UK-based STEAM toymakers Tech Will Save Us recently opened up a crowdfunding investment campaign on the Seedrs platform. Within 24 hours, the venture-backed company reached its goal of £200,000 (approximately $251,813).
Tech Will Save Us began in 2012 with shipping STEM kits from a kitchen table. In the years since, the company has expanded upon its mission to “spark the creative imagination of young people using hands-on technology” with a full range of make-it-yourself kits and digital tools.
“With 1.5 billion kids out of school around the world, parents need things that are both entertaining and educational. We’ve seen sales more than double amid a massive uplift in awareness and demand for home-learning,” says Bethany Koby, co-founder and CEO at Tech Will Save Us. “We decided that this was the right time to run a crowdfunding campaign and offer our passionate community a chance to own part of the business. We are delighted to have reached our target so quickly.”
Beyond its growing range of learning kits, Tech Will Save Us collaborated with Google, Code Club, The Prince’s Trust, the BBC to create the micro:bit — a pocket-sized computer that was given to one million kids worldwide. The company also partnered with Disney to create a STEAM toy inspired by Marvel’s Avengers.
Last year, the company shifted focus to digital sales ,which have grown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company says that it has seen 110% growth in digital sales as families stay at home.
