Get to know Jade's history

Behind every innovation lies a story. In this piece, we celebrate the journey of Jade, formerly known as Jade Autism — an education-focused company helping neurodivergent children and adolescents unlock their potential.

Jade is a company dedicated to promoting inclusive education through technology.

Its software was designed to support neurodivergent children and adolescents — including those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyscalculia, Intellectual Disabilities, Down Syndrome, and Giftedness/High Abilities. By doing so, Jade enables schools and teachers to provide individualized and inclusive learning approaches.

This is made possible through the Jade App, Jade Edu, Jade Academy, and Jade Astea, which together foster cognitive development through play, support educators with actionable insights, and even contribute to the early detection of autism.

💡 Fun fact: the name “Jade” comes from “Joyful Activities for Development and Education,” reflecting the very essence of our purpose.

Today, the Jade App has over 185,000 downloads, in 179 countries, and is available in 3 languages. Jade Edu is used in 347 schools, reaching more than 1,500 educators and supporting over 5,000 students with content available in 5 languages.

Jade’s story started in 2017, in Espírito Santo, Brazil, when Ronaldo Cohin, father of Lucas,  a child with autism and then a Computer Science student at Vila Velha University, faced a challenge: the lack of precise information about his son’s development often delayed medical decisions and treatment.

Motivated by this reality, Ronaldo turned a personal challenge into a solution. For his graduation project, he developed an app with games focused on children’s cognitive development, initially called Jade Autism.

In 2018, Jade Autism was officially launched, today known as the Jade App. Initially designed with a therapeutic focus, it soon expanded into the educational context, aiming to make learning more inclusive.

With over 1,500 playful games, the Jade App collects real-time behavioral data, generating detailed reports that highlight both strengths and challenges. This allows educators to monitor progress and adopt more personalized teaching strategies.

“I am the father of a 7-year-old autistic child, Lucas. As I was finishing my degree, I decided to create a project for parents who, like me, live with autism. It’s a game that collects behavioral data from children, information that can support their development,” explains Ronaldo Cohin.

Beyond presenting the app at his university, Ronaldo submitted his project to Campus Mobile, a competition sponsored by Instituto Claro recognizing innovative mobile applications. Jade Autism (now Jade App) won the 2018 Campus Mobile Award in the “Accessibility & Inclusion” category.

That recognition was just the beginning, what started as a graduation project quickly evolved into a global educational company.

That same year, Jade signed its first major client: the Association of Parents and Friends of Exceptional Children (Apaes) in Espírito Santo,  implementing its solution in all of their 42 facilities.

The app was also translated into Portuguese, English, and Spanish, anticipating its global potential. Jade then joined StartOut Brasil in Toronto and the UK’s Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP), being accelerated at Panacea Stars, University of Oxford.

Visibility grew further with Jade’s participation in the TV reality show Planeta Startup, boosting downloads by 200%.
To strengthen its expertise, Jade welcomed new partners: Dr. Marcelo Masruha, former President of the Brazilian Society of Child Neurology, and neuropsychologist Joice Andrade.

By the end of 2019, Jade celebrated 60,000 downloads worldwide.

– 2020: Global Recognition

The year 2020 was marked by two major achievements that accelerated Jade’s international expansion:

• The implementation of its software within the UK public health system, as a result of the British government’s internationalization program;

• Jade was one of the five businesses selected by APEX-Brazil to participate in the Supernova Challenge, which was held in Dubai during Gitex Future Star. Gitex is the technology event that brings together the most influential ecosystems from around the world and highlights the most promising startups. Among 120 startups from 70 countries, Jade won the challenge in the Best Social and Environmental Impact category.

– 2021: Internationalization & Jade Edu

Following the Gitex award, Jade translated its app into Arabic, expanded to the UAE, and joined Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s largest startup incubator.

That same year, Jade launched Jade Edu, a platform to support teachers in creating inclusive strategies for neurodivergent students. The first city to adopt Jade Edu was Teixeira de Freitas, Brazil.

Partnerships also expanded — including with Atlético Mineiro Football Club — and the app surpassed 100,000 downloads in 149 countries.

– 2022: Rebranding & New Solutions

In April 2022, Jade was invited to join the Play For All Accelerator, promoted by The LEGO Foundation, where 25 companies received mentoring, attended workshops, and co-developed solutions for children with ASD and ADHD at LEGO’s headquarters in Denmark.

In May, Jade Edu was implemented in Resende (Rio de Janeiro), where 11 public schools adopted the solution. That same month, Jade received investment from 500 Startups, expanding its international reach and strengthening its focus on the education sector.

By working more closely with schools, Jade identified the need to develop a technology for the early detection of autism — leading to the creation of Jade Astea.

Towards the end of 2022, Jade began a rebranding process to refine its positioning. It was then that the company fully embraced the education sector, expanding its communication and solutions to support not only children with autism, but also those with other neurodivergences.

- 2023: From Jade Autism to Jade + Awards

Starting in 2023, the company officially transitioned from Jade Autism to simply Jade — reinforcing its positioning as a provider of solutions for neurodivergent children, and not only for those with ASD.

That same year, Jade was the winner of the PITCH competition at the first edition of Web Summit Rio, one of the world’s largest technology events. The company was also honored with the Meaningful Business Award 2023, an initiative led by EY, Hogan Lovells, and Babson College, which recognizes and connects leaders committed to solving complex global challenges.

- 2024: Global Growth & Acceleration Abroad

Highlights included winning the Santander X Global in Málaga, Spain, first place at the reality show Espírito Startups, and the Best International Business Award from ApexBrasil.

Jade also joined the Anjal Z acceleration program in Abu Dhabi.

- 2025: Focus on Inclusion & the Future

In 2025, Jade was selected for the Lisbon Innovation for All, showcasing global inclusion initiatives.

The company also received the Future of Capitalism Award, recognizing organizations that combine innovation, impact, and sustainability.

To reinforce its positioning, Jade added “ND” (Neurodivergences) to its URL and social media handles — reflecting the conditions it supports, including ASD, ADHD, Dyscalculia, Intellectual Disabilities, Down Syndrome, and Giftedness.

About Jade

Jade was born from the personal mission of a father searching for tools to support the development of his son, a child with autism. Today, it promotes inclusive education through technology, ensuring that no neurodivergent child is left behind in their development.

Our products — Jade App, Jade Edu, Jade Academy, and Jade Astea — foster cognitive development through play, support educators with practical tools, and provide resources for the early identification of autism, enabling schools to deliver a truly individualized and inclusive approach.

We continue our mission because there is still a significant gap between what science already knows about cognitive development and what actually reaches schools and families.