A BELFAST-based online educational technology company started three years ago by a former award-winning maths teacher has seen its unique learning programme crack the American market - by securing subscribers in every single US state.
Komodo Learning, which employs seven people at its Cathedral Quarter office, has revealed that more than 5,000 children from Maine to Alaska have now signed up to its Komodomath.com tool.
The technology has been designed to supplement primary school maths at home, offering video guidance and short practice exercises that can be accessed on smartphones, tablets and computers.
Founder Gerard McBreen said: “It's incredible to think that children across America are sitting down to do their maths practice with our learning system while we're sleeping in our beds.
"Fortunately the US early-years maths curriculum is similar to ours, which makes it easier to adapt Komodo for US customers.”
Komodo employs curriculum experts in both the US and UK to ensure lessons are relevant and in line with what children are being expected to learn.
Gerard said: “Parents are becoming more aware of the importance of maths as a gateway to STEM career opportunities.
"But what they don’t often realise is that their child's maths ability isn't predetermined - anyone can do well and even excel in the subject provided the foundation is strong enough.
"Komodomath enables parents to effectively build this foundation in a way that kids love.”
The company raised investment from private angel investors and the local venture capital funds Techstart NI and CofundNI, which are themselves funded by Invest NI. It was also recently awarded an £80,000 grant from Invest NI to support its export expansion.
Komodo has won the British Educational Technology (BETT) award for best home and family learning product, and the team recently celebrated having subscribers in every state in the US.
Gerard, who has spent 10 years creating maths and science e-learning software for schools all over the world, said: “We were missing out on Alaska for a while, but word has travelled and now we have a few kids out there doing Komodo now too.”
