Why we built Ako: learning made simple

We learnt the long way. You don't have to.

Our mission

Learning made simple

We sat in that lecture theatre and felt that pressure. Ako is the tool we wish we'd had, so your hard work pays off.

A few years ago, we started First Year Health Science at Otago with one plan: work hard, work smart, and get into medicine. Jack got in. Dom missed out, despite his A+ average, so he took the longer road through a Biomedical Sciences degree.

We worked hard, putting in long library days and late nights, but we didn't work smart. Despite all the study resources out there, we lacked understanding of which tools were the best and how to bring them all together.

We knew active recall worked, but the trouble was everything around it: flashcards made by hand, notes in one app, cards in another, a study plan on a scrap of paper, and whole evenings lost hunting for last week's work.

So we built Ako.

Ako brings your notes, flashcards, study plan and tutors into one place. Designed to adapt to your unique style of learning and academic goals, Ako can help you realise your potential. No juggling apps, no lost cards, no guessing what to revise next.

Dom now teaches as an academic tutor at Christ's College, and Jack has tutored more than 50 students through NCEA and first year health science. Every year we see the same thing: capable, hardworking students losing hours to study that doesn't stick. Ako is built on the science of learning and our own experience.

Jack Clough

Co-founder · Fourth year medical student · Experienced tutor

I got into medicine straight out of Health Sciences First Year and am now in my fourth year, based at Christchurch Hospital. As an experienced tutor I've taught more than 50 students through NCEA and first year health science, and have seen first hand how often hard work gets wasted on the wrong kind of study. I've spent hours reading and learning about the science of learning and performance, trying to excel in my sporting and academic career. I pass these lessons on to my students, my cricket team, and more recently to Ako. I love applying these lessons to better my own performance, but it is far more rewarding to see the success of the people I try to help.

Dom Edmond

Co-founder · Fourth year medical student · Academic tutor, Christ's College · NZ Army medic

I finished Health Sciences First Year with an A+ average and missed out on medicine. I took the longer road through Biomedical Science, where I was awarded an Otago Prestige Scholarship for academic excellence. I'm now in my fourth year, based at Christchurch Hospital. I've taught whole cohorts as an anatomy demonstrator at Otago, tutored with Cluey Learning, and now work with students as an academic tutor at Christ's College. I've also served three years as a territorial medic in the NZ Army. Outside of that, I run competitively, play guitar and sing, and love getting outdoors.

"You're looking for a process to trust. Here it is."

Jack and Dom