Paperly co-founders named finalists in 2025 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards
Two young founders from Perth are putting Western Australia’s EdTech scene firmly on the national (soon to be global) radar. Paperly co-founders Dan Dawson and Jak Tidman have been announced as finalists in the 2025 Business News Australia Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, recognising the country’s most outstanding next-generation business leaders.
From Perth Classrooms to Global EdTech Innovator. Paperly Founders Named Finalists for Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2025
The Business News Australia Young Entrepreneur Awards celebrate the nation’s top founders under 40 who are shaping the future of Australian business. The program has previously spotlighted entrepreneurs behind some of the country’s most successful startups, including Canva, Go1, Linktree, and Mr Yum. Placing Dan and Jak in impressive company.
The national awards attract finalists from across every major Australian city, all of whom have demonstrated exceptional innovation, leadership and commercial success in their respective industries.
As co-founders of Paperly, Dan Dawson and Jak Tidman are driven by a shared mission: to simplify school administration and give educators their time back.
Paperly was born from a simple observation; that teachers and school administrators were drowning in paperwork, disconnected systems, and manual processes.
Founded in Perth, Paperly has evolved from a local startup into one of Australia’s fastest-growing education technology companies. The platform offers a modular, easy-to-use system that connects the dots between school management and learning management tools, helping educators and administrators streamline daily workflows, from permissions to communication and compliance.
Paperly is backed by Purpose Ventures, Western Australia’s first locally-focused early-stage venture fund and accelerated through the Plus Eight startup program. Both partnerships have played a key role in helping Paperly scale and invest in product innovation.
Today, Paperly supports a growing list of leading Australian schools, and has expanded beyond Western Australia with offices now in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbaneand London.
About Paperly
Paperly is an Australian education technology company helping schools streamline their administrative workflows through modular, user-friendly digital tools. Founded in Perth in 2018 by Dan Dawson and Jak Tidman, Paperly partners with schools nationwide to reduce manual processes and improve communication between educators, students and families.Articles we think you'll like...
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