Playpowerlabs

Playpower Labs operates at the intersection of educational technology and data science, providing specialized services to major players in the EdTech sector. The firm's origins trace back to Playpower, a non-profit initiative started in 2009 by Derek Lomas, Daniel Rehn, and Jeremy Douglass. Initially backed by a $180,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation, the project's goal was to create affordable, open-source educational games for children in developing nations, starting with India. The early team, with connections to Carnegie Mellon University and DA-IICT in India, developed 8-bit games for low-cost computers that connected to televisions.

In 2012, the venture was restructured into a for-profit entity, Playpower Labs, LLC, shifting its focus. The modern iteration of the company, co-founded by individuals including Derek Lomas (CEO), Kishan Patel, and Akshat Dixit, pivoted in 2016. It began offering data science, product design, and software development services to large education organizations. The founders' backgrounds are rooted in research and technology; Kishan Patel, for instance, was a research assistant at Carnegie Mellon and holds a BTech in ICT, while CEO Derek Lomas also serves as the Chief Learning Scientist. The leadership team also includes Nirmal Patel as Chief Data Scientist and Harsh Mehta as CFO.

The company's business model is service-based, functioning as a development and consulting partner for the EdTech industry. It builds scalable software, including learning management systems (LMS), online assessments, and data reporting dashboards. A key area of specialization is leveraging data and AI to analyze student outcomes. The data science team works with diverse educational data types to build products that offer actionable insights for educators. Furthermore, Playpower Labs provides learning design services, using research in cognitive science and human-centered design to help clients create engaging and effective educational products. The firm has engaged in strategic partnerships, including collaborations with Encyclopædia Britannica and Twin Protocol to develop AI-driven educational companions.

Playpower Labs serves large education companies and organizations, helping them modernize existing products or build new ones from the ground up. By combining learning science with game design and machine learning, the company aims to create impactful educational experiences. Its work has received accolades, including awards from the National STEM Game Competition and the NYC Department of Education. The company operates globally with a headquarters in Encinitas, California, and a significant presence in Gandhinagar, India.

Keywords: educational technology services, EdTech software development, learning science, data science for education, AI in education, learning analytics, instructional design, cognitive science, human-centered design, educational games, learning management systems, online assessments, EdTech consulting, paper-digital integration, adaptive learning, Derek Lomas, Kishan Patel, Carnegie Mellon, MacArthur Foundation, K-12 digital learning