Angel Kids AI is a new way for children to interact with the digital world. With Angel’s unique AI technology, content is customized to ensure all online interactions are age-appropriate. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Angel Kids AI co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Josh Thurman to learn more about the company.
Josh Thurman’s Background
What is Josh Thurman’s background? Thurman said:
“My family has a long history of service going back to my great great grandfather, who was the first law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty in our county. Then, both of my grandparents fought in WWII and my father was drafted during Vietnam. One of my most influential mentors – Coach James Gentry – was an army infantryman who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and liberated the Dachau Concentration Camp. So, when the 9/11 tragedy occurred in 2001 while I was attending Wake Forest University, I began to seriously consider joining the military.”
“After graduating from college, I chose to join the Navy SEALs. In total, I served as a SEAL officer for 12+ years and was deployed overseas 11 times in support of the Global War on Terror. During my years of service, I saw combat several times. I led and participated in several operations that had Presidential visibility and was honored to serve with some truly remarkable Americans who have done the most incredible things for our county.”
“Once I left the service, I knew two things: I wanted to work in technology and to be involved with an organization doing an important service in the world. That’s why Tim Estes, myself, and our other co-founders decided to start Angel Kids AI, a company building a safer and smarter way for children to engage with the digital world.”
Primary Responsibilities
What are your primary responsibilities? Thurman shared:
“One of the things you learn as a SEAL Troop Commander who wears the hat of a Ground Force Commander (GFC) during combat operations is that, as a leader, you always want to position yourself with the hardest problem. We are a product-driven company, so I spend the majority of my time on our product and in close contact with our beta audience to gather feedback and ensure that the feedback is implemented successfully. I’ve always enjoyed being on small teams because there’s so much opportunity for responsibility.”
“The rest of my time I wear my COO hat, ensuring that product, marketing, and fundraising are all synchronized so we operate efficiently and effectively. I also enjoy doing outbound work where I tell others about our mission and the product.”
Core Products
What are your company’s core products and features? Thurman explained:
“Angel Kids AI is an AI-powered browser that offers age-customized content and information for children aged 5-12+, creating a protected and personalized online experience. Designed by parents, as well as leading child development and technology experts, the Angel browser ensures children can safely get their questions answered, view age-appropriate websites, and watch videos from their favorite streaming services including YouTube Kids, Netflix, and Disney+.”
“Angel Kids AI also works to help parents better understand their child and their interests by providing key insights through our parent portal and parent communications including a weekly insights email. Lastly, parents can use Angel as an AI assistant that manages their child’s screen time through notifications and commands – even gently nudging them offline when it’s time to go.”
Formation Of Angel Kids AI
How did the idea for the company come together? Thurman reflected:
“For me, it was getting out of the SEALs in 2018 and coming back into a world that I truly didn’t recognize. Many people in America, unfortunately, have thousands of online connections, but very few people they can call in a time of crisis. Polarization is out of control and people have stopped interacting with each other in real life. The virtual world is fundamentally a democracy-destroying force.”
“This has devastating impacts on our youth in particular. Gallup finds that children aged 8-12 spend an average of 4-6 hours per day on screens. Tragically, this often exposes them to self-harm, cyber-bullying, and image-based sexual abuse. Moreover, predatory social media companies have designed products to hook kids’ attention for as long as possible, making it difficult for children and their parents to escape these traps – even when they want to.”
“This is a societal problem with far-reaching implications, including our national defense. If we are to sustain ourselves as a nation, then every generation has to be able to take up that mantle. How can they do that when social media is destroying their mental health, their shared experiences, and their willingness to be a part of something bigger than themselves?”
“This is a massive problem that requires a multi-faceted approach. That’s why we are building Angel Kids AI as a safe AI-powered browser that parents can rely on to foster healthy habits while still allowing children to learn from the wealth of knowledge that exists online.”
Why This Was Important As A Veteran
Why was this work so important to you as a veteran? Thurman pointed out:
“When I joined the military, I took an oath to protect our country against enemies both foreign and domestic. One of the most significant threats we now face at home is Big Tech and social media.”
“They say a nation’s health can be measured by the well-being of its youth. Right now, our young people are facing a mental health crisis, with rising rates of depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. Research has shown that social media and excessive screen time play a major role in fueling these struggles.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Thurman contemplated:
“Some of the very early parts of a startup – when you’re trying to get that very initial product out and recruit your first users – are the most challenging but the most rewarding. I look back on getting those first 50 users and having to hone the messaging – when you’re completely unknown and unproven – as one of my favorite parts. We even did an event at a local toy store where we recruited early users. I like those small tactical actions that end up being the foundation for something so much bigger.”
