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Ubooly develops interactive smart toys, integrating a smartphone into a plush companion. The core product utilizes voice recognition to deliver personalized, educational content, offering engaging games, stories, and language activities. This system fosters creative and active play, adapting unique experiences to each child.
Founded in 2012 by husband-and-wife team Isaac Squires and Carly Gloge in Boulder, Colorado, Ubooly emerged from their design firm background. They aimed to seamlessly integrate mobile technology into traditional plush toys, enhancing engagement without sacrificing the tangible comfort of a stuffed animal.
Ubooly targets young children, providing entertaining and educational experiences through a familiar toy. The company’s vision is to enrich play by offering adaptive, diverse content that supports developmental milestones via interactive storytelling. Ubooly aims to redefine educational toys, creating companions that evolve with their users.
Ubooly has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
Ubooly has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Ubooly has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in September 2012.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2012 | $3M Seed | — | Bonfire Ventures, BoxGroup, Elephant Partners, FJ Labs, FreshTracks Capital, NextView Ventures, Outlander Labs, Point72 Ventures, Techstars, Greg Isenberg, Matt Coffin, David Cohen, 500 Startups, Jeff Clavier | Announced |
Ubooly is a technology company that developed an interactive stuffed animal toy powered by smartphones, designed for children.[1][2] The product integrates with iPhone or iPod Touch devices placed inside the plush toy, enabling voice recognition, talking, listening, hundreds of stories and games, customization (such as knowing a child's name or teaching lessons), and multiplayer features where Uboolies interact with each other.[1][2][4] It serves parents and children seeking educational entertainment, solving the problem of blending kids' fascination with mobile devices and screens with traditional imaginative play through a cuddly, app-driven interface that delivers automatic content updates over WiFi.[1][2][5]
Backed by investors like 500 Startups and accelerators such as TechStars Boulder and Disney Accelerator, Ubooly gained early traction in Boulder, Colorado, before its acquisition in 2014.[1]
Ubooly was founded in Boulder, Colorado, by a team including Carly Gloge (Co-founder and CEO), Isaac Squires, and Levi Parker.[1] Carly Gloge, now with experience as a Robotics Product Manager at X (the moonshot factory) and other roles, led the company through its growth, including graduation from TechStars Boulder and the Disney Accelerator.[1] Isaac Squires, recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 founder on his fourth startup, focused on building and fixing innovative products.[1] The idea emerged to create a "magical stuffed animal" that harnessed smartphone hardware—microphones, speakers, and displays—via clever case design and software to engage kids interactively, fulfilling their curiosity about mobile tech while reviving plush toy play.[1][4][5] Early milestones included raising funding from 500 Startups and launching with features like voice-activated stories and games, leading to its acquisition in 2014.[1]
Ubooly rode the early 2010s wave of mobile edtech and interactive toys, capitalizing on surging smartphone adoption among families and the demand for "screen-time alternatives" that still used device power.[5] Timing was ideal post-iPhone boom, when parents sought ways to channel kids' device curiosity into learning without pure screen staring—Ubooly bridged hardware toys with apps amid rising interest in STEM play and voice AI precursors.[1][4] Market forces like accelerator programs (TechStars, Disney) and VC interest from firms like 500 Startups fueled its rise, influencing the ecosystem by pioneering "smart plush" concepts that inspired later voice toys (e.g., pre-Alexa interactive dolls) and hybrid physical-digital play.[1] Its 2014 acquisition highlighted validation for consumer robotics and edtech hardware startups.
Post-2014 acquisition, Ubooly likely integrated its tech into larger portfolios, with founders like Carly Gloge and Isaac Squires advancing to moonshot projects and serial ventures, suggesting enduring IP influence.[1] Looking ahead, trends like AI-driven voice companions, AR-enhanced toys, and parental controls on screen time will shape similar innovations—Ubooly's model prefigured these, positioning its legacy to inform next-gen edtech plushies amid growing $10B+ interactive toy market. Its early success underscores how blending mobile smarts with cuddly form factors can disrupt traditional play, potentially evolving through alumni-founded startups.
Ubooly has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Ubooly's investors include Bonfire Ventures, BoxGroup, Elephant Partners, FJ Labs, FreshTracks Capital, NextView Ventures, Outlander Labs, Point72 Ventures, Techstars, Greg Isenberg, Matt Coffin, David Cohen.
