A programming language children can hold
Mochi began with a refusal: a child's first encounter with computing should not require another screen. The kit turns code into wooden blocks, movement, music, and story. Its curious bear makes an abstract system feel like play; its physical logic lets children see that technology is something they can shape.
The product was informed by hundreds of hours of home visits, classroom observation, interviews, and prototype tests with children, parents, and educators. After the first working prototypes, the work moved into factories, supply chains, curriculum, launch operations, and support.
Built across the whole system
A distributed team spanning 14 time zones took Mochi from prototypes to production. The work included product and creative direction, engineering and education partnerships, manufacturing, 24/7 customer support, and volunteer-led translation into 11 languages.
Mochi raised $1.5M in seed funding and reached tens of thousands of homes and schools across 62 countries. It is available through Amazon, the App Store, Google Play, direct, and partners worldwide.
Recognition
2024 Forbes Top STEM Toy of the Year · 2024 Purdue Engineering #2 Gift Pick · 2021 Parents' Pick Award, Electronics · 2020 Mom's Choice Award, Robotics · 2020 Autism Live STEM Toy of the Year · 2020 National Parenting Products Award · 2019 Product Hunt #1 Launch of the Week.
Open the working files
Empowering creators, not consumers - the product, team, and Montessori method for STEM.
The Making of Mochi - the product manifesto and the long road from aardvark to bear.
Meet Mochi Bear - computational thinking for ages three and up, in sixty seconds.
AVC: Funding Friday - Mochi's 2019 crowdfunding launch, featured by Fred Wilson.