Ex-Google Employees Aim to Engage Children with AI-Driven Educational App
Image Credits:Sparkli
Sparkli: Revolutionizing Learning for Kids with Generative AI
In the ever-evolving landscape of educational technology, generative AI is emerging as a powerful tool. Increasingly, Big Tech companies and startups are harnessing this technology to create innovative software and hardware aimed specifically at children. However, many of these initiatives remain limited to text or voice interactions, which can fail to capture the interest of young learners. To address this gap, three former Google employees have launched Sparkli, a generative AI-powered interactive app designed to engage kids in exciting new ways.
The Founders’ Motivation
Sparkli was founded in 2025 by Lax Poojary, Lucie Marchand, and Myn Kang. As active parents, Poojary and Kang found themselves struggling to adequately answer their children’s questions and nurture their curiosity. This sparked the idea for Sparkli.
“Kids, by definition, are incredibly curious,” Poojary explains. “My son often asks questions about how cars work or why it rains. When I tried using AI models like ChatGPT or Gemini, I was met with a wall of text. What kids want is an interactive experience, and that’s what drove us to create Sparkli.”
The Vision Behind Sparkli
Prior to launching Sparkli, the founders co-founded several projects at Google’s Area 120, including a travel aggregator named Touring Bird and a video-centric social commerce app called Shoploop. Drawing from their experiences, they realized that children’s education often lags behind contemporary needs. Sparkli aims to bridge this gap by introducing modern topics such as skills design, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship through an engaging AI-powered learning “expedition.”
In Sparkli, users can either explore predefined subjects or pose their own questions, paving the way for personalized learning experiences. The app also features a daily topic highlight to encourage continual exploration. Content is diversified through a blend of audio, video, images, quizzes, and games, allowing kids to learn without the pressure of getting answers “right” or “wrong.”
Interactive Learning
Poojary envisions a world where kids can interactively learn about topics like space or technology. “When a child asks what Mars looked like fifty years ago, we might have shown them a picture a few decades ago. Ten years ago, it might have been a video. With Sparkli, we want children to walk through an exploration of Mars itself,” he emphasizes.
The app utilizes generative AI to produce media assets in real-time, allowing it to create a tailored learning experience within minutes of a question being asked. As the startup continues to innovate, they aim to reduce this timeframe even further.
Prioritizing Educational Integrity
Sparkli is aware of past controversies regarding AI tools and children’s safety. Given rising concerns about the psychological impacts of digital interactions, the founders have made a conscious effort to prioritize educational integrity. To this end, one of their first hires was a PhD in educational science, alongside a qualified teacher. This strategy is aimed at ensuring that the app’s content adheres to established pedagogical principles.
Regarding sensitive topics, Sparkli maintains strict content guidelines. While the app avoids completely inappropriate subjects, it constructs responses about difficult issues like self-harm by teaching emotional intelligence and encouraging children to communicate with their parents.
Pilot Program and Feedback
Currently, Sparkli is piloting its app in collaboration with an educational institute that supports a network of over 100,000 students. With a focus on children aged 5 to 12, the app has been tested in more than 20 schools in the past year.
In addition to creating a learning tool for kids, Sparkli has developed a teacher module, allowing educators to monitor student progress and assign relevant homework. Inspired by platforms like Duolingo, Sparkli aims to keep children engaged, rewarding them for consistent use and learning achievements with streaks and quest cards.
Positive Reception and Future Plans
The feedback from educators during the pilot phase has been overwhelmingly positive. Many teachers use Sparkli to create learning expeditions that augment classroom discussions, while some have incorporated it into their homework assignments to deepen understanding.
Although the primary focus is on collaborating with schools worldwide for the immediate future, Sparkli plans to expand consumer accessibility, allowing parents to download the app by mid-2026.
Funding and Market Opportunity
Sparkli recently secured $5 million in pre-seed funding led by the Swiss venture firm Founderful, marking its first investment in the edtech sector. Lukas Weder, the firm’s founding partner, expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity, noting that as a parent, he sees gaps in the educational content provided to kids. “Sparkli offers a way for children to step away from video games and absorb knowledge in an immersive format,” he stated.
Conclusion
Sparkli is setting new standards in children’s education by offering interactive and engaging learning experiences through generative AI. With a strong focus on educational integrity and safety, the app aims to elevate critical modern skills, filling existing educational gaps. As the platform prepares for broader access within the next couple of years, it promises to be a game changer in how kids learn and explore the world around them.
In summary, Sparkli is on a mission to revolutionize the educational landscape, providing support to a generation that craves interactive and meaningful learning experiences. As they continue to innovate, the future looks bright for both Sparkli and the young learners it seeks to inspire.
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