Play Sense, an independent preschool that offers play-based learning through its micro-schools online platform, has successfully secured funding from Grindstone Ventures in an undisclosed funding round, as it prepares for expansion. Meg Faure, co-founder of Play Sense, expressed her excitement about the funding support, stating that it will allow the company to enhance its franchise model and accelerate its growth. With the backing of Grindstone Ventures, Play Sense is well-positioned to succeed and is dedicated to expanding its provision of high-quality early childhood education to children worldwide. The investment aligns with Grindstone’s objective of facilitating global expansion for South African startups.
Play Sense is now a portfolio company of Grindstone Ventures, a fund that invests in companies with strong intellectual property and the potential for exponential growth, aiming to generate long-term capital growth and sustainable cash yields for investors. Catherine Young, managing partner of Grindstone Ventures, expressed her enthusiasm for welcoming Play Sense to their portfolio of investee companies. She highlighted how Play Sense is reimagining early childhood education by creating a secure bridge between home and preschool, fostering an environment that promotes collaboration, creativity, self-regulation, and adaptability, which are essential qualities for instilling a desire for lifelong learning in future generations.
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According to Meg Faure, Play Sense offers a cost-effective and highly scalable model for progressive preschool education. She emphasized that this empowers passionate women in the field of early childhood to become successful entrepreneurs and make a lasting impact in their communities, both in terms of education and economic empowerment. The Play Sense franchise program provides all the necessary resources to establish a profitable playschool at one of the most affordable prices available in the market.
Play Sense utilizes a combination of play techniques to develop core skills and school readiness in toddlers and preschoolers. Its unique micro-school model allows teachers to set up playschools either at home or in spaces provided by participating families. The franchise program, often referred to as a “business in a box,” equips entrepreneurs with comprehensive training, a Play Kit, and support in operational, administrative, marketing, and teaching aspects. Play Sense also assists entrepreneurs in securing loans for their ventures.
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Grindstone Ventures is primarily led and managed by women, with The SA SME Fund, headed by Ketso Gordhan, as its anchor funder. In addition to Play Sense, Grindstone Ventures has seven other portfolio companies, including AgrilogiQ, Welo Health, Ma]er Industries, Drive to Own, SNci, Locstat, and Locumbase.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard