While AI dominates headlines with promises to transform education, a Brazilian startup decided to look to the past before building the future.
Card.AI combines a nearly 200-year-old memorisation technique, flashcards, with generative AI to create a tool that could change how millions of students study.
Flashcards originated in the 19th century. In 1834, English educator Favell Lee Mortimer published "Reading Disentangled," considered the first documented use of memorisation cards in education.
The technique has since been scientifically validated: in 1885, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus demonstrated through the "forgetting curve" that spaced repetition can dramatically increase long-term memory retention.
The problem? Creating quality flashcards has always been time-consuming. Students spent hours turning notes into cards — time that could have been spent actually studying.
"We eliminated that barrier," explains the Card.AI team to That's Business. "Students paste their lecture notes, articles, or PDFs into our platform, and within seconds our AI identifies key concepts and automatically generates flashcards. What used to take an hour now takes seconds."
"Card.AI completely changed how I study Biology. I no longer waste time printing or transcribing cards — I just create, save, and review them on my phone before class. Thanks to the platform, my GPA rose to 3.8 this semester." Beatriz, 21, Biology student, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
How It Works
The platform operates in three simple steps: users input their content (notes, articles, or PDFs), the AI processes and generates flashcards, and students review through a gamified system that automatically schedules future reviews based on individual performance.
The key differentiator is the application of spaced repetition, developed by Sebastian Leitner in 1972. The system identifies which content students got wrong and schedules more frequent reviews for those topics, while spacing out reviews for mastered material. It's the same logic used by apps like Anki — popular among medical students — but with the convenience of AI-powered automatic generation.
Card.AI offers a free version with basic features and a Premium plan for full access. The platform is available via web (mobile-responsive) and native iOS and Android apps, with automatic cross-device sync.
The Global EdTech Market
The global EdTech market is projected to reach $404 billion by 2025, according to HolonIQ. Brazil alone has over 47 million students in primary, secondary, and higher education, representing a massive underserved market. The demand for personalized, accessible study tools has never been higher — especially among students preparing for standardized tests and professional certifications.
Try it free: www.cardai.app
Available on: Web, App Store, and Google Play
Card.AI is a Brazilian EdTech startup using artificial intelligence to transform any content into intelligent flashcards. Founded in 2024, the company's mission is to democratize high-performance study techniques, making them accessible to students worldwide. The platform combines the science of spaced repetition, validated by nearly 140 years of cognitive psychology research, with state-of-the-art generative AI.
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