Roominate
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Toy manufacturing |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Alice Brooks, Bettina Chen |
| Fate | Acquired by PlayMonster in 2016 |
| Headquarters | Sunnyvale, California , United States |
| Products | Construction sets with circuits for girls aged 6–11 |
| Parent | PlayMonster |
Roominate is a construction set introduced by Maykah Inc., a company established in 2012 by Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen. Designed specifically for girls between the ages of 6 and 11, the product consists of interlocking plastic components that can be assembled into various models and incorporate circuits that can be wired. The initial funding was obtained through Kickstarter, followed by an investment from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner during the sixth season of Shark Tank. In 2016, the toy manufacturer PlayMonster acquired Roominate.
History
Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, who met while pursuing their master's degrees in engineering at Stanford University, introduced their prototype via Kickstarter, successfully raising US$85,000 against a target of US$25,000. In 2012, they joined StartX, an entrepreneurial accelerator associated with Stanford, and collaborated with EdForward at the UC Davis School of Education to create educational activity guides to complement their kits.
During the premiere episode of Shark Tank Season 6, Roominate obtained a US$500,000 investment from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner in exchange for 5% ownership.
The Roominate product line includes nine different sets that combine modular building elements with electronic circuitry. Tekla Perry from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers characterized Roominate as a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) toy company.
Jenn Choi of Forbes highlighted that the design of the set "encourages integration with additional materials to enrich the play experience," thereby enhancing its overall value. Joshua Gans, also writing for Forbes, initially perceived the product as underwhelming but later recognized the motor’s adaptability, which improved his family's engagement with it. Jennifer Alsever of Inc. listed Roominate among toys aimed at "next-generation inventors."
External links
- Former (currently redirects to a gambling website)