Educational institutions are struggling to keep up with the way children learn today. School programs change slowly, and updating textbooks takes a long time. Many educational tools still use fixed lessons and drills.
When children use AI, they often find dangerous tools and long answers that stifle their curiosity. The result is more screen time, but less learning. This gap is what Sparkli wants to fix.
The Zurich-based startup, founded by former Google engineers, has emerged from stealth to raise $5 million in pre-seed funding from Founderful and others to build what it calls the first multimodal AI-native learning engine designed specifically for children ages 5 to 12.
The idea is simple. Instead of passive consumption, Sparkli turns children’s questions into interactive learning journeys. The company is already testing its platform through a strategic pilot with one of the world’s largest private school groups, serving more than 100 schools and 100,000 students.
Focus on the “gap between independence and curiosity”
Founded by Mynseok Kang, Lax Poojary, and Lucie Marchand, Sparkli’s approach to modern early childhood education focuses on three key changes to address what is known as the “Agency-Curiosity Gap.” they are:
- Velocity Shift: Instead of a static curriculum, Sparkli allows kids to explore new topics in real time as they arise.
- Engagement Shift: Replace boring text from AI chatbots and passive screen time with engaging experiences using visuals, audio, and interactive simulations to make learning active and fun.
- Skill Shift: Sparkli focuses on developing important skills such as creativity and problem solving, rather than simply memorizing facts.
“Our goal is to build the next generation of agencies,” said Lax Poojary, CEO and Founder of Sparkli. “Children learn by exploring, making choices, and asking questions. Sparkli turns screen time into something that fuels their curiosity, instead of draining it.”
Sparkli’s platform allows kids to explore any topic in real-time using visuals, audio, and playable simulations. When a child asks how to build a city on Mars, Sparkli doesn’t respond with a wall of facts.
This creates age-appropriate expeditions where kids learn basic physics, simulate conditions, design infrastructure, discuss trade-offs, and explain decisions. Concentrate on thinking, not memorizing.
Early pilots suggest this approach is working. In the classroom, students use Sparkli to run mock food businesses, discuss budgets, and explore science topics of their choice. Parents testing the consumer version say screen time feels more purposeful and kids are more eager to explain what they’ve learned.
What’s next?
The funding will allow Sparkli to expand its generative learning engine and prepare for the launch of a private beta in January 2026.
“Sparkli revolutionizes the way kids interact with knowledge,” said Lucas Weder, Partner at Founderful. “The team is applying quality engineering and thoughtful pedagogy to an area in dire need of innovation. Our work with schools shows a real desire for tools that foster curiosity and agency, rather than passive consumption.”
