Yoto raises £18m in new funding backed by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
The British children's audio startup has secured £18m in fresh capital, featuring a £8.7m contribution from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.
Yoto designs and manufactures screen-free audio players and interactive content cards for children, offering an alternative to tablet and smartphone usage.
British children's audio device maker Yoto has secured £18m in funding, with backing from prominent figures including Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. The capital follows previous support from shareholders such as musician Paul McCartney, who has backed the company since its early stages.
Founded in 2017, the company produces screen-free audio players designed to let children independently listen to stories, podcasts, and music using physical smartcards. The device operates without cameras, microphones, or advertisements to mitigate concerns regarding excessive screen time for young users.
The latest investment builds on an existing relationship with Chan Zuckerberg Ventures, which acquired a stake in the business last year. The funds will support the continued distribution of the company's hardware and audio content library.
From the founder
"We both had nagging concerns around the effects of excess screen time for young children, with potential negatives around sleep disruption, fine motor control development and addictiveness of screens making us think twice about putting our kids in front of a screen. We’re actually both technophiles and big believers in the power of the internet and tech as a force for good. Screens aren’t always bad! Also, having met whilst working together in the digital music world, we really wanted to give our kids easy access to music and other audio content. So we came up with the idea of a connected, screen-free audio device that kids could be fully in control of using physical smartcards."
Ben Drury
Co-founder at Yoto
