IAM Podcast for Startups · Stories of innovators, startup founders and entrepreneurs around the world

Be part of your kid's story with Zoog | Yoav Oren

·31 min·1 clip

Zoog is a "platform for content-based communication" that puts grandparents inside children's stories.

1. IAM Podcast for Startups features Zoog, an AR product for family storytelling and cross-generational communication. 2. Mariah hosts the conversation with Yoav Oren, Zoog's CEO and co-founder, who explains the company because he built it with a co-founder during COVID. 3. The episode asks what Zoog is for: turning children's content into a communication tool that grandparents and kids can actually use. 4. Oren says Zoog is a "platform for content-based communication" that merges content and communication for children and adults. 5. He describes the app library as books, short stories, karaoke-style songs, dad jokes, greeting cards, and memories. 6. The product places the adult storyteller inside the story, then adds AR backgrounds, animations, filters, and audio effects while they record. 7. He says children can open the recording on any device, respond with video messages or emojis, and choose the next experience. 8. Oren says everything created in Zoog is saved forever in a family album or memory album. 9. He says the product started from a COVID problem: kids would not hold a 30-second FaceTime or Zoom conversation. 10. He adds that parents were frustrated because they were "shoving a phone" into children's faces and bribing them to talk to grandparents. 11. Oren says COVID made video communication mainstream for businesses, investors, and education, but cross-generational communication still lacked a purpose-built product. 12. He cites the U.S. market as containing 70 million grandparents, most of whom see grandkids about twice a year. 13. Oren says Zoog targets older adults because they have disposable income, brand loyalty, and more time than younger consumers. 14. He says that segment also spends over $179 billion a year on gifts for grandkids in the U.S. 15. Oren shares current traction: about 20,000 monthly active users, over 100,000 people reached, and an average of five recordings or shares a week. 16. He says Zoog is at about $100,000 ARR and growing revenue about 30% month over month, with subscriber growth above 20% month over month. 17. The conversation turns to the demo, where Mariah reacts to a 4th of July greeting card, a "Puss in Boots" story, and a dad-joke category. 18. Oren says the tone is practical and product-focused, with live walkthroughs of the app and repeated explanations of how each page changes. 19. Founders building family, creator, or consumer apps for older adults should listen. 20. Listeners wanting a technical product demo for parents and grandparents can skip it.

As heard by us

A practical founder chat about AR family storytelling with real traction.

The episode presents Zoog as a hands-on family storytelling product with a clear AR angle and a simple idea behind it: let grandparents and storytellers become the stars of children's content.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a family-focused app that turns storytime into an AR-driven tour of how Zoog works.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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