ASTANA – Kazakh Ed-Tech startup CodiPlay focusing on teaching children programming and creating gadgets (IoT projects) based on arcade games, has closed its seed round with $2 million in funding, the company’s press service reported.
CodiKit kits that contain parts and mock-ups for creating IoT projects by CodiPlay. Photo credit: invest.codiplay.kz.
The comprehensive learning system garnered significant interest from investors, with $1.5 million coming from the Tumar Venture Fund, a Kazakh private venture fund managed by White Hill Capital. The fund also invested $500,000 into the startup’s development. The two-month round ended with CodiPlay’s valuation at $10 million.
According to Zhanadil Taldybayev, CodiPlay CEO, the exceptional trust from business angels and the venture fund is aiding in the rapid growth and scaling of the startup.
“Investors have recognized our significant social impact and contribution to IT education in our country and our commitment to increasing technical literacy among children,” he said.
CodiPlay has reached its expected investment target and plans to expand the product’s reach with unique technological solutions. By September, the platform will be used in over 120 schools in Kazakhstan, with continued global expansion underway. Several schools in South Korea use the platform, while the schools of the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye are soon to introduce it in test mode.
The other potential market for the startup is the Commonwealth of Independent States due to the similarities in educational systems with Kazakhstan.
“Our gamified learning process turns coding into a game, and our mission is to give every student in Kazakhstan access to programming languages that will prepare them for a drastically different future,” said Taldybayev.
In addition to the mobile app, a startup’s team created CodiKit kits that contain parts and mock-ups for creating 30 IoT projects, from traffic lights to smart home systems.
The Tumar Venture Fund is the largest in Kazakhstan, with a target investment of up to $50 million. It was established as part of the Fostering Productive Innovation Project, implemented by the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry and funded by the World Bank. White Hill Capital is the fund’s management company specializing in supporting and developing IT companies directly at the early stages.
