Founded in 2016 by Vivek Goyal and Dinesh Advani, PlayShifu develops interactive augmented reality (AR) educational toys and games for children aged 4–12 to build science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), geography, and critical thinking skills. The products offer children tactile play experiences and are aimed at making screen time meaningful. The company’s products are available across three toy series: Shifu Orboot, Shifu Plugo, and Shifu Tacto. As of October 2022, PlayShifu offered more than 20 products and reported 1,000,000 users across 35+ countries. The US is the company’s largest market.
In April 2021, PlayShifu raised USD 17 million in Series B funding to expand into 40 countries and launch eight new products—to reach a total of 30 products—during 2021. The company also plans to launch products covering 20 early learning skills by 2022. The company followed up this fundraise with a USD 7 million credit line from Mars Growth Capital, a joint venture fund established between Liquidity Capital and MUFG Bank. The funds will be used to expand within the US and other markets, and support the launch of new products.
The company doubled its workforce in 2020 and, as of October 2021, had recorded 150% YoY growth in revenue over three consecutive years.
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