April 26, 2019
Voqal is pleased to report that its Education Opportunity Project early childhood portfolio company, Sparkler, was acquired by Viacom.
Sparkler’s technology helps parents track their children’s milestone and developmental progress to provide customized content and advice to improve engagement and early childhood development. Voqal invested in Sparkler in 2018 to help with growth.
The acquisition by Viacom means that Sparkler will be integrated into Nickelodeon’s preschool-focused streaming service, Noggin over the next year. As part of the deal, Sparkler’s co-founder and CEO, Kristen Kane, will serve as Noggin’s executive vice president to oversee the integration and drive Noggin’s educational strategy.
Subject to the terms of the transaction, Sparkler’s work with schools, healthcare providers and social services providers will continue through a new nonprofit organization called Sparkler Learning. Viacom will support its mission of helping families give their children a strong start in life through partnerships with educators, doctors and others serving young families.
This first exit is very exciting for Voqal’s Education Opportunity Project impact goals as it means Sparkler’s technology will reach many more families through the Noggin app. Noggin is a top Family and Kids app on both the Apple App Store and Google Play and is continuing to expand its reach to an increasing number of families.