The Kano PC, built by London-based startup Kano in partnership with Microsoft.<\/p>\n
Kano<\/p>\n
Microsoft is betting that a British computing start-up can take on Google in the educational technology industry, which has thrived during the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
London-headquartered Kano, which is focused on teaching kids how to code, raised more than $1 million in an investment from Microsoft, with the tech giant taking a minority stake. The company has raised a total of about $45.5 million to date from investors including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.<\/p>\n
The deal, announced Tuesday, expands on an existing partnership with Microsoft on Kano's bright orange Windows-powered PC. It also sees Kano join the ranks of large IT players like Lenovo and Dell in obtaining original equipment manufacturer licensing from Microsoft.<\/p>\n
That means Kano is now able to ship its PCs with Windows 10 Pro a premium version of Microsoft's operating system toschools and has also formed a co-selling agreement with Microsoft.<\/p>\n
Kano has received a tender from the Japanese government to sell 3 million of its devices in the country and is in talks to sell thousands of units in the United Arab Emirates. The firm's PC retails at $299, cheaper than Microsoft's Surface Go hybrid PC and on par with some of Google's cheaper Chromebook computers.<\/p>\n
It comes as demand for educational technology, or \"edtech,\" has surged amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Lockdowns across the world caused nationwide school closures in 190 countries at the peak of the pandemic in mid-April, impacting 90% of the world's pupils.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the global PC market has recently returned to growth after suffering its worst decline in sales since 2013. According to Gartner, worldwide PC shipments grew 2.8% in the second quarter, as demand for laptops and tablets increased and vendors recovered from coronavirus-related supply chain disruptions.<\/p>\n
Kano started out in 2013 as a venture aimed at teaching kids how to build their own computers and code. It gained traction selling easy-to-build computer kits based on compact Raspberry Pi circuit boards that came with the open-source Linux operating system.<\/p>\n
While it hasn't retired the Raspberry Pi kits altogether, CEO and co-founder Alex Klein told CNBC that the company has increased investment into the PC it built in partnership with Microsoft.<\/p>\n
Klein said the Linux-based computers created an \"accessibility barrier\" for some users but stressed his firm hasn't forgotten the \"punk rock spirit\" it embraced in its early days of existence.<\/p>\n
A big part of the deal, Klein said, is helping his company compete with Google in the multi-billion dollar educational computing market.<\/p>\n
Google's Chromebooks have swiftly become the top-selling computers in U.S. schools over the years. In 2018, they made up 60% of all laptops and tablets in K-12 classrooms, up from just 5% in 2012, according to data from consulting firm Futuresource. Microsoft accounted for 22% of the market in 2018, while Apple trailed behind on 18%.<\/p>\n
\"We shouldn't be putting Chromebooks in the hands of kids,\" Klein said, referring to a warning from international non-profit Electronic Frontier Foundation that the devices enable spying on students. \"They're catching your data all the time.\"<\/p>\n
For its part, Google has said it's committed to maintaining students' privacy and doesn't use their data for advertising purposes.<\/p>\n
Speaking about Kano's deeper ties with Microsoft, Klein said he was \"inspired\" by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's commitment to open-source technology. In recent years, the tech giant has bought the software development platform GitHub and built its Edge browser based on source code from Google's open-source Chromium project.<\/p>\n
As well as PCs, Kano also sells motion-sensing coding kits based on AT&T-owned Warners Bros' \"Harry Potter\" franchise and Disney's \"Star Wars\" series. Once assembled, the devices allow users to create code and interact with Kano's software.<\/p>\n
But Kano has yet to turn a profit. It racked up losses of 11 million in the 12 months to March 2018. The start-up also laid off around 15 employees late last year, though Klein says it hasn't had to make any redundancies or furloughs during the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
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Microsoft backs a start-up looking to challenge Google in the 'edtech' market - CNBC<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Kano PC, built by London-based startup Kano in partnership with Microsoft. Kano Microsoft is betting that a British computing start-up can take on Google in the educational technology industry, which has thrived during the coronavirus pandemic Continue reading