• In Italy, and beyond, a large share of students fails to reach minimum competency levels in mathematics.
• A lack of familiarity that risks becoming a barrier in an era dominated by data and technology.
• The startup Math Legacy overturns the traditional learning paradigm to make mathematics accessible to everyone.

Among the most feared school subjects, mathematics sits without a doubt on the podium. And the data confirms it. According to the results of the Invalsi 2024 assessments – the national standardised tests that evaluate Italian students' competencies in Italian, mathematics and English – 45 per cent of Italian students in their third year of middle school did not reach minimum competency levels in mathematics. In some regions of southern Italy, such as Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia, six out of ten students received insufficient scores.

And this is not an isolated phenomenon. In many other parts of the world, the data shows even more worrying trends. In the United States, for example, mathematical competencies among students are declining. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 2024 only 28 per cent of eighth-grade students reached at least the basic level in mathematics.

But difficulties with mathematics do not stop at school desks. The AlmaLaurea 2023 report highlights that only 23.7 per cent of Italian graduates come from STEM pathways (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), a figure slightly below the OECD average of 25 per cent. Even if the gap is not enormous, it remains low relative to the total number of graduates, demonstrating how STEM careers continue to represent a minority choice.

This figure confirms how mathematics directly influences academic trajectories, employment opportunities and the ability to navigate a world increasingly dominated by numbers. In an era where technology and data drive our lives, the risk of being left behind due to a lack of mathematical competencies is higher than ever. And this is where Math Legacy comes in – a startup that has decided to overturn the traditional learning paradigm and demonstrate that mathematics can (and must) be accessible.

The spark that started Math Legacy

The idea behind Math Legacy was born from the personal experience of Christian Pulieri, CEO and co-founder of the startup. "I wanted to create video games, but after finishing secondary school I realised I could barely remember anything I had studied. And I asked myself: what would happen if we left school having truly grasped what we had learned? We would probably live in a better society," he told us.

The idea is to create a world where learning anything is as simple and fun as playing video games.

Christian Pulieri, CEO and co-founder of Math Legacy

This reflection led him to immerse himself in the science of learning and to discover that extensive studies exist on how the brain acquires and retains information, yet these are rarely applied in traditional education. "We have three hundred years of scientific literature on how people learn and fifty years of studies on how to create engaging experiences, like video games. I asked myself: 'Why has no one ever combined these two things?'"

And so Math Legacy was born, leveraging game mechanics to make mathematics more intuitive and less frustrating. "One of the big problems with mathematics is that it is abstract and offers little feedback. If you don't get an immediate response, the risk is that mistakes turn into frustration. We have created a system that provides immediate feedback on every step, as if you always had a tutor by your side."

A new way of learning, a new way of including

Math Legacy's innovation is not only technological, but also social. The traditional method of teaching mathematics can sometimes exclude certain students, imposing rigid models that do not account for different learning styles. The result? Many students lose confidence in their own abilities, generating a domino effect that can limit their future opportunities.

"If you miss a concept, you will never be able to build the complete tower because you are missing that building block. This leads many students to develop a genuine form of maths anxiety, with brain responses similar to those triggered by physical pain," explains Pulieri, citing a study conducted in 2012 by the University of Chicago. Maths anxiety is such a widespread phenomenon that it has given rise to a specific term: "mathophobia", which describes the psychological fear of mathematics and everything surrounding it. According to the OECD, 48 per cent of young Italians suffer from it.

Math Legacy offers an alternative: a personalised and engaging approach that allows students to receive immediate feedback, understand their mistakes in real time and progress without frustration. "We have developed a system that transforms exercises into an interactive experience: the game generates ever-new problems, provides step-by-step feedback and, if necessary, suggests the next step, just like a virtual tutor."

From school to the workplace: mathematics as a lever for equity

Difficulties in mathematics are reflected in the world of work, where the digital divide and a lack of quantitative skills become invisible barriers to accessing certain professions. According to the European Commission, by 2030 there will be a shortage of at least 20 million workers with digital skills. And there is more: the gender gap in scientific careers continues to be significant, with a still small number of women choosing STEM pathways.

This is where Math Legacy's vision expands: making mathematics more inclusive also means creating opportunities for everyone, regardless of their starting background. "Video games have no gender gap: 51 per cent of players are male and 49 per cent female. And we have noticed that our approach, even though it was not developed with this specific goal in mind, also greatly helps students with SEN (Special Educational Needs) and SLD (Specific Learning Disorders), because it makes the process more accessible and less frustrating," explains Pulieri.

Already within the first month, students improve by an average of 20 per cent thanks to the game, which assigns scores based on errors and execution time. This helps them feel more confident, find greater enjoyment in mathematics and progress along a guided and inclusive pathway.

Christian Pulieri, CEO and co-founder of Math Legacy

Companies are beginning to understand this. "Many schools do not have the budget to adopt innovative tools like ours. That is why we are seeking to build partnerships with companies." The idea is to create a match between schools and companies, in which the latter can fund the adoption of the platform, receiving in return detailed reports on the impact of their investment.

A recognition that speaks of social impact

Math Legacy's innovation has not gone unnoticed. The startup received the MySocial Impact award and the LifeGate Way special prize at the Myllennium Award, a recognition that honours ideas capable of generating real change in the community. "We are scaling a gigantic mountain, but we cannot do it alone. Collaborating with other organisations, like LifeGate, allows us to reach further and to gather ever more feedback in order to improve," says Pulieri. This recognition has given the startup further momentum as it now aims for international expansion. "In the United States we have seen enormous interest in Math Legacy, especially among teachers themselves. We are preparing to enter the American market between 2025 and 2026."

Looking ahead, the goal is to transform Math Legacy into a fully-fledged educational video game. "We have a clear roadmap: by 2025 we want to complete all the content for middle and secondary school, and then make it the true educational game we have always imagined." An ambitious project rooted in a simple premise: mathematics must not be an obstacle, but an open door to a future of opportunities.