Sparkli Raises $5M Pre-Seed as It Focuses on Safe, School-First AI Learning

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Sparkli has raised $5 million in pre-seed funding led by Swiss venture firm Founderful, marking the firm’s first pure-play investment in edtech.

Unlike many AI assistants, Sparkli says its platform was designed with pedagogy and child safety as core priorities. The startup’s first hires included a PhD in educational science and AI, as well as a teacher, to ensure learning experiences are developmentally appropriate.

The app restricts sensitive content and, when children ask about topics like self-harm, it shifts toward teaching emotional intelligence and encourages conversations with parents.

Sparkli is currently working with schools and has tested its product in more than 20 classrooms. While its near-term focus is institutional adoption, the company plans to open the app to parents and consumers by mid-2026.

[johnblockbuster]

Institutional-first strategy makes sense, but if parents can’t touch this until mid-2026, they’re leaving a lot of early demand on the table.