Big Tech and ambitious startups are racing to bring generative AI into kids’ products, but most AI experiences still revolve around text boxes and voice prompts. For many children, that’s not nearly interactive enough to hold their attention or truly spark understanding. A new app called Sparkli aims to change that by turning kids’ questions into fast, immersive learning adventures powered by generative AI.
Sparkli was founded in 2025 by three former Google employees: Lax Poojary, Lucie Marchand, and Myn Kang. The idea came from a familiar parenting moment. As parents, Poojary and Kang found themselves struggling to keep up with the endless “why” questions kids naturally ask. Even when they tried using popular AI chat tools to explain topics like how rain forms or how cars work, the result often felt like a wall of words—accurate, but not exciting for a six-year-old who wants to explore, not just read.
Sparkli’s core bet is simple: children learn best when they can interact with what they’re curious about. Instead of showing a static image of Mars or playing a video, the app is built to let kids “experience” topics through a guided, choose-as-you-go format. The goal is to create the kind of hands-on discovery that makes kids want to keep learning, even outside the classroom.
The app offers curated topic categories, but kids can also ask their own questions to generate a personalized learning path. Each journey is broken into chapters that blend audio, short videos, images, quizzes, and games. Kids can listen to a generated voice narration or read along, depending on their preference. There’s also a daily featured topic meant to encourage regular exploration and help kids build a habit of learning something new.
One standout element is Sparkli’s “expedition” approach, designed to reduce the pressure that often comes with right-or-wrong testing. Instead of feeling like a typical quiz app, it presents learning as an adventure where kids make choices, explore outcomes, and stay engaged without the anxiety of constant grading.
Sparkli also positions itself as a way to introduce modern life skills that many education systems don’t prioritize early enough. Alongside traditional curiosity-driven topics, the company wants to help children learn about areas such as financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and design skills—subjects that can be difficult to teach through standard worksheets, but easier to absorb through interactive storytelling and playful practice.
Speed is a major part of Sparkli’s promise. The company says it uses generative AI to create the media assets and lesson flow on the fly, producing an entire learning experience within about two minutes after a child asks a question—and it’s working to make that even faster.
While plenty of AI assistants can answer kids’ questions, Sparkli argues that “answering” isn’t the same as “teaching.” To build a product designed around how children actually learn, the company made education expertise an early priority. Sparkli’s first hires included a PhD in educational science and AI, along with a teacher, to ensure the content follows sound learning principles rather than just generating impressive outputs.
Safety is another critical issue in AI for children, especially as concerns grow about harmful or inappropriate content. Sparkli says it blocks certain categories entirely, including sexual content. For sensitive topics like self-harm, the app is designed to steer the conversation toward emotional intelligence and encourage children to speak with their parents, rather than continuing in a potentially unsafe direction.
On the classroom side, Sparkli is being tested through school partnerships. The company has piloted the app across more than 20 schools and is working with an institute connected to a network serving over 100,000 students. The current target age range is 5 to 12.
To make the tool workable for educators, Sparkli has built a teacher module that supports progress tracking and homework assignments. Teachers in pilots have reportedly used Sparkli to kick off class with an “expedition” that introduces a topic, then transition into a discussion-based lesson. Others have used it after teaching a concept, letting students explore further at home while giving teachers an easy way to gauge understanding.
The app also borrows engagement mechanics that kids respond to, including streaks, rewards, and themed “quest cards” tied to the child’s chosen avatar. The intent is to make learning feel as sticky and motivating as the entertainment apps kids already love—while nudging them toward skills and knowledge that matter.
For now, Sparkli plans to focus primarily on schools around the world, with broader consumer access for parents expected by mid-2026.
The startup has raised $5 million in pre-seed funding led by Swiss venture firm Founderful, marking the firm’s first pure-play investment in education technology. Founderful’s team points to Sparkli’s combination of technical execution and a clear gap in what kids typically learn—arguing that an immersive learning app could pull children away from pure gaming time while still giving them an experience that feels fun, modern, and rewarding.
This story was originally published on January 22, 2026.
