Andrew Bates, Chief Product Officer at Kortext, unpicks the launch of fusion a year ago and describes how this has paved the way for Kortext IQ. 

Kortext fusion a year on – has it delivered? 

Over the past year, the vision of fusion as a single strategic platform has really started to take shape in practice. Institutions have responded positively – especially to our ability to aggregate data from multiple siloed systems, accelerating the progression of their data roadmaps.  

They’re seeing clear value in both the cost savings and the speed at which we can surface meaningful insights – particularly around student engagement – with fusion proving its ability to scale IT capacity and deliver actionable intelligence for institutional leaders. 

At the same time, fusion has become the foundation for Kortext IQ, enabling AI‑powered experiences by unifying structured and unstructured data.  

Overall, the market is recognising the strategic direction and the value of Kortext fusion as the core data platform. 

Has fusion impacted opinions on the buy vs build debate since its release? 

Institutions increasingly see fusion as a strong and welcome alternative in the buy vs. build debate. 

The combination of Kortext’s partnership model, our collaboration with Microsoft and the clarity of the fusion roadmap gives them confidence that they’re adopting a well‑defined, future‑proof approach rather than building everything themselves.  

What’s resonating most is that fusion isn’t just technology – it brings sector‑wide best practice with it.  

Accelerating robust data strategies is central to enabling digital transformation across institutions. By sharing best practice and real-world experience gained from working with a diverse range of universities, we empower institutions to progress rapidly and with confidence. 

At every step, our approach supports the implementation of strong data governance and ensures compliance with the unique policies and standards set by each institution. This not only strengthens privacy and security protocols but also helps institutions align their digital ambitions with sector-wide expectations and regulatory requirements. 

Kortext prioritises 3 pillars: content, data and AI – where does IQ fit in? 

Kortext fusion provides the content, data, and institutional context that fuel Kortext IQ’s meaningful AI experiences. Kortext fusion holds the data for academically‑vetted resources, learning materials and academic context – forming the ring-fence that allows IQ to deliver personalised, pedagogically aligned learning journeys.  

Kortext IQ builds on the same philosophy as fusion: accelerating digital transformation by helping institutions adopt advanced technologies quickly, at scale and with the right governance.  

It enables fast onboarding for students and academics, while giving technology teams full control, visibility and assurance that AI use is happening within the institution’s approved environment – not through unmanaged external tools.  

By integrating Kortext IQ into the core learning ecosystem, institutions ensure students develop essential AI skills that are required in today’s workplace so students can confidently apply them in future roles. 

How are safety rails embedded into Kortext IQ that prioritise high quality academic outputs? 

Kortext IQ is built with strong safeguards and education‑specific design principles. The system uses LLMs in a way that’s tailored to different university personas, ensuring the chat experience supports learning rather than enabling shortcuts.  

When students ask questions, IQ can provide general context, but always anchors detailed answers in the institution’s approved, adopted learning resources tied to the student’s course.  

The platform makes it easy for institutions to connect additional data sources and curate what the AI can reference. Both technology teams and module leads can define how the AI behaves, what it should or shouldn’t do and how it supports specific learning objectives.  

Over time, Kortext IQ will offer self‑service tools that let academics select from multiple LLMs and shape AI‑powered learning experiences just as they curate course materials today – keeping educators at the centre while giving students reliable, high‑quality, pedagogically aligned AI support. 
 

Describe Kortext and Microsoft’s approach to rapid AI innovation. 

The rapid evolution of generative AI has fundamentally shaped how we designed Kortext IQ. AI is advancing faster than any previous technology shift and that pace has influenced both our product philosophy and how we build and iterate.  

We’ve reengineered our development lifecycle to integrate new LLM capabilities quickly and safely, supported by rapid iteration, continuous updates and AI‑enabled internal workflows. 

Our partnership with Microsoft is critical here. Their investment in Microsoft Fabric and Azure AI Foundry means much of the heavy lifting – research, vetting, and scalable plumbing – is already in place, allowing us to focus on the “last mile”: applying proven AI capabilities directly to student and academic experiences in higher education.  

This fast‑moving landscape also shapes how we work with institutions. Through pilots, real‑world feedback and ongoing onboarding projects, we enable AI adoption in a controlled, trusted and equitable way.  

In a noisy and highly dynamic market, our focus is on longevity, proven impact in higher education and scalability – keeping pace with an evolution that’s moving at an unprecedented speed. 

How did equitable access help shape the design of Kortext IQ? 

Equitable access was a major factor for building an embedded AI assistant rather than relying on external platforms. If institutions want every student to benefit from AI, the technology must be affordable, scalable and deployable across the whole university.  

That means delivering advanced AI within a cost structure that institutions can realistically support. By embedding the assistant directly into the learning ecosystem, institutions can adopt AI at a pace and scale that fits their budgets, ensuring all students – not just those who can pay for external tools – have access to high‑quality AI support. 

What gaps in the sector provided the basis for the development of IQ? 

Kortext IQ addresses the critical gap between institutional investment in learning materials and the transformative potential of AI. Built on institution‑approved content, pedagogical context and trusted datasets – not open‑internet sources – Kortext IQ delivers higher accuracy, stronger relevance and full transparency. 

The platform gives universities the governance, explainability and control they need to deploy AI safely and at scale. Rather than functioning as an informal student tool, it becomes an enterprise‑grade resource that supports both learners and academic staff. 

Students gain intuitive, personalised AI support that enhances understanding and boosts confidence. Educators benefit from advanced analytics, content management capabilities and governance features that strengthen curriculum curation, guide inquiry and support assessment. 

This dual approach creates a more collaborative learning ecosystem: students receive targeted, high‑quality support, while educators gain actionable insights that help refine teaching strategies and maintain academic integrity.