GAMES GALORE: Educational game developer Osmo has raised $24 million in venture funding from Mattel, Collab+Sesame, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Calibrate Partners. Existing investors Upfront Ventures, Accel and K9 Ventures also participated.
Started in 2014, the Palo Alto-based startup creates physical toys compatible with mobile games on iPads, using the device’s camera to integrate virtual gameplay with puzzles, blocks and other objects. The company claims users in 25,000 classrooms globally. According to a press release, the funding will be used to expand the platform’s “mixed-reality experiences, underlying reflective AI technology and help the company launch on its first non-iPad device, the iPhone.” TechCrunch reports Osmo is also working with Sesame Workshop and Mattel to create “character-driven content for its products” (but don’t expect to see Elmo on there anytime soon).
Originally launched through a $50,000 crowd-funding campaign by Tangible Play, Osmo previously raised $12 million in a Series A round in 2014 and $2.5 million in a 2013 seed round, bringing the company’s total funding to $38.5 million.
