The company, founded in 2019, plans to partner with schools and develop a classroom-specific product. It is currently running pilot programs in around 30 schools, primarily in San Francisco and New York. Ello is also working on integrating generative AI into its app and launching versions in other languages, with a German version currently being tested. The funding round included participation from Goodwater Capital, Reed Hastings, Common Sense Growth, Homebrew, and Ravensburger.
Key takeaways:
- Ello, a startup that uses AI and child speech recognition technology to combat childhood illiteracy, has secured $15 million in Series A financing. The funds will be used for product development and expanding consumer access.
- The Ello app is a subscription-based service that delivers five books every month to children from kindergarten through Grade 3. The app uses its proprietary technology to listen to the child read out loud and corrects mispronunciations and missed words.
- Ello was founded in 2019 and launched through Y Combinator in March 2020. The company claims its AI reading coach outperforms OpenAI’s Whisper and Google Cloud’s speech API, and it has 10,000 families using the app.
- Ello plans to partner with schools in the future and develop a product specifically designed for classrooms. The company is also working on integrating generative AI into its app and launching versions of Ello in other languages.