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.

[pullquote]

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.

[/pullquote]

“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.

[divide]

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

Tagged , , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder
      [adinserter block="4"]

      2021 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Roz audits its path to $2.15M in early funding; how KC helped this AI startup scale its potential

        By Tommy Felts | September 18, 2025

        A series of funding wins is boosting a Kansas City startup’s efforts to automate the most complex — and tedious — parts of compliance work, drawing from the co-founder’s own pain points and resources from a server-full of local entrepreneur support initiatives.  With $2.15 million in funding under its belt so far, Olathe-based Roz — which…

        KC GIFT launches ‘Vibe the City’ passport to showcase Black-owned arts, entertainment venues

        By Tommy Felts | September 18, 2025

        A newly published mini-guide to Black-owned arts and entertainment venues across Kansas City is expected to push community members deeper into the metro’s rich Black business ecosystem, said Brandon Calloway, highlighting a range of cultural and nightlife destinations.   “Vibe the City” passports are available now at the G.I.F.T. Business Center at 5008 Prospect Ave.,…

        Trially secures $4.7M seed round, launches ‘Margo’ AI solution to clear patient bottleneck

        By Tommy Felts | September 16, 2025

        A Kansas City startup’s AI-first platform is expected to save time — and patient lives — thanks to a successful seed round for its clinical trial recruitment tech, explained Kyle McAllister, noting his startup’s solution could help speed up access to treatment by years. Trially, one of Startland News’ 10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in…

        She scored music on Netflix and LA’s star-studded stages; now BodaciousThang is getting vulnerable in KC

        By Tommy Felts | September 16, 2025

        When Cheyenne Jolene steps on stage in the shoes of her alter ego, the singer-songwriter’s voice carries both raw emotion and unapologetic truth. Performing as BodaciousThang, Jolene blends R&B, hip hop, rock, and soul into what she describes as “genre bending” music. Her songs are steeped in authenticity and storytelling, offering listeners intimate glimpses into…