COUNTING WORDS: How old should kids be before they are exposed to technology? As soon as they start hearing words, says this Palo Alto, CA-based startup. VersaMe has raised $2.5 million in a seed round to develop a wearable technology to children ages 0-4. The deal was led by Learn Capital and Stanford-StartX with participation of family offices of Vincent Viola, Doug Cifu and Richard Dai.
VersaMe’s flagship product, Starling, is a small device parents can pin on their child to track—but does not record—the number of words he or she says and hears every day. The tool is built on research that suggests that greater exposure to language at an early age can boost a child’s intelligence. The device is currently available for pre-order on Indiegogo for $149.
