Sesame Street Venture Capital Group Aims to Help Shape the Future of Tech for Kids

by ParentCo. February 01, 2016

Since 1969, we've trusted the Sesame Street characters to teach our children important life skills ranging from spelling to empathy. And now, the future of tech for kids rests safely in their furry muppet hands. Sesame Street's nonprofit parent organization, Sesame Workshop, has launched a venture capital arm called, of course, Sesame Ventures. According to Wired, Sesame Ventures will invest in start-ups, "...focused on children’s education, development, health, and nutrition." The group will partner with other established VC firms such as Collaborative Fund. EdSurge reports, "...the two New York City-based groups have launched a $10 million Collab+Sesame Fund to help entrepreneurs scale their startups." Why get into VC funding? Sesame Workshop CEO, Jeff Dunn, says,
"As a non-profit, our success is measured by our global impact on kids’ lives....We are in the midst of an extraordinary time in the history of how digital technology can change the education, health and welfare of kids around the world....By partnering with some of these startups, Sesame Workshop can help grow the next wave of kid-focused innovation and improve the lives of children everywhere.”
Since Sesame Ventures will consider allowing startups to use Sesame Street characters in their product design, kids everywhere can look forward to seeing more of Big Bird and Cookie Monster.

And funded startups can look forward to Snuffaluffagus-sized IPOs brought to them by the letters V and C.

Source: Wired, EdSurge, Sesame Workshop



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