ROYBI Inc. is a startup dedicated to reinventing early-childhood education. "There's so much attention on higher education, but when it comes to early education, you don't see many strong tools or products," says Elnaz Sarraf, ROYBI founder and chief executive officer. "In a world that regards education so highly, we have yet to make a real impact in early-childhood education. This formative period in a child's life is where they absorb the most information and build a foundation that will carry them through life." To address this gap, Sarraf and Ron Cheng, ROYBI cofounder and chief technology officer, wanted to combine robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to create a fun, interactive-learning experience that could go beyond traditional pedagogies.