IGNITE Founder Profile - Q+A with Sam Dunning
After seeing students fall behind because they couldn’t afford €50 maths grinds, Sam built Maupka to make personalised AI tutoring accessible to every student, regardless of income.
What problem are you solving, and what was the moment you realised, “I actually need to build this”? Was there a specific trigger or frustration that made it personal?
Many students struggle in school due to lack of help. This isn't the teachers' fault. They're overloaded with teaching, planning and correcting, leaving very little time for individual students. I saw this first-hand during college when I taught maths grinds on weekends. Students were coming because they felt lost in class and couldn't get the help they needed. But grinds are expensive, over €50 per session. Students who were struggling would come for a few sessions and simply not be able to afford to keep coming. That's when I knew I had to build something that could give every student that support, regardless of what their family could afford.
What’s been the most valuable part of IGNITE for you so far, practically, or personally?
If someone’s sitting on an idea but unsure whether to apply to IGNITE, what would you say to them? What almost stopped you from applying?
The most valuable part of IGNITE is definitely the community. Everyone is so willing to help and so experienced. It isn't hard to get advice on something you know nothing about just by asking! If someone is sitting on an idea, I'd say just apply. I almost didn't because I felt I hadn't built enough to show, but that didn't prove to be a problem. IGNITE is looking for the idea and the person behind it.
What’s one thing you can do now that you couldn’t do before joining IGNITE?
I've gotten much better at reaching out to people, especially potential customers. Sitting down with teachers and principals, hearing about their problems first-hand. That was completely new for me. I've now spoken to over 18 educators across 8 schools, and every conversation has shaped the product. It was daunting at first but definitely rewarding.
Where do you see the business 12 months from now?
In 12 months, I see Maupka (my business) in 10 schools and reaching hundreds of students, with a clear path to thousands. I want to have proven that AI tutoring genuinely helps students who can't afford grinds, and have the data from real classrooms to back that up. The goal is to make quality maths support something every student can access, not just those whose families can afford €50 an hour.