kidthing Closes $3 Million in Financing

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--kidthing, a secure internet-based global learning platform for children, parents, teachers, family and friends, today announced it has closed $3 million in venture financing from Angel investors led by Alpinesky LLC. As part of the round, David Cooper, Alpinesky’s Managing Director, has joined kidthing’s Board. The kidthing service is in beta and will launch this spring.

kidthing’s proprietary distribution, publishing, and social networking platform provides a safe, ad-free, environment that insulates young children from the Internet. kidthing’s free, downloadable, digital media player integrates purchased content from the kidthing online store with personal media in custom mixes that can be shared.

Parents can preview and purchase learning and entertainment content, create custom mixes of kidthing and personal content and make their children the “star” with content that can be personalized. Children can play kidthing content offline. Personalized content and custom play mixes can be shared among friends and family through private sharing communities in the kidthing environment.

“Today’s children are growing up in a high-tech, connected world, and are exposed to the Internet at younger ages than ever. The Internet is a part of everyday life, but it isn’t a safe place for young kids,” stated Larry Hitchcock, kidthing’s CEO. “kidthing is Internet technology, but it isn’t browser based, nor a white-list tool. It’s a secure, safe environment for kids to explore, learn and share; and parents can be confident that their children aren’t one click away from the open Internet.”

kidthing’s professional open publishing platform enables content owners, authors and publishers to offer their digital content for sale throughout the world at the kidthing store, allowing kidthing to offer a wide variety of learning content available in multiple languages including digital books, games, videos, and music. kidthing content is inexpensive, starting as low as $0.99, making kidthing accessible to a broad international audience.

“kidthing allows publishers, educators, and authors around the world to contribute and monetize their content in a totally kid-safe and DRM protected environment – it’s a huge opportunity,” stated David Cooper. “We are impressed with kidthing’s experienced management team, their ability to bring in leading content partners, and the innovative technology platform that enables global, cross-cultural learning, publishing and sharing.”

About kidthing

kidthing delivers the next generation Internet-based learning environment through its proprietary distribution, publishing and social networking platform. kidthing provides a safe, ad-free, global learning environment that insulates children from the World Wide Web. Parents and teachers can purchase, customize and personalize content for kids and can share this in private sharing groups. Publishers and content creators around the world can make their works available in the kidthing store in an enhanced electronic format. kidthing was founded in 2005 and is privately funded. Based in Los Angeles but with a global vision, kidthing also has teams in Ohio, India and the Ukraine.

For more information, visit www.kidthing.com