Mover Kit

After watching the elevator Pitch from the perspective of an EVA, NO I would not immediately invest, but would request more information in the form of a Venture Pitch or Business plan, specifically regarding financials, ROI, and their team’s history. With respect to the Elevator Pitch, there isn’t so much a pain point as an improved way to engage kids with coding, creation, and practical and active learning. The product appeals to both adults (parents, educators, children’s toy companies) and children (users), and is unique in that the child both constructs and creates their product, involving them throughout the building and learning process, while exposing them to technology and getting active. It seems simple to assemble and use, stands at an affordable price point ($55), and offers an interactive product over typical coding apps based on a computer or mobile device, such as Hopscotch, Scratch, or Kodable. Since its Kickstarter ended in 2016, there is now competition within the market share such as JewelBots, Cubetto, Kano (which lets kids assemble and program their own actual computer!), programmable robots such as Hasbro FurReal, and LEGO Boost Robotics Toolbox, which is accompanied by an App that also teaches kids how to code specific actions in their creations. Despite the competition, this emerging market product should still satisfy children in the creative and technological domain, as it is differentiated by its emphasis on children getting active with their creations. According to their Kickstarter page, they have shipped over 60 000 Mover Kits to over 97 countries to date, so the product is certainly attracting interest and gaining market share. The passion for the product and its benefits to the intended demographic are apparent; the Co-Founder of their company, Technology Will Save US, incorporates exuberant child-users and even his own son into the pitch to reinforce that fact, as well as to demonstrate the volume of creative applications for the Mover Kit. I even found the background music complementary to the activities of the children and the overall fun nature of the pitch. In sum, the elevator pitch is simple, innovative, and the product is accessible due to price point and simplicity. Why I would review their Venture Pitch: The elevator pitch has no mention of the financial ‘ask’ or ‘return’, nor any past projects from their CEO/Team (although their company website now has multiple products marketed toward the same genre/demographic). I would also discuss their market competition and how they see themselves innovating and maintaining a successful and growing market share before investing. Cheers, Reg

Yes I would investigate this venture and move to a venture pitch. The elevator pitch is engaging and speaks to the enthusiasm knowledge and general market share this product could have. Its open source nature and ability to be used in many real world scenarios, combined with the simplicity of the navigation for coding,make it worth a second look. There are other products out there that overlap with this product, however, the wearable features push them past things like Makey Makey, Lilipad, or Fitbit like products as they are self contained and easy to use for younger children. The demographic that this product would service is well represented in the elevator pitch right down to the GBL (game based learning) graphics in the edit. The adult demographic buying these products would be wide as it would appeal to parents, educators and potentially health professionals as a way to combat a plethora of child hood mobility issues, from obesity to differently abled individuals. Its insertion point for the child is very versatile and individual but in a group setting would be very inclusive in its ubiquity of use for all.

Yes, I would invest in this venture. This product has a great opportunity space. Parents are looking for products that not only spark creativity and are fun but that also provides kids with opportunity to learn. In this case, learning coding and troubleshooting skills. The Mover Kit gives kids a product that encourages their creative while building the technical skills they will need in the future. It combines the digital and physical in a playful and creative way. Mover Kit may be the first wearable kids can code but there are many other coding toys for children. The edge or differentiation that this product has is that a child can code, wear and interact with it kinetically. Daniel and Bethany are founders of ‘Technology Will Save Us’. They seem capable and competent as they have experience bringing other products to market. I am not entirely sold on their enthusiasm but I believe that they are just not entirely comfortable on camera. They have a well-made video with kid’s testimonials. The kid’s testimonials were very sincere and brought a lot of confidence to the viability of this product. After watching the video, my six-year old daughter really wanted to get one and that is strong indication that it is speaking to the right audience. Their pitch does not talk about exit strategy or market readiness so that was something they would have to address in the venture pitch. I think that the Mover Kit will be a successful product as it is solving a pain point in a unique way.

Yes, I would invest in this venture. The two founders seem to have the capability and confidence, and have experience launching other products in the past. Their concept is both original and feasible, and it is compelling enough that it makes me want one myself. I believe there is room in the market for programmable wearables, especially for this particular one that seems to be seamlessly accessible, versatile, and fun. I think those characteristics do give this product an advantage over other similar concepts, and depending on Mover Kit’s price point, may be hard to beat. Their pitch does not really address their market readiness nor exit strategy though.

