Tap and Track
The wearable quietly transforming school movement culture.
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Mike Outlaw is the co-founder of Moki, a Bath based start-up that might just be the antithesis of modern tech – and that’s exactly the point. In a world of gamified apps and screen addiction, Moki’s wristband for schools has no screen, no Bluetooth, no charging cable. Just steps. And yet, it’s quietly sparking a movement revolution in classrooms across the UK.
“We started with one simple question: what’s getting in the way of kids moving more?” Outlaw explains. “Screens were part of the problem, not the solution, so we took them out. No Bluetooth, no apps, no charging. Just a wristband that counts steps and a way to make that count for something.”
In a climate where founders often equate complexity with innovation, Moki takes a refreshingly different route. “The big lesson? Don’t confuse simplicity with lack of ambition,” says Outlaw. “Sometimes the most scalable ideas are the ones that get out of the way.”
And scale it has. With 16bn steps tracked since launch, Moki has become a data-driven bridge between physical activity and educational insight. But for Outlaw, the numbers are just the beginning. “The data gave us credibility, but the real power is what schools do with it. We’ve seen teachers flip disengaged pupils into movement leaders, entire schools double their daily activity, and even councils use it to target funding. It’s not about the number, it’s about the story it tells and how you make that actionable.”
At the heart of Moki’s growing ecosystem is the Moki League, a national movement challenge where schools across the country – regardless of postcode or pupil premium – go head to head. “We made it fun, free, and focused on effort, not ability,” says Outlaw. “The Moki League isn’t about being the fastest or the fittest. It’s about showing up, moving more, and doing better than yesterday. That’s why schools from all backgrounds get involved. And why a small village school in Yorkshire can go toe to toe with a city academy in Birmingham. That’s when tech starts to feel like community.”
Cracking the education market is notoriously tough. Long procurement cycles, limited budgets, and the inertia of systemic change can break even the most well-intentioned innovations. Outlaw’s advice? Stay the course. “Patience and persistence. Schools move slowly, especially with public money, but when they commit, they commit for the long haul,” he says. “We focused early on aligning with government funding like the PE and Sport Premium, building evidence of impact, and making it dead simple to buy. The big lesson? Make it easy to say yes.”
Much of Moki’s traction stems from its origins. Founded by parents, it was built with empathy – and pragmatism. “It’s everything,” Outlaw says. “You care more, you notice more, and you’re less likely to overcomplicate things. As a parent, you know the last thing schools need is another screen or something fragile that needs charging every night. That perspective shaped everything from the battery life to the tone of voice. It helps you cut through the noise because you’re not guessing. You’ve lived it.”
As wellbeing takes centre stage in education policy and beyond, Moki’s approach offers a clear lens on what prevention in schools could look like. “It’s all about visibility,” says Outlaw. “The data’s there – movement, mood, behaviour – but it’s stuck in silos. If founders can create tools that surface this in meaningful, non-intrusive ways, they’ll help teachers, parents, and policymakers act early instead of late. Prevention starts with seeing the problem early enough to do something about it.”
Mike Outlaw is the co-founder of Moki, a Bath based start-up that might just be the antithesis of modern tech – and that’s exactly the point. In a world of gamified apps and screen addiction, Moki’s wristband for schools has no screen, no Bluetooth, no charging cable. Just steps. And yet, it’s quietly sparking a movement revolution in classrooms across the UK.
“We started with one simple question: what’s getting in the way of kids moving more?” Outlaw explains. “Screens were part of the problem, not the solution, so we took them out. No Bluetooth, no apps, no charging. Just a wristband that counts steps and a way to make that count for something.”
In a climate where founders often equate complexity with innovation, Moki takes a refreshingly different route. “The big lesson? Don’t confuse simplicity with lack of ambition,” says Outlaw. “Sometimes the most scalable ideas are the ones that get out of the way.”
And scale it has. With 16bn steps tracked since launch, Moki has become a data-driven bridge between physical activity and educational insight. But for Outlaw, the numbers are just the beginning. “The data gave us credibility, but the real power is what schools do with it. We’ve seen teachers flip disengaged pupils into movement leaders, entire schools double their daily activity, and even councils use it to target funding. It’s not about the number, it’s about the story it tells and how you make that actionable.”
At the heart of Moki’s growing ecosystem is the Moki League, a national movement challenge where schools across the country – regardless of postcode or pupil premium – go head to head. “We made it fun, free, and focused on effort, not ability,” says Outlaw. “The Moki League isn’t about being the fastest or the fittest. It’s about showing up, moving more, and doing better than yesterday. That’s why schools from all backgrounds get involved. And why a small village school in Yorkshire can go toe to toe with a city academy in Birmingham. That’s when tech starts to feel like community.”
Cracking the education market is notoriously tough. Long procurement cycles, limited budgets, and the inertia of systemic change can break even the most well-intentioned innovations. Outlaw’s advice? Stay the course. “Patience and persistence. Schools move slowly, especially with public money, but when they commit, they commit for the long haul,” he says. “We focused early on aligning with government funding like the PE and Sport Premium, building evidence of impact, and making it dead simple to buy. The big lesson? Make it easy to say yes.”
Much of Moki’s traction stems from its origins. Founded by parents, it was built with empathy – and pragmatism. “It’s everything,” Outlaw says. “You care more, you notice more, and you’re less likely to overcomplicate things. As a parent, you know the last thing schools need is another screen or something fragile that needs charging every night. That perspective shaped everything from the battery life to the tone of voice. It helps you cut through the noise because you’re not guessing. You’ve lived it.”
As wellbeing takes centre stage in education policy and beyond, Moki’s approach offers a clear lens on what prevention in schools could look like. “It’s all about visibility,” says Outlaw. “The data’s there – movement, mood, behaviour – but it’s stuck in silos. If founders can create tools that surface this in meaningful, non-intrusive ways, they’ll help teachers, parents, and policymakers act early instead of late. Prevention starts with seeing the problem early enough to do something about it.”
