Kiddie Kredit

Kiddie Kredit operates a mobile platform designed to enhance financial literacy among children by gamifying the concept of credit. The company was founded in 2018 by Evan Leaphart, who serves as the CEO. Leaphart's inspiration stemmed from his own early struggles with debt and a lack of credit knowledge after getting his first credit card at 18. This personal experience, coupled with an entrepreneurial drive instilled by his mother, led him to create a solution to educate the next generation. Before dedicating himself to Kiddie Kredit, Leaphart had a history of various ventures, from selling homemade CDs in high school to running a cleaning company. The journey to establish the company involved investing his personal savings and participating in the Miami EdTech startup accelerator program.

The core of Kiddie Kredit's offering is a mobile application targeted at children aged 4 to 12. Parents assign chores and activities, and as a child completes these tasks, their "Kredit Score" adjusts within a 300 to 850 range, mirroring traditional credit scoring models. This system is designed to instill an understanding of financial responsibility and how actions and consistency impact a score. The app is free for families and monetizes through a B2B2C model, partnering with organizations and schools. A key partnership was formed with Equifax in 2021, which includes advertising the Equifax Family Plan on the parent-facing side of the app. The business also generates revenue through a rewards marketplace where children can use earned "Bamboo Bucks" and by offering its extensive financial literacy curriculum to partner organizations.

Significant milestones include winning numerous pitch competitions in 2021, which provided about $100,000 in grants, and participating in accelerator programs like Google for Startups' Black Founders Fund and Amazon's Black Founders Build with Alexa cohort in 2022. A major turning point occurred in April 2023, when the company raised $1.4 million in a seed funding round. This round saw participation from institutional investors like Nueterra Capital and angel investors including former NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Baron Davis. Later in 2023, the company won the 43North startup pitch competition, securing a $1 million investment and relocating its headquarters to Buffalo, NY. In 2024, the company expanded its vision by launching Kredit Academy, a broader suite of financial wellness products aimed at educating a wider audience on credit and financial literacy.

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