Fundraising Fox
/Companies
Sign in

Launchpad Toys

AcquiredYC S11

San Francisco, US · Founded 2010 · 2 employees · 5 known investors

Find your way into Launchpad Toys

Sign up to see every warm intro you have to Launchpad Toys

  • Paths you didn't know you had: your email and LinkedIn already hold routes to the Launchpad Toys team. We find them for you
  • 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: the friend-of-a-friend routes that take hours to manually find through your inbox or LinkedIn
  • Answers now, not in days: momentum is everything in a raise. Skip asking around whether someone knows someone

Days of research, done the moment you sign in, with every route ranked by how warm it is.

Sign up with GoogleAlready have an account? Log in

Launchpad Toys makes iPad applications, including Toontastic, that let children create and share animated stories and creative projects. The platform targets young children ages 4-10 and aims to support imaginative expression through digital play.

ConsumerGamingEducationUnited States of AmericaAmerica / Canada

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (S11)

Launchpad Toys was founded in 2010 by Thushan Amarasiriwardena and Andy Russell.

TA
Thushan AmarasiriwardenaCo-Founder2010–2015Thushan Amarasiriwardena co-founded Launchpad Toys, which was acquired by Google in 2015. He now leads product for large language models on Google Assistant.
ARAndy Russell
Andy RussellCo-Founder2010–2015

Investors · 5

General CatalystreportedSan Francisco · $30M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Start Capitalreported

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

SV AngelreportedSan Francisco · $150K – $20M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

TSVCreportedSilicon Valley · $1M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

The YC application· Summer 2011 batch

What they told YC

How long have each of you been working on this? How much of that has been full-time? Please explain.
The founders have worked on the project for one year, producing over 29,000 lines of code for the app and more than 6,000 for the server and web player.
What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.
The company builds digital toys and creative tools for children ages 5-12, letting them make and share stories, inventions, designs, 3D models, recipes, and other projects on touchscreen devices. It positions itself in creative education, spanning the kids gaming ($2.8B) and creative play ($3.5B) markets.

Summarized from the founders' answers on their Y Combinator profile.

Related companies · 4

CodeCombatA browser-based multiplayer game that teaches Python, JavaScript, and other programming languages to K-12 students through narrative challenges and puzzle-solving mechanics.
HyperpadHyperPad is a visual game development app for iPad that enables users to create 2D games without code using a visual coding interface. The platform serves beginners, educators, students, and indie developers who want to build and publish games while retaining 100% of royalties.
Together Video ChatA video chat platform for children and families that incorporates educational content, books, and interactive games into video calls.
PantheonA platform where middle and high school students compete against peers in real-time academic competitions, answering questions across various subjects to test speed and knowledge.

Companies working in the same space as Launchpad Toys.

Legal entities · 1

corporate structure
Launchpad Toys, Inc.

Frequently asked questions

What does Launchpad Toys do?
Launchpad Toys makes iPad applications, including Toontastic, that let children create and share animated stories and creative projects. The platform targets young children ages 4-10 and aims to support imaginative expression through digital play.
Who founded Launchpad Toys?
Launchpad Toys was founded by Thushan Amarasiriwardena, Andy Russell in 2010.
Who are Launchpad Toys's investors?
Launchpad Toys's investors include Y Combinator, General Catalyst, Start Capital, SV Angel, TSVC.
Where is Launchpad Toys headquartered?
Launchpad Toys is headquartered in San Francisco, US.