Funding
Can you share more about your funding journey? Thurman revealed:
“To date, Angel Kids AI has raised $5.85 million. We announced an initial $4.75 million Seed funding round in May of this year, led by Cortical Ventures with significant participation from Village Global and several other prominent angel investors. In September, we continued that great momentum with a Seed Extension round with contributions from Magnify Ventures, City Light, and Atland Ventures.”
Bringing On New Advisors
You also recently brought on new advisors. Who are they and what value do they add to the company? Thurman commented:
“We take kids’ safety and well-being very seriously, so we wanted to make sure that we had the best possible experts on board to oversee the development of our platform. In September of this year, four experts – spanning the worlds of digital wellness, child development, and online safety – joined our advisory board, including:
— Dr. Alok Kanojia: A Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in mental health for the digital generation and author of the book “How to Raise a Healthy Gamer”; he is the president and co-founder of Healthy Gamer, a mental health platform that provides content, expert wellness coaching, and community for young people.
— Stephen Youngwood: A global senior executive with 25+ years of experience working to grow and launch businesses at the intersection of media, content, education, and technology – most recently as the former CEO of Sesame Workshop, the global educational media organization behind Sesame Street. Steve has also worked with leading children’s and educational organizations as a senior Executive or Board Member such as Nickelodeon/Viacom, Disney Education Publishing, Leapfrog Enterprises, Learning Resources and Begin Learning.
— Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov: A lawyer, law professor, and former Digital Safety Consultant with 20+ years of experience advising international organizations on digital safety and public policy. She has provided critical executive support to global corporations and nonprofits setting their digital safety policies.
— Chris McKenna: The Founder of Protect Young Eyes, an organization that helps families, schools, and churches create safer digital environments. He has led over 1,700 presentations across the country and has been called to testify before Congress on child protection laws.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Thurman assessed:
“In the US alone there’s about 13 million families representing about 25 million children that could benefit from Angel. That represents a $2.3 billion opportunity, on the low end.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Thurman affirmed:
“We appreciate anyone who’s trying to make the internet safer for kids. For this reason, we see others in the space more as allies than competitors.What makes Angel Kids fundamentally different is our “kids first” approach. Most of what the world knows around internet safety is the “parental controls” market, but often times parents don’t want to be controlling and kids don’t want to be controlled. If you want something to be widely adopted you can’t be telling kids “No” all the time. You need a product that both parents and kids can say ‘Yes’ to.”
“Angel Kids AI is not a “blocker” that merely shields kids from inappropriate sites, it’s a completely new online experience: a child’s personalized portal to the online world that is centered around experiences that are safe, healthy, productive, and fun. Angel is also unique because we are using technology to help parents and kids connect. With Big Tech, the intention is always to extract more and more attention from your child through addictive methods. What we’re doing with Angel is using AI to help you know your child better. Our intention is to help parents make connections with their kids and ideally spark inspiration for “off-screen” activities to do as a family.”
“Moreover, Angel Kids AI will always be ad-free. That means our business model is not incentivized to hook kids’ attention for as long as possible unlike virtually every other app, social media or internet site on the market. At the end of the day, I’m a parent with young kids and so are several of our Angel teammates. We all want a healthier internet future for our kids.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Thurman pointed out:
“We are looking forward to launching our product to parents across the US this year.”
“Our ultimate goal is to put an AI between every child and the internet to ensure their safety and help them develop a healthy relationship with technology.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Thurman concluded:
“We’re now in the early stages of the AI revolution. But what many don’t realize is that AI has been used behind the scenes within Big Tech for nearly a decade as a means to maximize dopamine in its users and hook them to these services. In the evolution of AI – as Tristan Harris, one of the founders at the Center for Humane Technology, has pointed out – we are well past AI’s ability to exploit human weaknesses. AI is such a powerful tool, and to use it in this capacity has left us with the pandemic of negative consequences we are dealing with now, ranging from a teetering democracy where we don’t trust elections or elected officials to a widespread mental health crisis in our youth. What we’re doing with AI at Angel Kids is a fundamental departure from the status quo that has productized us and our children. We’re building AI to empower kids and families, not to exploit them.”
