Enuma, a California-based education app developer founded by a Korean couple and led by Korean researchers, has received attention for its innovative and cheap learning solutions for children with learning disabilities and in impoverished nations.

Enuma established in 2012 earned fame for Todo Math, which maintained a top spot in Apple’s Education app category in 20 countries for many weeks.

The award-winning Pre-K - 2nd grade curriculum was first designed to help children with special needs practice foundational math skills at home and in the classroom. The fun and easy learning system soon became popular among students, teachers and parents around the world. It also attracted investments of $5 million in total from many investors including Japan’s Softbank.

Since Todo Math’s release in 2014, it has received a Parents’ Choice Gold Award and was recognized as an SIIA CODiE Finalist., It is featured by Google as an App of the Year on Google Play Korea.

Enuma’s next goal is to win the Global Learning Xprize challenge launched in the US to encourage and recognize software to solve worldwide illiteracy. Enuma entered the competition with Kitkit School, an early learning tablet-based application to help children in developing countries take control of their own learning to build foundational math and literacy skills. It is now among the 11 semifinalists and is likely to be among the finalists to be announced in September.

"The price of tablets has fallen to about 80,000 won, which is an affordable price for poor children around the world,” said Sooinn Lee, the CEO and founder of Enuma. "Unlike a PC, tablets consume less power making them accessible by neighborhood children with a single solar power system.”

“But if the machine is left unused, nothing will happen. We will have to provide software to help children study on their own,” she added.

If added to the finalist pool, Kitkit School will go through a field test for children in Tanzania. A final winner will receive a prize of $10 million.

By Lee Duk-joo

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]