ROYBI opens Bentonville office

San Jose, Calif.-based educational technology company ROYBI Inc. recently opened an office at Ledger in Bentonville. The award-winning company sells children’s educational robots that use an artificial intelligence (AI) platform.

Founder and CEO Elnaz Sarraf said the company created the robot to help young children develop communication skills. It also provides them with lessons in technology, math and science. The robot has voice and face recognition and teaches multiple languages and pronunciation to children ages 3 to 7. It also creates reports for parents and educators. The robot is available on ROYBI’s website, roybirobot.com, for about $150.

ROYBI’s flagship product is the robot, but the company has also developed educational software for children. Recently, it launched an educational app for smart TVs in partnership with LG Corp. ROYBI also has an agreement with TV manufacturer Vizio.

Recently, Sarraf participated in the first cohort of the Multicultural Business Xcelerator (MBX) in Northwest Arkansas. The program is led by Winrock International and supported by the Walton Family Foundation and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

In the coming months, RYOBI is expected to introduce a series of interactive workshops and participate in technology demos and events at its Bentonville office. Over the next two years, Sarraf looks to hire at least 10 staff to work in Arkansas. In five years, she hopes to bring its technology to schools across the state.

She’s working with the state on incentives and is raising $1.5 million to become established in Arkansas. She added that one possibility is moving the company’s headquarters to Arkansas.

“We want to be the next big ed tech company coming out of Arkansas,” she said. “Why not?”

Since 2019, ROYBI has received numerous accolades, including “Time” magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2019 and CNBC’s Upstart 100 in 2019 that comprises the world’s most promising startups to watch, and the World Economic Forum’s Smart Toy Awards 2021 in the smart companion category.

The company has 10 full-time staff and 12 part-time and contract workers in China, India and the United States.

Recently, ROYBI was selected for the Fuel Accelerator for AI and machine learning. The 10-week accelerator is a program of Startup Junkie Foundation in partnership with Catapult Consulting.