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In a world where learning has often been seen as a tedious chore, one startup is breaking the mold and transforming education into a thrilling adventure. Gizmo, the brainchild of three visionary Cambridge University alumni, is making waves in the edtech world by infusing gamified quizzes and flashcards with the magic of artificial intelligence. In a groundbreaking move, Gizmo recently secured a whopping $3.5 million in seed funding from NFX, Ada Ventures, and Capital T. This financial boost is poised to catapult Gizmo to new heights, enabling it to reach learners worldwide, expand its team of engineers, and unveil exciting new features.
Revolutionizing Learning with AI
Gizmo’s secret sauce lies in its ability to turn mundane class notes into captivating quizzes. Whether you prefer to copy and paste your notes or have Gizmo extract information from PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, web pages, or even YouTube videos, this ingenious platform has got you covered. The company’s proprietary LLM models work behind the scenes, ensuring the creation of quizzes that are as engaging as they are educational.
But Gizmo doesn’t stop there. It also offers users the option to craft notecards from scratch on any topic of their choice. These can be privately shared among peers for collaborative study sessions or made available to teachers seeking to enhance their students’ learning experience. For those feeling generous, there’s a bustling marketplace for sharing flashcards with the wider community.
The Magic of Active Recall and Spaced Repetition
The true magic of Gizmo comes alive when users create a deck. At this point, Gizmo works its AI wizardry to prepare a multiple-choice quiz based on the material. These quizzes incorporate cutting-edge learning science techniques, such as active recall and spaced repetition, making learning not only more effective but also surprisingly enjoyable.
Petros Christodoulou, co-founder and CEO of Gizmo, emphasizes the significance of memory in learning. He explains, “Memory is critical for all forms of learning, but people forget 90% of what they learn.” Gizmo’s generative AI addresses this issue by reinventing the learning process, ensuring that knowledge is retained in a fun and engaging manner.
Gamification: Keeping the Spark Alive
Learning doesn’t have to be a dull, monotonous task. Gizmo understands this well and draws inspiration from popular apps like Duolingo. Daily streaks play a vital role in keeping users engaged, as they strive to answer a set number of questions each day to maintain their streak. Moreover, a leaderboard adds a competitive edge, allowing users to compare their quiz grades and rank against friends.
“We have some users on 365+ day streaks,” Christodoulou proudly boasts, emphasizing Gizmo’s power to foster consistent learning habits.
Embracing a Lifeline
To make the learning journey even more seamless, Gizmo grants users 15 lives each day. These lives are a lifeline when users get quiz questions wrong. When lives run out, users can either wait 10 minutes to replenish them or opt for a subscription, which not only unlocks unlimited lives but also permits the creation of an unlimited number of AI-generated quizzes. This subscription comes at an affordable $8.80 per month or $52.80 per year.
The Road Ahead
Gizmo has big plans for the future. Over the next three months, the platform will introduce three game-changing features. First, a notetaking feature will allow users to jot down their thoughts directly on the platform. Second, a collaboration feature will enable users to study together seamlessly. And finally, users will be able to pose questions directly to the AI, ushering in a new era of interactive learning.
Meet the Visionaries
Founded in 2021 by three Cambridge University alumni, Gizmo is the brainchild of individuals with diverse expertise spanning machine learning, marketing, teaching, edtech, product development, and data analysis. Christodoulou, Evangelou (CPO), and Jack (CTO) have come together to create a learning platform that promises to be as addictive as scrolling through TikTok.
Join the Gizmo Revolution
Gizmo has already garnered a strong following, with over 300,000 users and a remarkable month-over-month growth rate of 50%, primarily driven by word of mouth. Whether you’re a student looking to ace your exams or a lifelong learner seeking to expand your horizons, Gizmo is here to make your learning journey not just informative but also exhilarating.
So, are you ready to unlock the magic of learning? Dive into the world of Gizmo, and let the adventure begin!
