Ex-Googlers Launch AI-Powered Learning App for Kids

A new wave of educational technology is emerging, driven by artificial intelligence, but many tools still rely heavily on text-based interactions that fail to fully engage young learners. Sparkli, an AI-powered interactive learning app founded by three former Google employees, aims to transform curiosity into captivating educational journeys for children. The founders, motivated by their own experiences as parents, identified a gap between children’s innate desire for interactive exploration and the static responses provided by conventional AI assistants.

The team behind Sparkli includes Lax Poojary, Lucie Marchand, and Myn Kang. Poojary and Kang, as parents, often found themselves unable to provide satisfying, engaging answers to their children’s endless questions. “My son would ask how cars work or why it rains,” Poojary explained. “I’d turn to chatbots, but the result was always a wall of text. Kids crave an interactive experience, and that insight became the core mission for Sparkli.” Prior to this venture, Poojary and Kang co-founded projects like Touring Bird and Shoploop within Google’s Area 120 incubator. Marchand, serving as Sparkli’s CTO, also co-founded Shoploop and has a background at Google.

The app moves beyond passive learning. “If a child asked about Mars fifty years ago, we showed a picture. Ten years ago, a video,” said Poojary. “With Sparkli, we want them to interact and experience what Mars is actually like.” The platform addresses modern educational shortfalls by creating AI-powered “expeditions” on topics often overlooked in traditional curricula, such as financial literacy, design skills, and entrepreneurship.

Users can explore predefined topics or ask their own questions to generate a personalized learning path. Each day, the app highlights a new topic to encourage daily discovery. Lessons are multimedia experiences, blending audio, video, images, quizzes, and games. A key feature is the choose-your-own-adventure style format, which removes the pressure of right or wrong answers and focuses on exploration. The company leverages generative AI to create all media assets dynamically, capable of building a complete learning experience within two minutes of a query.

Understanding that effective digital learning requires pedagogical expertise, Sparkli’s first hires included a PhD in educational science and AI, and a practicing teacher. This focus on sound educational principles distinguishes it from general AI assistants. Safety is another critical priority. While topics like sexual content are completely banned, the app approaches sensitive subjects like self-harm by guiding children toward lessons on emotional intelligence and encouraging conversations with parents.

Currently piloting with a network of schools encompassing over 100,000 students, Sparkli targets children aged 5 to 12. The app includes a dedicated teacher module for tracking progress and assigning homework. Engagement mechanics, inspired by platforms like Duolingo, include streaks, rewards, and quest cards to motivate consistent use. Early school feedback has been positive, with teachers using the app to kickstart classroom discussions or create exploratory homework assignments.

Sparkli has secured $5 million in pre-seed funding led by Swiss venture firm Founderful, marking the firm’s first dedicated edtech investment. Founderful’s founding partner, Lukas Weder, was persuaded by the team’s technical skill and the clear market need. “As a father, I see my kids learning interesting things, but not modern essentials like financial literacy,” Weder noted. “Sparkli offers a compelling product that moves them beyond video games into immersive learning.”

While initially focused on school partnerships, Sparkli plans to open consumer access for parents by mid-2026.

(Source: TechCrunch)