original similar questions and explanations.
- Technology
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- Python (LangChain, FastAPI)
- GCP (Vertex AI / Gemini API)
- AWS
- Nuxt.js (TypeScript)
- Flutter
- PostgreSQL
ResultDesigned to deliver exam preparation tailored to each student on web and mobile.
Running a learning platform for medical students
- Challenge
- Keep a learning service with lecture videos, practice questions and e-books running reliably while continuing to improve it.
- What we did
- We took over the existing system and handle day-to-day operation, maintenance and feature improvements.
- Technology
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- Laravel
- Next.js (TypeScript)
- AWS
- MySQL
ResultWe have operated the platform continuously since 2024.
Running an online video training service for care and welfare
- Challenge
- Keep an online video training service for people working in elderly care, disability welfare and home healthcare running reliably.
- What we did
- We took over the existing service and handle its day-to-day operation and maintenance.
- Technology
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- AWS
- Node.js
- Next.js (TypeScript)
- MySQL
ResultWe have operated and maintained the service continuously since 2025.
Automated typesetting and question database for teaching materials
- Challenge
- Primary-school test production meant finishing thousands of items in a short time, and manual InDesign fixes plus double-checking with an external typesetter had hit their limit. Past questions were not organised, so they could not be searched or reused.
- What we did
- We put questions, answers and assets into a single question database tagged with grade, unit and difficulty, and ran a proof of concept (PoC) of an automated typesetting flow that pours data from the database straight into InDesign.
- Technology
-
- Python
- Laravel
- Next.js (TypeScript)
- OpenAI API / Gemini API
- InDesign
ResultThe PoC proved lower outsourcing costs and a shift to data-driven material production; full development is under way.
Learning and operations platform for a business English school
- Challenge
- Student management, course schedules and accommodation were spread across several tools, making operations complicated. The school also wanted an easy-to-use app for learners.
- What we did
- We built a web back office that brings operations together and a mobile app for learners, as one system, with the stability to support two-month intensive programmes and a smooth remote learning experience.
- Technology
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- Flutter
- Node.js
- Firebase
- WebRTC
- AWS
ResultOperations that were spread across several tools now run in one system.
We work in education with our own products, too
Beyond client work, we plan, build and run our own education products. What we have learned improving them with real users goes into every client project.
Communication app for nurseries and kindergartens (Japan)
Tsunagu Note
A teacher writes one message in everyday Japanese, and parents receive it in 12 languages and plain Japanese. Grandparents without the app can read it from a QR code. It includes all four features required for Japan's childcare ICT subsidy, and is free forever for nurseries with 50 children or fewer.
Visit site
Free learning app for children aged 3 to 6
Dino Kids
Colouring, letter tracing, five languages, maths, music and 500 read-aloud folk tales. No ads and no in-app purchases, and parents can record their own voice for the narration. Available for iPad, iPhone and Android.
Visit siteWhy Digi Dinos
150+ projects delivered
Since 2018 we have delivered more than 150 projects, from web systems and mobile apps to AI and blockchain.
Japanese staff on your project
Japanese staff take part directly in meetings and correspondence. Together with our Japanese-speaking bridge SEs and IT communicators (comtors), documents and day-to-day chat are handled in Japanese. We also have an office in Yokohama.
Offshore cost advantage
Our development team in Hanoi, Vietnam lets us keep quality high while costing less than building the same team in Japan.
ISO 27001 information security
We are certified to ISO/IEC 27001, the international standard for information security, so projects handling personal or confidential data follow defined rules.
Strong in AI and data
We have extensive experience building AI into real operations: generative AI (large language models), computer vision and demand forecasting.
From build to long-term support
Launch is not the end. The same team stays on for maintenance and improvement, and many clients have worked with us for years.
How we work
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Free consultation
We listen to your goals and give you an approach and a rough cost range.
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Requirements and quote
We agree the features and priorities, then fix the schedule and the cost.
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Design and prototype
Screen mock-ups and prototypes let you see the finished product early.
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Build
We show working software in short cycles and fold in your feedback.
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Test and sign-off
We test for quality, and you try it yourself and approve it before it goes live.
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Launch and support
After go-live we keep monitoring, improving and adding features.
Engagement models
Fixed-scope project
Scope, deadline and price are agreed before we start. Suited to projects with a clear budget and requirements.
Best forLaunching a new service or system
Dedicated team (LaaS)
A team dedicated to you for an agreed period. Flexible when requirements change, and ideal for ongoing development.
Best forLong-term development with continuous improvement
PoC / MVP
Build something small first and measure the effect. Ideal for trying out AI or validating a new business.
Best forProving the value before a full rollout
Frequently asked questions
- Can a nursery or a small school talk to you?
- Of course. Depending on your size and budget, we can introduce our own product Tsunagu Note or build a system just for you.
- Is children's personal data handled safely?
- We design under ISO/IEC 27001 information security, with access control and encryption of data in transit and at rest as a baseline. What parents can see, such as photos and message history, is decided together with you at the requirements stage.
- Can generative AI be used safely for learning?
- We propose designs suited to education, such as limiting the material the AI can draw on (RAG), reviewing usage logs and settings that suppress inappropriate answers.
- Does it qualify for subsidies?
- Eligibility depends on the programme and the local authority. For example, Tsunagu Note includes as standard the four features required by Japan's childcare ICT subsidy: attendance, parent communication, planning and records, and cashless payment.
- Can we work with you in Japanese?
- Yes. Japanese staff take part directly in meetings and correspondence, and together with our Japanese-speaking bridge SEs and communicators, documents and chat are all handled in Japanese. We also have an office in Yokohama for face-to-face meetings when needed.
- How much does it cost?
- It depends heavily on the features and the scale. Because we work with our team in Vietnam, costs are usually lower than building the same team in Japan. Start with a free consultation and we will propose a rough estimate and an approach.
Planning an education system? Talk to us first.
Even if you are only wondering "could this be done?", talk to us. We will help you sort out the problem first. Consultations and quotes are free.