Mindshapes is an interactive learning company that creates

virtual worlds A virtual world (also called a virtual space) is a computer-simulated environment which may be populated by many users who can create a personal avatar, and simultaneously and independently explore the virtual world, participate in its activities ...

and apps that help children and adults learn through gameplay. Founded in October 2010, the company is headquartered in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and has offices in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. Mindshapes’ products include educational apps for the

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, operating s ...

, iPhone and

iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a music pl ...

for children aged 2–12, as well as their flagship product My Story World Mindshapes secured $5 million (£3.1 million) of

Series A A series A round (also known as series A financing or series A investment) is the name typically given to a company's first significant round of venture capital financing. The name refers to the class of preferred stock sold to investors in exc ...

funding in November 2011 from the company’s five founders and unnamed angel investors.

Company Background

Mindshapes is led by co-CEOs Chris Michaels and Nina Pustilnik. Other notable staff include Chairman Shukri Shammas; CTO George Taylor, "Chief Ninja" Sami Lababidi; CIO Christian Dorffer; and CFO Tareq Naqib. Shammas and Lababidi were two of the four co-founders of

Playfish Playfish was a developer of free-to-play social network games. Playfish was founded in 2007 by Kristian Segerstråle, Sebastien de Halleux, Sami Lababidi, and Shukri Shammas. It closed in 2013. Playfish in the past had attracted up to 55 million ...

, which was acquired by

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...

in November 2009.

Products

Mindshapes looks to “promote learning through a fusion of gaming and educational principles”. The company has a team of advisors specialising in education, including Professor Paul Harris at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Mindshapes also partners with charities such as the

National Literacy Trust The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity (registered no. 1116260 in England and Wales and registered no. SCO42944 in Scotland) based in London, England, that promotes literacy. It was founded by Sir Simon Hornby, former chairman of th ...

. Mindshapes has published a range of educational children’s apps for the iPhone,

and

. Aside from My Story World, their apps include The Opposites; Casper’s Scare School; Lingo Zoo; Meteor Math; Hickory Dickory Dock; Jack and the Beanstalk by Mindshapes; Jellytoons Toddler Skills: Bobo’s Birthday Challenge and Tap-a-Tune.

References

{{Reflist British companies established in 2010