Mindshapes

Mindshapes was an interactive learning company established in October 2010, focusing on the development of educational applications for mobile devices. The firm was co-founded by a team with a strong background in the gaming industry, including Shukri Shammas and Sami Lababidi, who were also co-founders of the social gaming company Playfish. They were joined by CEO David Begg, CCO Christian Dorffer, and CFO Tareq Naqib. The founders' experience at companies like Playfish, which was acquired by Electronic Arts, shaped Mindshapes' approach to fusing gaming principles with educational content to make learning more engaging.

The company's business model revolved around creating and publishing educational games and interactive content for children and adults. Its primary market was the rapidly growing mobile app space, specifically targeting users of Apple's iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Mindshapes generated revenue by selling its applications on the App Store, with prices for some of its initial apps ranging from $1.99 to $2.99. The company operated with offices in London, New York, and San Francisco.

Mindshapes developed a portfolio of applications aimed at different age groups and learning objectives. For toddlers and young children aged 2-12, it created apps like 'Jellytoons Toddler Skills' and 'Lingo Zoo,' which focused on developing cognitive skills through puzzles and games. A flagship product was 'Magic Town,' a virtual world based on popular children's book characters designed to introduce interactive storytelling. The company also ventured into content for an older demographic with 'Language City,' an interactive game designed to facilitate language learning for 16-30 year olds. Mindshapes distinguished itself by embedding educational principles directly into its product development, collaborating with advisors from institutions like the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Keywords: educational games, mobile learning, app developer, edtech, interactive learning, iOS games, children's apps, Playfish, language learning, virtual worlds, interactive storytelling, digital publisher, educational software, mobile gaming, learning through play, Shukri Shammas, David Begg, Sami Lababidi, Magic Town, Language City