Poppins

Market position

Positioned as a clinically validated digital therapeutic for dys disorders in France, at the intersection of music, education and health; recommended by the FFDys and supported by a randomised controlled trial published in Scientific Reports.

Evidence-based positioning: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentric trial (Mila-Learn-01) conducted from 2021 to 2023, with results published in Scientific Reports in 2025 showing significant improvement in word-reading speed and accuracy; CE marking obtained in 2022 and Class I medical device status; five years of development with speech therapists and researchers; and a scientific basis in music-cognition research.

Technology

Mobile and tablet application (Android 11+ and iOS/iPadOS 15+) built as a serious game with three complementary training axes: rhythmic/auditory training targeting the neuro-auditory functions used to segment and assemble words, written-language games, and visual-attention span exercises. The program adapts difficulty to the child's assessed level, uses microphone input in some games, limits sessions to 20 minutes, and detects random answering to prompt the child to slow down. Versioned user guides are published for the regulated device (Poppins 2.7.0 / PoppinsMD 3.11.0, August 2026), and the device carries a UDI identifier.

Go-to-market

Direct-to-consumer distribution through the Google Play and Apple app stores with an eligibility check and onboarding flow, supported by recommendations from speech therapists (who receive one month of demo access), partnerships with third-party payers such as complementary health insurers and employers, endorsement by the French dyslexia federation FFDys, and content marketing including the "D comme Dys" podcast.

Families of children aged 7 to 11 with dyslexia, dysgraphia or reading difficulties, whether already followed by a speech therapist or awaiting diagnosis; speech therapists act as prescribers and recommenders.

Geography

France only; the application is available solely in French. Registered office at 73 rue Léon Bourgeois, Palaiseau (Essonne), with a Paris address also listed, part of the French Tech Paris Saclay ecosystem.

History

Incorporated in December 2018 under the commercial name Mila. In 2020 the app was made available free to 6,000 families with the Fédération Française des Dys during the COVID-19 lockdowns. CE marking was obtained in 2022, the same year the Mila-Learn project received a €2.5M grant from the French health ministry as a France 2030 digital-health priority project. A clinical study ran from 2021 to 2023. The company raised €8M in 2023 and rebranded from Mila to Poppins in October 2023. CEO François Vonthron received the 2024 Ivy prize for best tech executive. Trial results were published in Scientific Reports in May 2025, and a €5M round was announced in April 2025. Between 2018 and 2024 the company reported €13M of funding inflows.

Risks & controversies

The company states the app does not substitute for speech-therapy or medical follow-up and is regulated as a Class I medical device; reimbursement by the French social security system was still an objective as of October 2024. The Google Play data-safety section indicates the app may collect personal information and audio and that data is not encrypted.