MinorMynas Scale-up to Connect All Kids in the World

In case you only have 10 seconds,

This campaign’s purpose is to help develop version two of MinorMynas, which aims to connect all the kids in the world for meaningful communication and peer-to-peer learning. Our first iOS app has already attracted users from over 50 countries. We need funding to build the second version so that we can meet the demand from people using all kinds of devices and to improve the functionality of the product.

Who are we?

MinorMynas was founded by Hillary Yip in 2016 when she was 10 years old. The initial idea of MinorMynas came from an entrepreneurship competition Hillary joined.

The MinorMynas iOS beta app was launched in May 2017. As of Oct 2019, the app has over 65,000 downloads over 50 countries. All of this has been achieved without a marketing budget at all.

Hillary and MinorMynas have been widely featured by many media outlets including the CCTV (China), BBC (U.K.), NZZ (Switzerland), and CNN’s Great Big Story (U.S.), SCMP (Hong Kong) to name a few. Her story of being a visionary young entrepreneur has been circulated globally and her vision for MinorMynas is widely applauded and welcomed by parents and kids worldwide.

Our goal

We live in a very polarized society- just take a look at HK as an example.

While no one agrees on how to do it, we all seek to build a better society. However, for adults, it sometimes seems impossible to listen to each other’s viewpoint, making conflicts extremely difficult to resolve.

To resolve this cycle, I think what we need to do is to turn to the next generation- kids.

How? Through MinorMynas.

MinorMynas is a kid’s society where we enable kids to spend their screen time wisely to learn from each other, exchanging languages, skills, cultures and opinions. We set out to make this as safe as possible, trusted by parents.

How are we able to solve the problem above? Well, by exposing kids to different opinions and ideas from a very young age, we raise them to be more open and tolerant of all ideas and people. By knowing someone and seeing them as a friend, no matter how much you disagree, you will never have a “us vs them” scenario where you make unfair or mean generalizations.

What else can we do? We create a platform focusing on peer to peer learning and we are able to foster a culture of self-learning. By having this platform, we are able to get kids to actively seek opportunities to self learn and to teach. We will also give space for 21st-century skills and soft skills, while making real friends you can trust.

To guarantee safety, we have two key measures. First, we have linked parent and child accounts for parents to monitor their child’s learning and to have peace of mind. Soon, we will also be launching an AI programme to stop bullying and other unhealthy behaviours at an early stage.

With version two, there will be a second platform similar to our existing kids’ one for parents to discuss and connect.

What exactly will MinorMynas do with the funds?

Depending on how much we will raise, the funds from this campaign will go to the development of version two by phases. If we raise more than expected, the excess will be used for marketing.

Why do we choose to crowdfund instead of the traditional fundraising route?

The MinorMynas journey began in 2016, the iOS beta was launched in 2017. Shortly after, when we saw clear idea validation and increased usage worldwide, we were keen to move on and develop further. But this was bogged down by IT and funding barriers.

I resolved to do whatever it takes to deal with these problems, like talking extensively with different tech companies and investors. After talking to investors from America, who said they couldn’t fund foreign ventures, and local investors who didn’t want to invest at an early stage, I eventually decided to take matters into my own hands by charging speaking fees. Finally, I’ve been able to find the right partner and solution to tackle the costly IT needs and after extensive trialling and ideation, I’m confident we can produce a product that will not only solve the problem faced by countless parents and kids but be extremely fun and useful for them.

That’s why I’m turning to you. To connect the world through kids and to build a better society, we need to do this together. With your help, we can achieve this significantly faster. No matter how much you pitch in, it’s a step to building a product I hope will be genuinely impactful for kids and parents worldwide. So let us work together to turn this into reality. Let us build a better tomorrow for the generations to come.

Thank you for your contribution and we look forward to seeing you and your kids in our community!