Birmingham-based immersive tech firm Virtual Decisions was tonight named “Education Innovator of the Year” at the 2025 Innovation Awards.
The prestigious accolade was announced after a year-long process of voting and judging at a finale awards dinner attended by 500 people at Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.
‘We’re doing something right’
Claire Downes, CEO and founder at Virtual Decisions, reacting to news of the award, said: “Winning any award means a lot. But what, what it does for us is it validates, I think, what we’re doing as an organisation. For us it’s amazing to win an award that tells us that we’re doing something right.”
Virtual Decisions creates multi-branching narrative VR experiences that change minds and save lives. Its immersive experiences empower participants to explore the
consequences of their decisions in a safe virtual environment, enabling them to make more informed choices in the real world.
Licensed across the UK to police forces, education, councils, the NHS, and youth justice teams, Virtual Decisions leverages cutting-edge technology to drive positive societal change.
By engaging users in realistic scenarios, it facilitates critical thinking and promote understanding, ultimately contributing to a safer and more informed society.
‘They learn from decisions and can explore the consequences through VR’
Sami Neale, head of development at Virtual Decisions, said: “Our VR experiences are multi-branching narratives. So, when you put the headset on, you go through the story, you make decisions and whatever you decide to do impacts how the rest of the story plays out.
“So, all of our participants are learn from their journeys, they learn from the decisions they made and can explore the consequences of their outcomes.”
Innovations Awards are open to businesses, organisations and individuals across the UK
Dr Richard Fallon, CEO of the Technology Supply Chain (TSC) membership organisation, which runs the annual Innovation Awards, said: “Congratulations to Virtual Decisions. We had more entries than ever before this year, and the competition for each category was stronger than it’s ever been.
“Each winner can be justifiably proud and can look forward to ongoing support from the 5,000-member TSC network as they chart their course to future success.”
The Innovation Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the businesses, organisations and individuals who are dedicated to innovation.
The awards are open to innovative individuals, businesses and organisations – including universities, local councils and catapults – based in the UK.