As an EVA, I would invest in a venture that allows children to self create technology and challenges for themselves. Tech Will Save Us Founders, noted that they are on a mission to spark creativity amongst young people. Through products such as the Mover Kit, the user is involved in the creation of wearable & portable items from assembly, to coding, to customization, etc. Technology is only restricted by the end user. Other wearable coding technology is often pre-made and pre-defined with parameters, thus restricting the user. The venture company, Tech Will Save Us creates items that are marketable and restricted only by the user. The product promoted today is quite large in size. Additionally funding may assist in creating a product that is reasonably sized for children but still of interest to the market group of 8+. The message delivered caught my attention because the Founders' passion and sincerity creates a personable meaning to the product and the ideas they are proposing: technology that encourages children to move because they want to. Sure there is the fit bit, and other wearable technology, but the challenges are limited. Wearable technology that teaches children to code is great, but ones that can encourage children to be creative and goal oriented, now that's another level of competition we need in the market today.

I always think about how we can make technology and physical movement go hand-in-hand. Especially when you talk to kids of today, they all talk about Minecraft, coding, PS4 and more, and the majority of them don't have any time to move, run, swim..etc. I can see this product is a combination of both they can play and be physical while they, still, can enjoy coding and programming the device. The device still is a very big device for some little kids and it seems that it will not be a very comfortable to wear, but knowing kids they will all go for a try especially who uses bikes as part of their daily activity. As a parent and a teacher, I can see the whole benefits of this wearable device. Living in Dubai it is almost like living in Winnipeg in many ways. We have an indoor play at school when it is very hot outside to play, however, we encourage the kids to be active inside the classroom or at the gym. therefore, obviously, they ask all teachers to use computers and their own devices. This makes me think how unfortunate to live in a country where you have to stay indoor for your recess time. If we can advertise this device to the point that we can use while the kids enjoy the indoor play by convincing them that you can find the joy of technology and the movement in the same time. that would be as we accomplish a great job to the students. Financially, it needs to be supported by the school board or by the parents. Great idea.

I really think that the ability to get our children excited about technology is through free experimentation and by adding a physical activity angle, this Mover Kit has me sold. The Pain Point here is that most tools set up to teach kids to code or work with wearables lack the freedom to allow kids to make their own choices about what they build. By allowing the user to decide what to do with a product, kids tend to be more passionate because they feel like what they created is truly of their own design. It reminds me of the days and weeks we used to spend building sand castle mansions with decks and gardens and walls. What made us keep going was the fact that we were building out the ideas that had come straight from our own imagination. The Mover Kit adds physical movement, which we all know is lacking in the regular classroom. I have seen Arduino (www.arduino.org) and Raspberry Pi (www.raspberrypi.org) offering kits along the same lines as this, but having ventured into the kit world myself, I can say that things are not as kid friendly as they could be. This pitch really sells the idea that kids can get their head around the ideas without the need for a lot of teacher or adult support or supervision. This is important if you want to avoid the disappointment of needing an adult to oversee every step of the way. Marketing this Mover Kit is a friendly couple that uses real children and a light-hearted approach that is not intimidating. My only question lies in the fact that the Mover Kit doesn't emphasize the coding aspect at all and this concerns me. Is it overly simplified coding? Does the coding give the user the ability to really accomplish the sort of activities outlined in the pitch. The Ask: I think the price point seems very reasonable. Less than a comparable elearning system like Little Bits (www.littlebits.com) and the product does look like it is an MVP that will get polished up as sales grow. I think this is a great starting point for any teacher looking to give their students a way to break into coding in a "Maker" friendly way.

This is a great pitch, and I would definitely invest in this. From a parent's perspective, this device fits a wonderful niche of combining exercise with exploring technology, and I can see how this would have a definite appeal and demand in their target market. Pain Point: a wearable device that encourages activity and creativity in children Solution: a customizable, programmable, wearable maker-kit for kids! Differentiation: wearable tech is out there, but often expensive and not geared to children. The customization, and 'maker ethos' of this product encourages creativity and learning while also getting children to be active. Marketing: A very successful Kickstarter campaign. Championship: the company has released several updates of software addressing bugs, and seems committed to updating and improving their product after their Kickstarter campaign's conclusion, indicating viability in future products from this company. Their support team seems active at addressing supply issues, as well as hardware and software issues, indicating a good level of customer interaction and satisfaction. Their website has an active community sharing different customizations, encouraging experimentation as well as repeat purchases. Competition: there are no other similar customizable wearable tech products for children, however there are activity trackers for children (and adults) available at similar price points. The Ask: the current retail price is 59.99 GBP ($105 CAD) for a single kit, or 99.99 GBP ($179 CAD) for the sports lover kit with 2 devices. There is a hint of a future project from this company on their kickstarter page, but no details on the 'ask'. The Return: See above price points. Overall, this is a great venture and worthy of the attention of an EVA looking to invest in the wearable-tech and maker market.