Former Google Employees Raise $5M to Launch Anti-Chatbot Edtech Platform Sparkli
Zurich-based edtech startup Sparkli has raised $5 million in pre-seed funding as it prepares to launch a new approach to AI-powered learning designed specifically for children. The company is developing a multimodal learning platform that replaces text-heavy chatbot interactions with interactive, real-time learning experiences that encourage exploration, creativity and decision-making.
Sparkli’s platform allows children to turn questions into personalised learning journeys that span multiple disciplines, including technology, sustainability, financial literacy, design thinking, entrepreneurship and emotional intelligence. Rather than delivering static answers, the system generates interactive expeditions that adapt to each child’s interests and level of understanding, giving young learners greater agency over how they explore ideas.
The new funding will be used to scale Sparkli’s generative learning engine and support a private beta launch planned for January 2026. The company is currently testing the platform through a strategic pilot with one of the world’s largest private school groups, providing access to a network of more than 100 schools and over 100,000 students.
Sparkli’s model is built around addressing what it describes as an “Agency and Curiosity Gap” in modern education. The platform shifts learning from static curricula to real-time relevance, replaces passive screen time with interactive and gamified exploration, and prioritises skills such as creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking over memorisation. At the core of the system is an evolving interest and knowledge graph for each child, enabling increasingly personalised and adaptive learning experiences.
“Our goal is to build agency in the next generation,” said Lax Poojary, CEO and founder of Sparkli. “Children learn by exploring, making choices, asking questions, and discovering what inspires them. Sparkli turns screen time into a place where curiosity grows rather than fades.”
Early classroom pilots have demonstrated how the platform can be used in practice. In one trial, students simulated running small food cart businesses, prompting discussions around budgeting and customer experience. In another, children independently launched learning expeditions during unstructured sessions, exploring subjects ranging from game design to cosmology. Parents involved in early testing reported more meaningful engagement, with children continuing conversations and ideas beyond their time on the platform.
Sparkli was founded by former Google engineers from teams including Area 120, Search and YouTube, and is supported by a team that combines expertise in engineering, design, pedagogy and game mechanics. The company aims to address limitations in traditional education models, where textbooks and digital tools often struggle to keep pace with change, and where general-purpose AI chatbots can be unsuitable or overwhelming for younger users.
“Sparkli represents a step change in how children can interact with knowledge,” said Lukas Weder, Partner at Founderful. “The team is applying high caliber engineering and thoughtful pedagogy to a space that desperately needs innovation. Their traction with schools shows a real appetite for tools that foster curiosity and agency rather than passive consumption.”
Looking ahead, Sparkli plans to expand its platform beyond exploration into creation, enabling children to build and prototype projects directly within the system. The company’s long-term vision is to develop an AI-native learning environment that supports children from early childhood through adolescence, connecting classroom learning with home exploration and evolving alongside each learner’s interests over time.
