EdTech startup Lirvana Labs bags $5.3 million in funding for AI learning platform Yeti Confetti Kids App

Lirvana Labs, creator of the Yeti Confetti Kids app which provides an AI powered personalised learning companion for preschool to elementary grade children, has raised $5.3 million in early-stage financing led by Kapor Capital III, Transcend Capital Partners II, and Chingona Ventures.

It will use the cash to expand the aforementioned flagship product, focusing on how large language models (LLMs) and generative AI capabilities can be harnessed to deliver personalised learning opportunities for globally diverse environments. 

It will also pursue efficacy studies with leading research institutions plus further its partnerships with pilot schools and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Yeti Confetti Kids taps AI and cognitive research to act as an educational companion, while also empowering parents and teachers with actionable insights into each child's cognitive, social and emotional development. It aims to create engaging, healthy, and multi-modal learning experiences spanning over 200 English Literacy, Mathematical Reasoning, and Social-Emotional Skills aligned with Common Core, UN CASEL, and Bloom's Taxonomy frameworks. 

Trained with LLM powered oral explanations and scaffolded instruction, Yeti Confetti Kids adapts to each child's abilities in real-time.

"As a mother of three, I'm driven by the promise and challenge to apply generative AI in a purposeful way," says Christie Pang, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Lirvana Labs. "Our goal is to democratise education worldwide, ensuring every child, from makeshift classrooms to elite schools, benefits from innovative technology built by the best engineering minds. We're proud that our mission is supported by parents, global investors, and school operators."

"The core of Lirvana AI's vision is 'Learning Nirvana' - a way to create what we refer to as an 'AI learning sidekick', trained with research backed curriculum, cognitive development theories, and scaffolded instruction," says Clement Pang, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Lirvana Labs. 

"We are perfecting the core intellectual property of Lirvana Labs to empower teachers and parents with AI powered tools to educate their students and children, regardless of background or economic strata, in an easier, more scientific way."

Lirvana Labs collaborates with Dr. Alexandra Chen, a United Nations Advisor and Harvard researcher in children's cognitive functioning; Dr Alice Siu, senior research fellow from Stanford University specialising in critical thinking; literacy specialist and previous school leader Claire Galdun of Reading Reimagined; and has advisors such as Amy Chang, board member at Disney and P&G and social-emotional learning curriculum expert Christine Ma-Lau, among others, to enable an holistic approach to equity, deep tech development and learning.

It is prepping further global expansion, targeting five continents in 2024 and a growing list of native languages including English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and more to suit its worldwide pilot needs. Concurrently, the team is developing a university-based research study to evaluate the efficacy of Lirvana Labs' proprietary AI enabled instruction model with schools and NGOs worldwide with diverse curricula and needs.

"Our partnership with Lirvana Labs is not just an investment, but a step towards building a more equitable and impactful future for all students," says Brian Dixon, Managing Partner at Kapor Capital. "I'm confident that Christie and Clement's lived experience will improve student outcomes in literacy, math, and especially social-emotional learning. As a parent, I know the importance of navigating screen time and can wholeheartedly suggest Yeti Confetti."