Lovevery
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Toys |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Jessica Rolph Roderick Morris |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
| Products | educational toys, books, games |
| Website | lovevery |
Lovevery is an American company producing play-kit subscription boxes for children.
Description
[edit]Lovevery produces educational toys, books, and games via play-kit subscription boxes "designed to meet the developmental needs and brain development of toddlers and babies".[1] The toys, produced in consultation with child development experts, physical therapists,[2] and cognitive developmental psychologists,[3] follow the Montessori educational model.[4][5]
The company offers subscription boxes and off-the-shelf toys from birth through age five;[6][7] age-appropriate play kits are sent to subscribers every two to three months.[8] Play guides with each product suggest play ideas and developmental milestones,[9] and a parenting app also accompanies the subscription.[10] Lovevery's products are made from organic and sustainably-sourced materials.[11][12][13]
Lovevery products are also available at Target and other retailers.[5]
The company is headquartered in Boise, Idaho[14] and is a certified B Corporation.[15]
Reviews
[edit]Reviews of the company products, including one in The Wall Street Journal, express the opinions of users, consumer experts, and psychologists. The Wall Street Journal asked, "...are these services worth the money, or can pillaging the toy aisles at Target work just as well?"[16]
Parent Susie Allison of @busytoddler on Instagram answered, "...kids don't need fancy to have fun… The toy or the book or whatever it is that comes is not ever going to reach every single child... I think it's more important to curate something specific to your child".[16]
Dana L. Suskind, who wrote Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain, focused on the transformative educational effect of parents and children interacting together—even if the child is not yet verbal. Of Lovevery products, she said "My feeling is if they ...help generate interaction between parent and child, that's an amazing thing."[16]
According to Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, Lovevery products can alleviate parental stress of finding the right toys for kids' ages: "Other than the expense, I don't really see a downside." He said, "I think they're well done... They're really trying to be supportive and to be educational as well as being helpful for the child."[16]
History
[edit]Lovevery was founded in 2015 by Jessica Rolph[17] and Roderick Morris.[18][19]
In 2019, Maveron led a $20 million funding cycle for Lovevery, along with Google Ventures and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.[20] In October 2021, Lovevery raised $100 million in new investments, led by TCG. Other investors include Reach Capital, SoGal Ventures,[21] as well as the Collaborative Fund. [22]
Awards
[edit]- 2018 — Gold Parents' Choice Award[23]
- 2018 — Listed by Time Magazine as a "Best Invention"[24]
- 2018 and 2020 — Red Dot award[25][26]
- 2019 — Finalist for the Fast Company designation of Most Innovative Company by Design[27]
- 2021 — Founders received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Utah division[28]
References
[edit]- ^ Biron, Bethany; Russell, Melia; MacColl, Margaux. "23 of the most promising startups aimed at consumers of 2021, according to top VCs". Business Insider.
What it does: Lovevery is a subscription-based toy company designed to meet the developmental needs and brain development of toddlers and babies.
Why it's on the list: "Lovevery provides kits and other products including block toys that come with activities specific to a child's developmental stage," Li said. - ^ Ro, Lauren (January 13, 2021). "The Best (Nice-Looking) Play Mats for Babies and Kids, According to Experts". The Strategist.
- ^ Frommer, Dan (May 29, 2021). "How Lovevery became new parents' go-to subscription box". The New Consumer.
- ^ day, Don (August 26, 2021). "Boise startup brings its toys to Target stores". BoiseDev.
- ^ a b Felton, Kathleen. "Parents Are Obsessed With Lovevery's Toys — And Now You Can Get Them at Target". What to Expect.
- ^ Segran, Elizabeth (May 3, 2019). "These beautifully designed toys are good for kids' brain development". Fast Company.
- ^ Campbell, Deena (May 28, 2021). "The Best Kid Subscription Boxes That Are Actually Fun". Essence.
- ^ Bines, Ari (May 24, 2021). "A pediatric occupational therapist weighs in on the best products to help your baby move". In The Know.
