AI Startup Gizmo Secures $3.5M Funding with Gamified Quizzes and Flashcards for Engaging Learning Experiences

Gizmo, a dynamic generative AI learning startup, recently secured $3.5 million in seed funding from notable investors NFX, Ada Ventures, and Capital T. This funding will be instrumental as Gizmo aims to expand its platform globally, enhance its engineering team, and introduce innovative features.

The core functionality of Gizmo revolves around generating engaging quizzes from users' class notes, which can easily be copied and pasted into the platform. Additionally, the AI can extract content from various sources, including PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, web pages, and even YouTube videos. Users also have the option to import notes from other popular flashcard tools like Quizlet and Anki.

According to Gizmo, the large language models (LLMs) responsible for quiz generation are proprietary. Users can create flashcard decks from scratch by simply providing a topic. These decks can be shared via private links, making them ideal for classmates studying together or for teachers crafting educational resources for their students. Furthermore, Gizmo offers a marketplace for public decks, allowing users to share their flashcards with a broader audience.

Once a deck is created, Gizmo generates a tailored multiple-choice quiz based on the content. By applying learning science principles, such as active recall and spaced repetition, Gizmo makes studying both effective and enjoyable.

“Memory is crucial for all types of learning, yet people forget up to 90% of what they learn,” explained Petros Christodoulou, co-founder and CEO of Gizmo. “Generative AI empowers us to develop innovative methods that enhance memory retention in a fun and engaging manner, which is the driving force behind Gizmo’s inception.”

Similar to the popular language-learning app Duolingo, Gizmo employs daily streaks to maintain user engagement. Each day, users must answer a set number of questions to maintain their streak. A leaderboard feature allows users to track their quiz scores and compare their rankings with friends.

“We have users who have maintained streaks of over 365 days,” Christodoulou shared. He brings his expertise as a former machine learning researcher at Amazon to the team.

Gizmo offers users 15 lives daily; if a user answers a quiz question incorrectly, they lose a life. When lives are depleted, users can wait 10 minutes to regain some or opt to pay a monthly fee for unlimited lives. A paid subscription, priced at $8.80 per month or $52.80 annually, also allows users to create unlimited AI-generated quizzes, as opposed to the standard limit of 10 per day.

As part of its roadmap, Gizmo intends to roll out three new features within the next three months. These will include a note-taking functionality for users to jot down notes directly within the platform, a collaboration tool for shared quizzing and studying, and the ability to ask the AI questions directly.

Founded in 2021 by three alumni from Cambridge University—Christodoulou, Paul Evangelou (CPO), and Robin Jack (CTO)—Gizmo combines expertise in machine learning, marketing, teaching, edtech, product development, and data analysis. The company aspires to make learning engaging and hopes Gizmo becomes “as addictive as scrolling through TikTok,” Christodoulou remarked.

With over 300,000 users, Gizmo is experiencing impressive growth, boasting a 50% increase month-over-month, largely driven by word of mouth. The platform is accessible via web, iOS, and Android devices.