Details

Written by: JK Monitor News Network

Published: 26 March 2024

NEW DELHI: As an independent grantmaker, the GSR Foundation is catalyzing a new era of innovation through its support of advanced inclusive technology. In line with this vision, the Foundation has awarded a multi-year grant to the social impact startup, Thinkerbell Labs. Recognized for its groundbreaking Braille learning technology, Annie,

Thinkerbell Labs is set to design and deploy a system for 100% literacy of Braille. “The GSR Foundation & its leadership have a radically different & refreshing way of evaluating and working with grantees. They believe in building a trustworthy foundation with their partners and have shown nothing but support and belief in our vision. With the invaluable expertise of the Foundation in scaling developmental initiatives, we are fortunate to have joined forces with them during this transformative era of philanthropy and sustainable development,” said Aman Srivastava, Co-founder and CBO of Thinkerbell Labs

“We are always looking for technology that moves the dial for populations typically excluded from such developments. Everyone at the Foundation was so impressed with Thinkerbell’s product and team, that it was a simple decision to partner with them on their journey and underwrite some of their core expenses.” said James Newell, Executive Director of the GSR Foundation.

The Education Technology startup is disrupting the way blind and visually impaired students learn Braille. With their advanced assistive technology now replacing the outdated Braille learning methods, they are making education inclusive for all. The company’s flagship innovation, Annie, is the world’s first self-learning Braille literacy device that can teach every child with visual impairment how to read, write and type in Braille. Annie has been recommended as a model intervention by UNDP and MIT Solve. So far, Annie has positively impacted more than 5000 students in India and is present in 20+ Indian cities.

The company even recently launched its variant, Polly, nationwide in the United States in partnership with one of the world’s largest non-profit organizations for the blind, the American Printing House for the Blind. Polly even made it to TIME’s Best Inventions list of 2022. Thinkerbell Labs’ Co-founders Aman and Sanskriti first met James & Nadia of the GSR foundation at the MIT Solve 2022 finals. Being the ‘Solver team’ of 2022, Thinkerbell Labs even received the GSR prize in 2022.

“I am grateful to MIT Solve for giving us the incredible platform where we could connect with visionary leaders like GSR. This multi-year grant will be pivotal in pioneering innovative implementation models for 100% Braille literacy. We look forward to reaching significant milestones in advancing Braille literacy rates through our partnership with the GSR Foundation,” said Sanskriti Dawle, Co-founder and CEO of Thinkerbell Labs.