For more than two years, edtech startup Labbox Education brought science, electronics and computer engineering closer to children in Kosovo, through fun and interactive ways that encourage thinking and finding new and innovative solutions to various challenges.
According to the founder of the startup Arta Zaimi, who has already founded a coding academy in Kosovo and also has extensive experience in programming and electronics, the idea for the company was born while looking for a solution that would solve both the difficulty of teaching and understanding complex scientific fields .
Enjoy the magic of creation
“Labbox aims to expose children to real-world electronics and engineering as early as possible. Based on our testing and general educational tips related to child development, the best age to start exposing children to technology from a creator’s perspective is age 8. This is the time when their mathematical thinking develops strongly and children master basic mathematics. functions, which, if compared to how electronics work, are similar in difficulty,” Zaimi tells The Recursive.
“By learning and practicing engineering activities, children not only begin to appreciate the magic of creation, but they also develop crucial skills in the process. This form of thinking takes children far in life,” emphasizes Zaimi.
Arta Zaimi combines more than nine years of experience in developing complex systems for banks and businesses, as well as more than four years of experience in the education field.
The main concept behind the startup’s products is the use of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. Each month, children who use Labbox receive boxes containing new STEM projects and engineering tasks, through which they learn to understand “Why” and “How” things work.
Expansion plans
While public schools in Kosovo have already started using Labbox’s curriculum, the company is now also looking to expand into foreign markets.
In 2018, Labbox received joint equity financing from the EBRD and the EU through the Western Balkans Business Development and Innovation Fund (WBEDIF). Labbox is also a Techstars portfolio company, accelerated by Techstars Berlin in Q1 2021.
This year, Zaimi and Labbox will also be featured in the Romanian investment platform SeedBlink. For Zaimi, this cooperation means that the startup will also gain visibility and visibility.
“As Labbox expands beyond the borders of the Balkans and we see demand from European countries, we thought it was the right time for a crowdfunding round. We decided to share the investment opportunity with smaller investors who usually do not have the opportunity to invest in a startup at this stage,” Zaimi told The Recursive.
“We also want to give this opportunity to valuable people who are also parents, because we believe that the best supporters and investors we can have with us are those who will be our customers,” she adds.
Currently, with an investment of €300,000, the company has installed its own production line in Kosovo. And Zaimi emphasizes that there is room for growth.
“There is an incredible growth opportunity for Labbox and, because of the economic situation we are seeing and the performance of the market, I think the company is basically a no-brainer,” Zaimi explained at SeedBlink. presentation earlier this month.
“The other reason is that, especially for those who understand the importance of our mission and our value proposition, I think there is an opportunity to enjoy helping our world develop in the right direction and to open the minds of those who will hold our goal. the future,” concludes Zaimi.