Our journey began in 2022 when Fiona Goodsite and I (Amelie Parker) met during our first year at the University of Adelaide, studying a Bachelor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. We started uni in the middle of COVID, and quickly became friends—often the only two with our cameras on and actually engaging during Zoom classes. We knew we wanted to build something together, but we didn’t yet know what. In our second year, things got tough.

I was struggling to keep up with the fast-paced lectures, and Fiona found them difficult to understand—English isn’t her first language. We started feeling overwhelmed and disengaged, and over time, our confidence took a hit. That’s when we enrolled in the eChallenge accelerator course. It gave us the chance to turn a personal problem into a potential solution. So we focused on what we knew: how hard studying had become. That’s how Tutbob came to life.

Tutbob is a Google Chrome extension designed to help students better understand and keep up with lecture content using responsible AI. It transcribes lectures, extracts key concepts, creates flashcards and quizzes, and explains complex topics in simpler terms. What makes Tutbob meaningful to us isn’t just the technology—it’s that it was built by students, for students. Every feature is rooted in the real challenges we faced, and it’s evolved through conversations with others who’ve felt the same way. Our goal has never been to help students cut corners. We simply want learning support to be more accessible. That’s why Tutbob is priced affordably—about the same as a large coffee ($7.50 AUD/month). And with educational institutions figuring out how AI fits into the future of learning, we’re committed to staying responsible and aligned with those evolving standards.

We’re proud to be working with research partners and to be included in Australia’s CRC for AI in Education. But honestly, the most rewarding part has been building a community of students, educators, and researchers who believe in what we’re doing. Seeing students improve their grades, lead study groups, and regain confidence reminds us why we started—even through big setbacks, like losing our entire tech team and having to rebuild by teaming up with a former competitor.

We’re incredibly grateful to now be sharing our story through the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. Our GSEA journey started in Adelaide via a virtual round, then progressed to the national finals in Sydney, and later the regional quarterfinals in Japan. Now, as we prepare to head to South Africa, we’re excited to keep sharing Tutbob with the world. Not because it’s perfect, but because we know the difference it can make.