About us
Materact is a platform built around a simple belief: that maths education can be better supported for both students and teachers. We want more people to have access to the kind of learning and teaching tools that make genuine understanding possible, and that give every student the opportunity to achieve the maths grades they deserve.
This is what led us to build Materact, and it continues to shape how we think about education, technology, and the role of AI in the classroom.
Co-Founder & CEO
Co-Founder & CTO
Materact was founded by Ignacio Alarcó and Andres Altena, who have known each other since they were 10, when they first met at school.
Ignacio later studied Mathematics at King’s College London, and Andres went on to study Engineering at the University of Cambridge. Maths has played an important role in both of their lives, and over time they became increasingly interested in how education and technology could be used together to support learning more effectively.
Materact grew out of that shared interest, and from a belief that maths education can be better supported for both students and teachers. Today, Materact is built by a wider team united by that same conviction.
Front and centre of Materact is our commitment to improving the quality of maths education for both students and teachers.
We believe everyone should have access to the best possible learning and teaching tools, and that technology should help extend that access rather than limit it. Our aim is to use thoughtful, responsible technology to support real learning and help more students achieve the grades they are capable of.
Math is foundational
For us, maths is foundational. It underpins many other subjects, develops critical problem-solving skills, and plays an increasingly important role in a world where technical skills matter more and more. The relationship students develop with maths during their school years can shape confidence, future study, and wider opportunities.
Everyone can improve in maths
Too many students come to believe that they simply “do not get” maths. We do not believe that. Maths is a cumulative subject, which means early frustrations and misunderstandings can build into long-term barriers to progress. But with the right support, the right feedback, and the right approach, every student can develop their maths skills and confidence.
Everyone should have access to the best maths learning and teaching resources
High-quality individual support is difficult to provide consistently. Teachers are under pressure, and one-to-one tuition is often expensive and inaccessible. We believe technology can help close that gap. Used well, it can broaden access to the kind of personalised support that has traditionally been available only to a few.
AI should support real learing
AI creates a major opportunity for education, but it also comes with risks. General-purpose tools can confuse learning by giving inaccurate responses or by providing full answers too quickly. Used badly, AI can weaken understanding and encourage shortcuts. Used well, it can extend support, improve feedback, and make learning more responsive. At Materact, we believe AI should be used in ways that promote genuine understanding rather than bypass it.
We work in partnership with educators
Education is fundamentally human. Technology should support teachers, not replace them. Materact is designed to work alongside classroom teaching, helping students engage more meaningfully with maths while giving teachers better tools to support progress. Everything we build is grounded in the belief that the best educational outcomes come from partnership, not substitution.