- ^ Grigonis, Hillary (April 8, 2021). "The Lovevery baby gym skips the annoying music and flashy colors, but it sustains my son's attention longer than others we've tried". Insider.
- ^ "Bringing Science-Backed Products and Educational Resources to Parents". Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. October 28, 2021.
- ^ "Play Kits Subscription Program". Lovevery. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "Where to Get Those Rainbow Toys Every Celebrity Baby Has: Lovevery". PEOPLE.com. April 1, 2021.
- ^ "6 Certified B Corporations to Support This Holiday Season". HowStuffWorks. November 16, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "Boise startup grows with line of toys and products for babies and toddlers". BoiseDev. June 30, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Rasmussen, Patty (November 16, 2021). "6 Certified B Corporations to Support This Holiday Season". HowStuffWorks.
- ^ a b c d O'Shea-Evans, Kathryn (July 2, 2021). "Kids Have Their Own Subscription Boxes Now. Are They Worth the Cost?". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
My big motto [is] 'kids don't need fancy to have fun,' " said Susie Allison, a Seattle mother of three..."The toy or the book or whatever it is that comes is not ever going to reach every single child... I think it's more important to curate something specific to your child," Ms. Allison said.
Dr. Dana Suskind, ... author of "Thirty Million Words: Building a Child's Brain," takes a different tack. "Anything to make it easier on parents, I'm all about," she said. My feeling is if they...help generate interaction between parent and child, that's an amazing thing." Playing and talking together—even if your kid is not yet verbal—has a transformative effect, she explained, helping catalyze approximately one million new neural connections every second.
"Other than the expense, I don't really see a downside," said Dr. Harvey Karp... author of the bestselling "The Happiest Baby on the Block" book series. He said paying for toy deliveries can help harried parents by taking one thing—researching age-appropriate toys—off the never-ending to-do list. "I think they're well done," said Mr. Karp, who noted he hasn't seen every option out there but appreciated the ones he has come across. "They're thoughtful. They're really trying to be supportive and to be educational as well as being helpful for the child. - ^ "Jessica Rolph is on Inc.'s 2021 Female Founders 100 list". Inc.com. 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Shoenthal, Amy (July 8, 2021). "Lovevery Announces Play Kit Expansion Through Age Three". Forbes.
- ^ Daly, Anna (June 30, 2020). "Boise startup grows with line of toys and products for babies and toddlers". BoiseDev.
- ^ "Lovevery Raises $20 Million to Support Early Childhood Learning Toys - EdSurge News". EdSurge. October 16, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Driebusch, Corrie (October 28, 2021). "WSJ News Exclusive | Trendy Baby-Toy Maker Lovevery Gets $800 Million Valuation". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
Lovevery raised $100 million in its latest funding round, valuing the trendy subscription toy company at more than $800 million and setting it up for an initial public offering in the next two years.The Series C funding round was led by venture firm TCG, with additional money from existing investors Reach Capital, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Google Ventures and SoGal Ventures.
- ^ Loktev, Lauren (July 25, 2018). "Collab+Sesame Just Became Lovevery's Biggest institutional Investor. Here's Why". Collaborative Fund. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ "The Play Gym by Lovevery, Parents choice gold award". Parents' Choice Foundation. 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Berman, Eliza. "Toys That Evolve With Your Baby". Time Magazine.
- ^ "Play Mat with Activity Arch, The Play Gym by Lovevery". red-dot.org. 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
The Play Gym connects a sophisticated pedagogical approach and functionality to a charming and colourful design that facilitates learning and brings new interest into the nursery.
- ^ "Children's Toy, The Block Set". red-dot.org. 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
Charming with its sustainable concept to accompany children's development, The Block Set also pleases with its material and colour language.
- ^ LaBarre, Suzanne (September 9, 2019). "The Best Educational Design of 2019". fastcompany.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ "EY Announces Winners for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 Utah Region Award". ey.com. June 30, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2022.