Top 23 Startups that help kids learn to read

Updated: Mar 20, 2026
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These startups develop phonics apps, interactive storybooks, reading comprehension tools, vocabulary-building games, speech recognition software, etc.
1
Beanstack
Country: USA | Funding: $1.5M
Beanstack helps educators and librarians run reading challenges that engage more people and provide better data.
2
DreamBox Learning
Country: USA | Funding: $175.6M
DreamBox Learning offers elementary mathematics education through its intelligent adaptive learning platform.
3
Amira Learning
Country: USA | Funding: $40.3M
Amira Learning offers an intelligent reading assistant that listens, assesses, and tutors.
4
Osmo
Country: USA | Funding: $32.5M
Osmo is a gaming company built around its proprietary Reflective Artificial Intelligence. It aims to create a new play movement to unleash the boundaries of the screen with the launch of its inaugural product, Osmo. Osmo expands the playing field and engages creative thinking and social interaction, allowing any object - pen and paper, you name it - to interact with the digital device.
5
Ello
Country: USA | Funding: $15.5M
Ello is an app-based reading coach that works with real books.
6
Lexplore
Country: Sweden | Funding: $12.7M
The all-in-one service for systematic reading development. Lexplore offers assessment, insights and development in one place to support systematic reading development.
7
Shoelace Learning
Country: Canada | Funding: $7M
Shoelace Learning is the create games that instil a love for reading.
8
Yuna
Country: Brazil | Funding: $1.6M
Yuna develops an AI-driven platform that provides personalized, interactive, and free children's stories.
9
ReadAskChat
Country: USA | Funding: $1.1M
ReadAskChat provides parents, caregivers, and teachers the guidance they need to lay a strong foundation for reading and a love of learning.
10
Lola Panda
Country: Finland | Funding: €600K
BeiZ is a Beijing-based game studio engaged in the development of educational games for adults and children.
11
Bookbot
Country: Australia | Funding: A$200K
Bookbot is an app that helps child to improve reading skills.
12
QuestRead
Country: Canada | Funding: CA$25K
An AI-powered reading app that improves a child's motivation and achievement through gameplay and adaptive learning.
13
Rally Reader
Country: USA
Rally Reader is an AI-powered e-reading platform for K-12 that distributes, supports, and tracks independent reading.
14
Bookelicious
Country: USA
Bookelicious promotes literacy by helping children find great books on topics they are passionate about.
15
Red Clover Reader
Country: USA
Welcome to the Diverse & Value-based Digital Library for Kids 13 & Under!
16
WordScientists
Country: USA
WordScientists' mission is to ensure all children’s right to learn to read, by providing educators and families with the means to teach language & early reading.
17
Zinc Reading Labs
Country: USA
With Zinc Reading Labs' suite of online literacy tools, you can equip middle and high school students with skills for advanced literacy success—and empower teachers to get EVERYONE reaching their potential.
18
BOOKR
Country: USA
Magical English Teaching App with 1000+ content. We support teachers & parents, we create for kids.
19
Whimsy
Country: USA
An AI-powered reading and writing app for kids
20
The Literacy Lab
Country: USA
The Literacy Lab is a nonprofit organization that provides provide evidence-based reading tutoring for children from low-income families.
21
Early Ideas
Country: UK
Tandem: promoting early childhood development by transforming passive screen time into engaging, interactive, and personalized experiences for children and parents.
22
Kizling
Country: South Korea
Kizling is AI-based digital short-form challenge platform designed for children and teenagers with a strong emphasis on education, safety, and social responsibility. It encourages users to move beyond passive viewing and become active creators. By participating in creative challenges, children naturally develop digital literacy, self-expression, collaboration skills, and responsible online communication.
23
Pustakh
Country: Australia
Pustakh is AI-powered applied learning platform that transforms powerful ideas from 1000+ non-fiction books into actionable steps you can use immediately. It combines concise summaries, audio insights, and personalized action plans to help you move beyond reading and actually create real change in your life and work.
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Nadia Neveu
Editor: Nadia Neveu
Nadia Neveu is a senior editor for EdTechStartups. She is a writer covering early childhood education, K-12, higher education and edtech business, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, BBC and Vice. Nadia holds a degree in mass communication from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Nadia is also a student in the Master of Science in Data Analytics program at the University of Houston-Downtown. Nadia seeks to uplift all teachers in the work that they do and support them as leaders and agents of change. You can contact Nadia at neveu(at)edtechstartups(dot)com