Kinjo, an EdTech platform that seeks to optimize kids’ screen time for learning, has recently closed a seed funding round of $6.5M. The investment was led by LiveOak Venture Partners, with other investors such as Silverton Partners, Breyer Capital, and Roble Ventures joining in.
Founded by EdTech veterans Charles Thornburgh and Laura Malcolm, Kinjo is an app designed to make learning during screen time fun and rewarding. It does this by bringing together parents’ goals and children’s interests, enabling kids to play activities evaluated by educators and be rewarded for taking on more challenging tasks.
The app also provides a weekly digest to parents, which outlines the level of difficulty in their kids’ gameplay, the amount of time they spend, the skills they are developing, and who their most frequent playmates are.
Commenting on the platform, Charles Thornburgh, Co-founder & CEO of Kinjo, said: “As an education entrepreneur and parent, I understand how difficult it is to create an educational product that can compete with the games and videos that captivate our kids’ attention. At Kinjo, we decided to take a different approach. Instead of pulling them away from the platforms they love, we meet them where they are and reward them for honing their skills. Roblox was an obvious choice due to its popularity with young learners and its wide range of experiences. Our goal is to make learning enjoyable for all digital platforms that kids are drawn to.”
Co-founder of Kinjo and Head of Product, Laura Malcolm, added: “As a former teacher, it is clear to me how important it is for kids to have control over their time and choices. Through our child-centred products, Kinjo is making use of natural passion and curiosity to unlock potential and inspire kids to be passionate about learning.”
Kinjo’s first apps, which transform Roblox into a family-oriented learning platform, have already helped thousands of kids to spend three times more time on games chosen by education experts to provide high cognitive challenges. The startup plans to use the funding to make its products available on YouTube, Minecraft, and other popular online platforms.
Board Member & Founding Partner of LiveOak Venture Partners, Krishna Srinivasan, commented on the investment: “As an investor, I have seen many educational products that fail to engage kids, and as a parent, I have seen kids completely immersed in games that are not educational. Charles and Laura have used their extensive experience in developing successful EdTech businesses to move closer towards the holy grail of education: a model that is engaging, scalable, and effective.”
