Roominate
IndustryToys
Headquarters
Sunnyvale, California

Roominate is a construction set introduced by Maykah Inc., a company founded by Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, in 2012. The product, marketed at girls aged 6–10, consists of modular plastic building pieces that can interlock to create models and includes circuits that can be wired. Originally funded through Kickstarter, the company received an investment from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner during the sixth season of Shark Tank. In 2016, Roominate was acquired by toy manufacturer PlayMonster.[1]

History

Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, the founders of Maykah, Inc., met in the master's degree engineering program at Stanford University. The two launched their first prototype on Kickstarter and raised US$85,000 from a US$25,000 funding goal.[2] The team participated in StartX, a business incubator for Stanford entrepreneurs, in 2012, and partnered with EdForward, the Center for Innovation in Education at the UC Davis School of Education, to create a series of educational activity guides to accompany the kits.[3][4]

Roominate appeared on the Season 6 premiere episode of Shark Tank, where they received a US$500,000 investment from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner for a 5% equity share.[5]

Products

Roominate offers nine products that contain different quantities and combinations of the modular building pieces and circuitry.[6] Tekla Perry, in an article for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, described Roominate as a "STEM" (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) toy company.[7]

Jenn Choi of Forbes stated that the set's design "naturally invites other materials to enhance the play experience", which gave Roominate "even more play value".[8] In a review of the product, Joshua Gans, also of Forbes, wrote that "it isn't likely to impress parents or kids", but afterwards wrote that the ability to use the motor for different purposes "[relieved] some of [his family's] initial disappointment".[9] Jennifer Alsever of Inc. magazine included Roominate on a list of toys for "next-generation inventors".[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Patch Products Acquires Roominate". Wall Street Journal. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  2. ↑ Baverman, Laura (December 18, 2012). "With Roominate Suite, Stanford Grads Want to Make Construction-minded Girls Squeal". Upstart Business Journal. American City Business Journals.
  3. ↑ "School's EdForward Teams Up with DIY Dollhouse Maker to Strengthen STEM Learning". UC Davis School of Education. April 2014.
  4. ↑ Maly, Tim (May 29, 2012). "Kickstarter of the Week: Wire Up Your Doll House". Wired. Condé Nast Publishing.
  5. ↑ Huggins, Sarah (September 27, 2014). "'Shark Tank' Season 6 Premiere: Will Roominate live up to the Hype?". Zap2it.
  6. ↑ "Shop". Roominate. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ Perry, Tekla (June 25, 2014). "Two STEM Toys Grow Up". Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
  8. ↑ Choi, Jenn (May 9, 2014). "The Top 10 Toys That Kindle Kids' Creativity". Forbes.
  9. ↑ Gans, Joshua (December 17, 2013). "Roominate's Promise Disappoints on First Outing". Forbes.
  10. ↑ Alsever, Jennifer (June 2014). "Toys for the Next Generation of Innovators". Inc. Mansueto Ventures.
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