‘Never be afraid to ask for help. And struggle, challenge and rise to struggle again.’
25 June 2025
MA graduate receives King's alumni award for excellence in STEM
Francis Jones, who graduated from the MA STEM Education programme at the School of Education, Communication and Society in 2023, was amongst the winners of the 2025 King’s Distinguished Alumni Awards.
Francis received this year’s STEM Award, created to recognise a member of the King’s alumni community who is driving transformation in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
Francis is the founder of STEM@Home. Now known as SnapGrade, which develops AI-based EdTech products, this innovative start-up addresses educational inequality in science. Recognising a critical gap in hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning for disadvantaged students, Francis developed curriculum-aligned experiment kits and an AI-driven marking solution to improve access to high-quality science education, particularly for those with special educational needs.
Francis’ work on building STEM@Home saw him win the Innovate UK Unlocking Potential Award in 2024. He is one of the few King’s alum to receive this honour.
When asked what his advice would be to fellow entrepreneurs taking on similar challenges, he says:
Francis received the award at a special ceremony on 12 June, attended by the Vice-Chancellor, the Dean, Heads of Schools and other distinguished alumni.