This Indian startup introduces robots to kids, teleports to Singapore

Time was when kids could only build stuff with Lego. Now they can get a Robox.

It’s a robotics kit that teaches kids to build robots as well as program them. What’s more, it comes bundled with robot activities that gamify science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts taught in schools.

Robox is developed by Jay Robotix, which started up in a single room in Hyderabad, India, and has now shifted its headquarters to Singapore to address a global market. The Singapore Angel Network and CBA, the investment vehicle of San Francisco headquartered Scaale Group, this week invested US$250,000 to support this expansion. This is CBA’s second investment in the company in the space of three months.

Jay Robotix also offers a Robotics Center of Excellence for engineering students in colleges. It recently tied up with iCarnegie, an affiliate of Carnegie Mellon University, to certify Indian students taking courses at the robotic centers.

Lego also has a robotics kit called Mindstorm. But it costs three times as much as Robox and isn’t mapped to the curriculum in schools or colleges, points out Sudhir Reddy, founder and CEO of Jay Robotix. “We have observed many schools as well as parents, even in developed markets such as the US and Europe, can’t really afford Lego or Vex Robotics kits. Besides, without curriculum mapping, it is left to the students or parents to link it to classroom learning.”

Scaale VP Ashwin Sanzgiri sees big potential in educational institutions as well as edtech companies bundling Robotix products within their courses and other offerings. “We are seeing a lot of schools globally taking practical learning and STEM initiatives beyond the classroom.”

Jay Robotix will use the bridge round of funding to build up towards a series A round soon to open up global markets, starting from Asia and going on to Europe and North America.