ReadLer has secured funding from the Noord-Holland Innovation Fund. The company is developing Speaklee, a speech-focused digital tool for children.
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ReadLer, the startup behind Speaklee and based at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, has received a €350K convertible loan from the Noord-Holland Innovation Fund.
Ludolf Stavenga, fund manager of the North Holland Innovation Fund, “ReadLer combines smart technology with social impact. Such applications are essential for the future of healthcare and education.”
Capital utilisation
The funding will support the development of its digital speech assistant for children with language and speech disorders. ReadLer aims to increase access to speech therapy and provide more equal opportunities for children.
Quint Wiersma, founder and CEO of ReadLer, says, “We are incredibly pleased with the support of the North Holland Innovation Fund! It enables ReadLer to dramatically accelerate the development of Speaklee, allowing Speaklee to support children with speech and language impairments in their development as quickly as possible. This brings us one step closer to an inclusive society and accessible speech therapy for every child.”
Technology for language development
Founded by Quint Wiersma, Francisco Blasques and Pascal Koot from the VU Demonstrator Lab, ReadLer is developing Speaklee, an AI-powered speech assistant that supports children in practising pronunciation and vocabulary.
The tool gives immediate feedback and integrates with speech therapy exercises, allowing continued practice between sessions.
It is aimed at children with a provisional or confirmed diagnosis of language development disorder (SLD) and is being developed in collaboration with speech therapists, healthcare institutions, and special education schools through a business-to-business-to-consumer model.
The app is being tested as a web application and will soon be released in app stores.
ReadLer works with Auris, an organisation for children with hearing, speech, and language impairments, to develop content and test Speaklee’s effectiveness in practice. A validation process with professionals is in progress to support potential reimbursement from health insurers.
AI meets speech therapy
Speaklee is a digital speech assistant that helps children improve speech and pronunciation. It uses a machine learning algorithm to analyse speech at the phoneme level and provide feedback.
The tool guides users from phonemes to words, sentences, and texts, applying speech therapy techniques to increase difficulty gradually. Gamified elements maintain engagement, and a dashboard allows therapists and parents to track progress and assign tasks.
For speech therapists, Speaklee supports at-home practice with lesson materials, generates detailed reports on practice habits and common errors, and helps tailor lesson plans.
In classrooms, it enables students to practice pronunciation independently. For parents, it allows children to work without assistance while progress can still be monitored.
Brief about the investor
The Innovation Fund North Holland is an initiative of the Province of North Holland, University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, and Sanquin.
It provides convertible loans to entrepreneurs in the province in the Proof-of-Concept phase. The fund manages two programs: one for startups, supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, and one for academic startups, supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
