Coming to a student’s iPad near you: Boddle launches in Apple App Store as edtech startup celebrates third birthday
February 14, 2021 | Startland News Staff
A Kansas City-generated gamified math education platform is expanding its user base this weekend as Boddle Learning debuts the high-profile startup’s long-awaited iOS app version.
The move is expected to most immediately benefit schools that use iPads, as well as parents at home who can now more-easily access the technology on mobile devices, said Edna Martinson, co-founder of Boddle.
What is Boddle Learning?
Boddle offers a gamified approach to increasing student engagement while creating a virtual, immersive math environment. The technology’s unique AI operates on an adaptive algorithm that easily identifies each student’s individual learning gaps before adjusting assessment questions to target the skills that need reinforcement and are necessary to advance.
Boddle was designed for positive reinforcement. Students’ game characters feature bottle-heads that fill up as they learn, which was designed to encourage them to fill up on knowledge, as well as to value themselves and others for what they see on the inside.
Click here to learn more about Boddle.
“This app launch is a pivotal milestone for Boddle, and it fits perfectly with our commitment to increasing accessibility to engaging math practice for all students,” she said. “By releasing the app, we hope that Boddle can support more students during both remote and in-person learning and make it super fun for kids to practice and master math anywhere.”
Launching Boddle in the Apple App Store coincides with the startup’s third anniversary — Feb. 14, a fitting day for Martinson and co-founder/husband Clarence Tan — and comes as demands for remote learning resources and tools continue during the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing restrictions of in-person learning, she said.
Click here to download the app in the Apple App Store.
Identified as one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020, Boddle experienced a surge in user adoption during the pandemic and expanded its reach to 50,000-plus student sign-ups across all 50 U.S. states and 100 countries globally.
In July, Boddle announced a $350,000 investment by Atento Capital — an infusion that required the leading Kansas City edtech startup to relocate to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to work more closely with the funder. Boddle previously received significant funding from AT&T and was a $50,000 finalist in the OHUB.KC accelerator.
Click here to read more about the Atento investment.
Boddle, however, remains connected to the Kansas City metro, Martinson told Startland News. Co-founder Tan on Thursday was announced as one of 13 new fellows for Kansas City-based Pipeline Entrepreneurs.
Click here to see the other five Kansas City founders entering Pipeline in 2021.
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
Featured Business

2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Techstars Spotlight: Ampogee ‘gamifies’ manufacturing work
Measure. Assemble. Test. Repeat. The monotony of manufacturing jobs might make it difficult for workers to feel appreciated and recognize their impact. Ampogee’s solution: Game on. The Greensboro, North Carolina-based startup — which earned a spot on the inaugural Techstars KC cohort last month — has developed a software-as-a service platform, which “gamifies” employee performance.…
CityShape offers KC’s fitness-minded variety, exercise exploration
Variety is key to connecting a diverse fitness community, Shannon McGinley said. Her company, CityShape Fitness, aims to bridge the gaps by offering web-based monthly memberships that give users access to a range of gyms and studios across the metro. “It’s about building community in Kansas City, and connecting people to all the tools…
Deadlines loom for funding, educational and fellowship opportunities
Opportunities abound, Kansas City. Whether you’re an early stage entrepreneur looking for some extra cash, representing an organization aiming to double down on its efforts, or someone seeking mentorship, the Kansas City entrepreneurial community has options available — if you take the initiative. To lend a hand, we’ve gathered some timely opportunities. Act quickly! Deadlines are…
CPR alert! KC Fire adopting tech to notify bystanders of cardiac arrest
Embracing innovation and collaboration, the Kansas City Fire Department is expected to launch technology this month that is designed to notify residents trained in CPR when a person in their vicinity experiences sudden cardiac arrest and is awaiting first responders. Sudden cardiac arrest is responsible for about 350,000 deaths a year, according to the American…


