Clarendon portfolio company Komodo Learning an educational technology company has reported a fourfold increase in global demand for its learning tools during the coronavirus pandemic.
Founded in 2015, Komodo has developed a maths home learning system on smart devices for children aged five to 11, designed to supplement the primary school curriculum.
Before the Covid-10 crisis, the Belfast firm had around 5,000 global customers for Komodomath.com, with a particular focus in the United States.
But company founder and former teacher Gerard McBreen said the lockdown in many countries had resulted in increased interest from parents looking for educational resources.
“Komodo was never intended as a replacement for school, but with schools closed it can provide a structured learning programme to develop maths skills,” he said.
“It’s designed for ‘little and often’ learning in 15-minute sessions, which means kids aren’t kept at the screen for a long time and parents can fit them in between their own work.”
“We’re helping new and existing subscribers who are experiencing financial difficulties and we have also made a lot of resources available free of charge on our blog,” continued the chief executive.
“There is a lot of information online, but it can be really hard to navigate and find what works for your children if you are new to it or not confident in your own maths ability.”
Komodo has been backed by a number of Northern Ireland ‘angel’ investors, as well as CoFund NI and Techstart, which are both backed by Invest NI.
Claudine Owens, from Clarendon Fund Managers, which manages Co-Fund NI, said: “We are really pleased to see Komodo, along with a number of our other portfolio companies, continuing to flourish and providing great resources and useful services to aid communities in these unprecedented times of Covid-19.
“Over the past few weeks businesses like Komodo have benefited greatly from the skill and commitment of their business angel investors. Their wealth of expertise and experience is a welcome and valuable support for local entrepreneurs.”
