Caribu, the leading education platform that enables parents, extended family, and mentors to read and draw with children when they’re not in the same location, has secured $1.3 million in financing to fund the platform’s rapid expansion in the US and into more global markets.
The round was led by Be Curious Partners, a VC investing in tech-enabled parenting startups including Motherly, and John Cooper of Halestreet, a former Microsoft executive and current Managing Director at Houlihan Lokey. The round also includes investments by Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, and AT&T.
The company’s platform is popular among parents and grandparents in over 140 countries and has well-known brands such as Sesame Street, and Santillana. Additionally through a partnership with Blue Star Families, Caribu donates subscriptions to all currently serving U.S. military service members.
“Caribu has a novel solution to a global parenting problem,” said Ryan Gunnigle, co-founder of Be Curious Partners. “I believe this technology will redefine how families communicate and we’re excited to invest in this strategic partnership.” Gunnigle is also the CEO and owner of Kids II, a leading global toy and media company which owns brands such as Bright Starts, InGenuity, Oball, and Baby Einstein.
Caribu has received international and national recognition by winning the 1776 Global Challenge Cup pitch competition, CEO Maxeme Tuchman was named a 2018 Toyota Mother of Invention, and it was one of eight companies accepted into the 4th cohort of the AT&T Aspire Accelerator.
“With only 2% of VC funding going to Miami and less than 1% of funding going to women of color, I am emboldened and encouraged by the support that Caribu has gotten from our investors both in and outside of Florida,” said CEO Maxeme Tuchman. “We are excited to continue to change the way that families communicate and ensuring that children are exposed to reading and literature despite geographical constraints.”
Caribu, which last year was named one of the ‘Top Ten Edtech Companies to Watch’ in Forbes, has plans to launch a brand new version of their iOS mobile app, (available currently only on iOS,) and a new Android app later this year which will offer even more personalization and interactivity.
About Caribu:
Caribu is an education platform that helps parents, extended family, and mentors to read and draw with children in an interactive video-call from anywhere in the world. The result is an engaging, shared-screen experience that is carefully designed, curated and secure. An in-app bookstore is filled with hundreds of titles offered in six languages from leading children’s publishers, in addition to educational workbooks that can be drawn on simultaneously. The company serves users in 148 countries and has won numerous international and national awards. Through a partnership with Blue Star Families, Caribu is free for all currently serving U.S. military. For more information, visit: www.caribu.com
About Be Curious Partners:
Be Curious Partners is a venture fund, partnering and investing in parenting-focused startups with the goal of reinventing parenthood. Be Curious Partners invests capital as well as unique access, resources and leadership accessibility to its portfolio companies to support their high-growth potential. With the understanding that a new wave of parents is upon us (only 20% of millennials currently have children), Be Curious Partners has sights set on reinventing parenthood through the solutions, products and innovations by their investment companies. Be Curious Partners’ investment portfolio includes leading startups, Motherly, KIDBOX and Wonderschool.
