We are thrilled to announce that WhimsyLabs has been awarded Tech&Learning's #1 Best of BETT 2026, recognising our virtual laboratory platform as the top educational technology product at this year's event. This prestigious award, selected by Tech&Learning's expert panel of educators and technology specialists, highlights our commitment to transforming science education through authentic, physics-driven simulation.
"WhimsyLabs stood out at BETT 2026, despite being hidden away, as the passion of its creators, and excitement of anyone giving it a try, made this a show gem... This platform scales to fit devices, so a classroom with ChromeOS could access this on a relatively low-powered computer and will still get a fully interactive VR experience. And that's the point here as this is a near like-for-like physical world experiment platform, only purely digital."
- Tech&Learning, "Best of BETT 2026"
BETT 2026, held at ExCeL London from January 21-23, brought together over 600 exhibitors and 35,000 visitors from the global education community. To be recognised as the #1 product among such exceptional competition is a tremendous honour and validation of our "physicality-first" approach to virtual labs.
A Year of Awards
This marks our second major BETT recognition in as many years. At BETT 2025, we were honoured with the Kids Judge Bett Award, selected by pupils themselves for demonstrating how virtual labs can transform laboratory education while supporting sustainability goals.
The Tech&Learning #1 Best of BETT 2026 award represents recognition from a different perspective: education technology experts and practitioners who evaluated products on criteria including innovation, classroom impact, ease of implementation, and educational value. Winning both awards demonstrates that WhimsyLabs resonates with everyone who matters: the students who use our platform and the educators who implement it.
What Made WhimsyLabs Stand Out
The judges highlighted several key differentiators that set WhimsyLabs apart from other virtual lab solutions:
- True Physics Simulation: Unlike competitors' scripted animations, WhimsyLabs calculates real fluid dynamics, chemical interactions, and equipment physics in real-time. Students experience authentic consequences of their actions, building genuine procedural skills.
- Sandbox Freedom: Our platform lets students experiment freely, mixing reagents, adjusting variables, and even making mistakes, just like a real lab. This contrasts with linear "click-next" experiences that test instruction-following rather than scientific thinking.
- AI-Driven Assessment: WhimsyCat, our AI tutor, provides personalised feedback on technique, safety compliance, and decision-making, saving teachers an average of 3.5 hours per week on grading. Our innovative 25% AI / 75% data approach drew significant attention from academics researching AI in assessment. By grounding decisions primarily in objective simulation data rather than pure AI inference, we reduce the possibility of AI error to a minimum while maintaining the benefits of intelligent feedback.
- Universal Accessibility: WhimsyLabs runs on VR headsets, Chromebooks, and desktop computers with no expensive hardware required. Our offline-capable architecture ensures reliable access even with inconsistent internet.
What Educators Said at BETT 2026
Throughout the three days of BETT, we had the privilege of demonstrating WhimsyLabs to hundreds of educators, school leaders, and technology coordinators. The response was overwhelmingly positive:
"Finally, a virtual lab that actually feels like doing science. My students will love the freedom to experiment and learn from their mistakes in a safe environment."
- Science Department Head, UK Secondary School
"The physics engine is remarkable. When I tilted the beaker too quickly, the liquid actually spilled. That's the kind of authentic feedback students need to develop real lab skills."
- Chemistry Teacher, International School
Looking Ahead
This award energises us to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible in science education technology. In the coming months, we'll be:
- Expanding our experiment library with new Chemistry, Biology, and Physics modules
- Enhancing WhimsyCat's AI capabilities for even more personalised learning support
- Rolling out new accessibility features to ensure every student can engage with hands-on science
- Launching our Pioneer Program for schools ready to lead the transformation in STEM education
Thank You
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Tech&Learning for this recognition, to the BETT team for hosting an exceptional event, and most importantly, to the educators and students who inspire everything we build. This award belongs to everyone who believes that science education should be hands-on, accessible, and genuinely exciting.
Ready to experience why WhimsyLabs won #1 Best of BETT 2026? Get in touch to schedule a demo, or learn more about our virtual laboratory platform.