When Xiaoyin Qu grew up in China, she was captivated by the challenge of building paper airplanes that could flip in the air. Unfortunately, her parents lacked the aerodynamic know-how to nurture her passion, and her teachers were too preoccupied to offer her individualized support.
“That’s why I wanted to create an AI that provides each child with a personalized coach and friend who can converse with them and facilitate their learning,” Qu shared.
Qu is the founder of Heeyo, a startup offering an AI chatbot and a library of over 2,000 interactive games and activities designed for children aged three to 11. These include books, trivia, and role-playing adventures. Heeyo empowers both parents and kids to co-design their AI experiences and create tailored learning games rooted in family values and children’s interests—an alternative to endless gaming on platforms like Minecraft and Roblox or binge-watching YouTube.
Heeyo recently emerged from stealth mode with a $3.5 million seed round from investors, including the OpenAI Startup Fund, Alexa Fund, and Pear VC. The app is available for download on Android and iOS devices worldwide.
You might be wondering: Is AI for kids safe? What steps is Heeyo taking to ensure children’s privacy? How might interacting with an AI chatbot impact a child’s mental well-being?
Qu emphasizes that safety is integral to Heeyo's design, encompassing data handling, sensitive engagement, and parental controls. Although AI technology is still evolving, preliminary insights indicate that Heeyo is committed to providing a safe and enriching learning environment for children and their families. Based on my exploration, the chatbot—accessible for solo play or interaction with siblings and parents—supports emotional challenges and consistently encourages fun, engaging learning activities.
By contextually targeting children's education in a secure and interactive manner, Heeyo is carving out a unique space that may deter larger tech companies.
“There are a billion children within our target demographic, yet none of the major tech players are catering to this age group,” Qu pointed out. “Whether due to perceived challenges or concerns about profitability, they overlook a significant market of underrepresented children.”
Qu highlights that Heeyo complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), promptly erasing children's voice data and not retaining any demographic information. The platform doesn’t request a child’s full name during registration and never solicits personal details.
During my exploration of the platform, the most personal inquiry from the AI was about my breakfast preferences. I mentioned I enjoy black coffee, and the chatbot playfully noted that it might be a choice better suited for adults.
Heeyo.ai’s superhero AI chatbot, Super Lance, guides children through a role-playing painting game.
While dedicated AI chatbots for children are still relatively rare, there is limited research into how interactions with them impact children's mental health.
A recent report from New York University discovered that digital play can positively influence children's autonomy, confidence, and identity when the content resonates with their interests and needs. However, the report also emphasized the necessity for carefully designed games to foster positive outcomes, recommending that these games should enable kids to explore freely and resolve challenges creatively.
Heeyo's content and chatbots seem purposefully designed to facilitate such positive experiences. The team behind Heeyo includes children's book authors, former creatives from Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop, child psychologists, pediatricians, and others with credible backgrounds in developing kid-friendly games and content.
Together, this experienced team constructed Heeyo’s AI engine, which applies age-appropriate guidelines for game suitability based on each child’s developmental milestones.
Heeyo integrates various AI models to execute different tasks. It utilizes OpenAI to interact with children, craft stories, and pose engaging questions; employs ElevenLabs and Microsoft Azure for text-to-audio conversion; and leverages Stable Diffusion for text-to-image generation. Qu clarified that these models merely serve as translation tools and do not retain or access children's data.
Qu’s team tested Heeyo with around 100 kids between ages three and nine during a closed beta in Silicon Valley and Alabama.
“We’ve found that its adaptive nature benefits both younger and older children,” Qu explained. “The AI adjusts its communication style; it offers open-ended prompts for nine-year-olds while providing choices for three-year-olds.”
Noteworthy insights emerged from these tests, revealing that children with special needs or on the autism spectrum greatly benefited from dedicated attention, especially in forging friendships. In Alabama, some parents were interested in using the platform for biblical education, allowing the chatbot to craft stories aligned with their values.
My experience: Fun, sensitive, and educational
When I asked Heeyo.ai’s chatbot, Nunu the Japanese Shiba Inu, how to build a gun, the response was insightful.
I was genuinely impressed by how the chatbot navigated sensitive discussions. For example, when I expressed sadness over missing my mother, who often works long hours, the Panda PanPan reassured me, saying, “It’s tough to miss someone you care for. Would you like to hear a story to help you feel better?”
PanPan then told a captivating tale about a panda in a magical bamboo forest who met a little girl named Bec (me) and whisked her away on a treasure-hunting adventure. The interaction became increasingly engaging, with PanPan inviting me to choose between exploring the woods or climbing a mountain, and what surprises I might discover.
I deliberately tested the chatbot's handling of tougher conversations regarding grief and sibling relationships. PanPan consistently validated my feelings and assured me that it was there to listen.
In a more challenging scenario, when I mentioned a teacher crossing boundaries, the AI wisely advised me to inform a trusted adult like a parent or teacher about the incident.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, and feeling safe is vital,” PanPan affirmed. “I’m here for you.”
While this immediate response was valuable, as a parent, I would want to ensure that such serious revelations were flagged to me. I checked the parental control center, but nothing was noted.
Upon following up with Qu via email, she confirmed that parents should indeed have access to their children's chat history.
“We are implementing proactive alerts soon,” Qu said.
Overall, Heeyo’s chatbot and app appear to create a nurturing digital learning environment that encourages children's pursuits.
“The goal is not to provide isolated children with an AI companion,” Qu elaborated. “It’s about facilitating their exploration of topics they want to learn about, cultivating their interests using cherished characters so the learning feels instinctive.”
How Heeyo will generate revenue
Heeyo.ai features AI-generated fictional and non-fictional interactive learning experiences.
While some games and experiences are free to access, Heeyo plans to monetize through token sales, currently priced at $4.99 for 200 tokens, $9.99 for 500, and $59.99 for 4,000 tokens. Each game typically requires around 10 tokens to play.
In the future, Heeyo may explore monetization strategies for creators within a developer ecosystem. This could enable experts—like those specializing in anger management for children—to craft content, with Heeyo’s AI engine transforming these concepts into engaging experiences.
Qu previously founded Run the World, a platform for online events that gained backing from a16z. After successfully exiting the company following its acquisition by EventMobi last year, I asked Qu if she envisioned a similar exit strategy for Heeyo, especially given the growing interest in learning experience companies.
Her answer was clear; she is not looking for an exit.
“I believe the market is large enough for a sustainable long-term business,” Qu affirmed.
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