EduGrade AI, an AI-powered assessment and feedback platform developed at the School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS), Queen Mary University of London, has secured $100,000 in Microsoft Azure credits through the Microsoft for Startups programme.

The credits will support the continued development and scaling of EduGrade AI, enabling the team to expand its secure cloud infrastructure, enhance AI capabilities, and support pilots with higher education institutions.

Led by Dr Deepshikha, EduGrade AI has been designed to support educators by generating rubric-aligned draft feedback and indicative marking while ensuring that academic judgement remains central through a human-in-the-loop approach. The platform aims to improve consistency, reduce marking workload, and provide students with more timely, high-quality feedback.

Receiving Microsoft Azure support represents another important milestone for the project, which has already attracted interest from universities in the UK and internationally. The Azure credits will enable the team to accelerate technical development, strengthen platform scalability, and further evaluate the technology across diverse educational settings.

Commenting on the achievement, Dr Deepshikha said:

"This support from Microsoft for Startups will significantly accelerate the next stage of EduGrade AI's development. It enables us to focus on building a robust, scalable platform that empowers educators while promoting responsible and transparent use of AI in assessment and feedback. We look forward to expanding our collaborations with universities."

EduGrade AI forms part of SEMS' growing portfolio of innovation in artificial intelligence for education, demonstrating how engineering, digital technologies, and educational research can come together to address real-world challenges in higher education.