The lack of technical profiles for the boom of technology companies being created is one of the major concerns in the city of Barcelona. Many initiatives aim to tackle the problem by redirecting the careers of active professionals, but there are also those who choose to anticipate and go to the root. The startup Minicoders wants to do this through video games set in the metaverse with which the youngest children learn the basic concepts of computer programming.
The company, co-founded by Rubén Aparicio and Carlos Moreno in the venture builder Nuclio, targets children between 6 and 12 years old. Its first product has been Magic School, a game in which a magic apprentice explores a metaverse by overcoming challenges, through which they internalize computer fundamentals. In July, it was launched in the Anglo-Saxon and Latin American markets, where it has registered more than 50,000 unique users. Now, it is already available in Spain.
Minicoders' video games are free. Monetization comes through a subscription model to an educational platform associated with the games, with guides and content, as well as a parental area that allows tracking the children's progress. A personal tutor is also offered.
The startup has just closed its first financing round, for an amount of 350,000 euros. In this pre-seed, most of the investors have been business angels and funds, among them, Casti Ventures. Nuclio has also participated. Created at the end of 2021, Minicoders is located in Pier 01 and has a staff of 16 employees.