German edtech startup a2zebra announced the conclusion of a new €500k financing round. Investors include Tonies founders Patric Faßbender and Marcus Stahl, Tonies managers Sebastian Heide-Meyer zu Erpen, Dr. Christian Sprinkmeyer and Kai Naujoks. Successful AI founders such as Roland Fassauer and the SB21 investor group led by Robert Maier, are also investing.
The funds will be used for the market launch of the TukToro product, the development of the AI platform and further company growth. The next financing round in the single-digit millions to further expand production and sales is already being planned.
With TukToro, children from the age of four learn math in an entertaining and playful way. It also teaches basic media skills. The play figure can be easily connected to smartphones or tablets. In the accompanying app (iOS, Android), children can choose from various arithmetic games that are specially tailored to pre-school and primary school age. The child shakes the figure containing dice. The dice results are recognized by sensors and integrated into the selected game on the end device. AI-controlled learning stories are also used. TukToro is equipped with LEDs to provide children with direct feedback. The AI suggests difficulty levels and games depending on learning behavior and speed.
Sebastian Heide-Meyer zu Erpen, CTO at Tonies and advisor and investor at TukToro: “At Tonies, we have started to explore the potential of AI storytelling to engage children’s imaginations. Our goal is to give children responsible and child-friendly access to technology. We share this mission with a2zebra, and I look forward to supporting the team with my knowledge.”
The AI toy TukToro is the first product from a2zebra GmbH. It helps children to develop an understanding of numbers and quantities through play. TukToro combines digital and haptic play experiences. Production of the first 5,000 TukToros has started.
The TukToro app is in constant development and is being extensively tested in Berlin elementary school, in children’s rooms and at learning institutes such as the Center for Dyscalculia Therapy in Pankow. Parents and teachers will soon be able to call up analysis functions in the app that show the learning process and recommend further steps.
“The combination of haptic experiences with the TukToro figure and digital interactions on the end device appeals to children’s various senses and increases learning progress and motivation,” explained Elisha Benner, co-founder and CEO of TukToro. “It is just as important to us to give children individual and direct feedback. This is a significant difference to the teaching methods commonly used in schools.”
