French startup Mallow has introduced a screen-free audio gaming speaker for children aged 4 to 10 after two years of development under the name The Marshmallow Project. The Paris-based company was cofounded by former digital affairs minister Cédric O and marketing specialist Flore Cousin, and it has raised €11 million from Balderton Capital, Daphni, and Motier Ventures. The device becomes available September 30 and uses generative artificial intelligence to let children play games and shape stories through voice interaction.
From a Discreet Project to a Commercial Product
The venture began as The Marshmallow Project and stayed largely out of public view while the founders refined the concept of an interactive audio device for children. Today Mallow has more than 30 employees, new offices, and a first product that is ready for sale. The company secured €11 million from Balderton Capital, Daphni, and Motier Ventures to support its development and initial commercialization.
How the Screen-Free Speaker Works
Mallow is a screenless speaker that relies on figurines representing characters, games, and adventures. When a child places a figurine on the device, an NFC chip identifies it and launches the associated experience. The system combines generative AI technologies for voice so it can understand what a child says, respond, guide activities, and ask questions in real time.
Game Formats and Content Partnerships
The speaker offers four main formats: Adventures, Creatures, Mini-Games, and Quizzes. In Adventures, children become heroes of multi-episode narratives, while Creatures lets them help a character grow by teaching it words. Mallow has signed partnerships with Nathan’s Kididoc collection and the Miraculous franchise, and the company tested the product with more than 300 children across 6,000 play sessions and 900 hours of use.
Educational Foundations and Cognitive Science
Mallow presents itself at the intersection of entertainment, cognitive science, and edtech, with a mission focused on children’s progress. The company says its content is designed to develop memory, logic, concentration, imagination, and executive functions such as working memory and cognitive flexibility. Its approach draws on research from Harvard and MIT suggesting that conversational back-and-forth has a strong association with language development in children.
AI Safety and Model Strategy
Because the product serves children ages 4 to 10, Mallow has built several layers of protection into its AI architecture to control interactions and generated responses. The speaker relies on at least ten AI models, including technology from Mistral AI, and the company says these safeguards undergo regular and intensive testing. A scientific council with psychology specialists advises on child development and usage, while the KORA benchmark helps assess how AI behaves with children.
Pricing, Availability, and International Expansion
The Mallow speaker is priced at 119.99 euros, with a launch offer of 99.99 euros until October 14, and individual figurines cost 19.99 euros each. It is available now on the company’s website and on Amazon, and it will reach Le Bon Marché in Paris on October 24. The device currently supports French only, but Mallow plans to enter the United States by the end of next year and is studying a bilingual version.
Mallow’s commercial launch marks a significant step for a French startup seeking to combine generative AI, children’s entertainment, and educational science in a single hardware product. With a funded development phase, established retail channels, and plans for US expansion, the company is moving from experimentation to a broader market presence. Its ability to balance engaging play with robust safety controls will likely shape how parents and partners respond to AI-driven devices for children.