Wednesday, September 14, 2011

RRKidz Gets Funding, Plans Children's Mobile Book Service

Los Angeles-based RRKidz, a new online startup focused on offering children's books via subscription, and headlined by Reading Rainbow and former Star Trek star LeVar Burton, said it has scored a round of funding today. The firm said it received a first investment round from Raymonds Capital, along with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Size of the funding was not announced. The company said that it will be offering up a free app on iPad and select Android devices to offer "hundreds of books" via subscription to parents. LeVar Burton, who parents might know as the host of reading show "Reading Rainbow" on PBS, will apparently curate and select books for the service. RRkids CEO is Asra Rasheed, formerly of Gottaplay and Thumb Media Group.