NAME OF STARTUP: Soapbox Labs
THE IDEA: What is the problem being solved by your startup / business?:
Our voice engine caters to kids’ unpredictable speech patterns and behaviours, delivers accuracy across global accents and dialects, and works in the noisy environments that kids inhabit.
THE FOUNDER’S STORY: When and how did you come up with the idea for the business?:
Dr. Patricia Scanlon holds a PhD and has over 20 years’ experience working in speech recognition technology, including at Bell Labs and IBM.
An acclaimed TEDx speaker, Dr. Scanlon has been named one of the world’s top women in tech by Forbes and a “Visionary in Voice” by industry leading publication Voicebot.AI.
Inspired by her oldest child and her background as a speech engineer, Dr. Scanlon founded SoapBox Labs in 2013 to redefine how children interact with technology using their voices. Dr. Scanlon’s 2019 TEDx Talk, “How Technology Transforms a Child’s Reading Journey,” is a must-see for professionals in the voice, edtech and kidtech industries.
WHO IS THE CUSTOMER: What is the typical profile of your target customer? Where would they be located?:
Developers, App, Toy companies, Ed Tech, Education, Language Learning
LESSONS TO SHARE: What 3 key lessons from your startup journey you’d like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs?:
SoapBox Labs’ proprietary speech recognition software has been built from the ground up to deliver privacy and performance for kids ages 2 to 12.
We voice enable EdTech products and platforms for screening, practice, intervention, and assessment of K-12 literacy and language learning;as well as third-party games, toys, and entertainment applications.
City: Dublin, Ireland
Website URL: https://www.soapboxlabs.com/
Number of Employees: 1-5
Name Of Founder / Co-Founder: Patricia Scanlon
Company / Founder’s LinkedIN URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10215678/
