Kidtech is a category in the tech startup ecosystem that blends software and technology for children. The kidtech space is developing face now and every tech company wants to optimise their services to make them useful for children. Even tech giant Google came up with YouTube Kids a few years back with a similar intention.
Europe is home to many kids startups including Rovio and all these are content-based. But these are not restricted only to content consumption. This is what a new generation of startups in the Netherlands is focusing on. And, here we list of these innovative kidtech startups in the Netherlands sourced from Dealroom.
WizeNoze (Amsterdam)
Founders – Diane Janknegt
Funding – €3.1 million
Founded in 2013, Wizenoze created an AI-powered readability analysis engine that makes online information meaningful and accessible for everyone including children, teenagers and people who have lower literacy skills. It caters to children by building technology that curates and delivers appropriate, reliable and age-relevant content. Nearly 80% of Dutch primary schools have access to the technology of this startup.
Careibu (Amsterdam)
Founders – Anne van Oudheusden, Lotte van Oudheusden
Funding – €800k
Careibu was launched in 2009 with the intention to help students looking for a social part-time job. It connects them with people looking for help at home. It was started as a local babysitting network initially and later grew into a national community with over 30,000 student and 13,000 clients. It has been possible for the startup with its website and app.
Picoo (Eindhoven)
Founders – Daniel Tetteroo, Iris Soute
Funding – €500k
Since 2016, Picoo has been involved in creating interactive outdoor play experiences for kids. It engages children in traditional games with interactive and modern technology. It aims to become the leading creator of technology in the world for social and active play.
Nimbles (Amsterdam)
Founders – Adine Tjeenk Willink, Danique Wiltink
Funding – €400k
Established in 2015, Nimbles is a trusted online marketplace platform that connects students and parents with additional education in the neighbourhood. Students can use this platform to reach personal and educational growth by seeking additional help to do their homework, prepare for exams and train in new skills.
Hugsy (Eindhoven)
Founders – Jody van den Tillaart, Sylvie Claes
Funding – €200k
Since 2017, Hugsy has been involved in developing a smart blanket meant for premature and newborn babies. The concept behind this smart blanket is to offer a type of skin-to-skin care contact for premature babies also known as kangaroo care. It exposes them to the smell, heat and feeling of a parent’s skin. It also includes a rhythm of their heartbeat that is beneficial for the babies by boosting their development. Hugsy isn’t available anymore as it has been disbanded.
Heppee (Amsterdam)
Founders – Bart de Lege, Sabrina Wiarda
Heppee is a co-parenting mobile app that makes the lives of children and their divorced parents relatively easier and more fun. It does this by enabling communication, planning and sharing of emotions between each other. While divorce usually takes a toll on the lives of children, this app gives them more control to cover their own lives in a fun and playful way.
Hyko (Amsterdam)
Founders – Andriy Shmyhelskyy
Founded in 2014, Hyko by CareToSave is an intuitive and playful tech meant to improve the lifestyle of families and make their future better. It is a connected polar bear with an app ecosystem. It is a parenting tool that is also a friend for the kids. It is a lamp connected to an app that lets children learn colours, time, environment and how to protect it. It was founded with the intention to save polar bears that are becoming an endangered species.
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