YOTO was founded in 2017 by Ben Drury and Filip Denker, two fathers with backgrounds in the music industry. Inspired by the educational principles of Maria Montessori and concerned about increasing screen time among children, they envisioned a device that would allow children to enjoy audio content independently without needing smartphones or tablets.2

The company’s first product, the Yoto Player, was introduced through a successful Kickstarter campaign and entered the market in 2019. Since then, the company has expanded its lineup with several new products:

• 2019: First-generation Yoto Player launched.
• 2020: Second-generation Yoto Player released, redesigned in collaboration with Pentagram.
• 2021: Introduction of the portable Yoto Mini.
• 2023: Launch of the third-generation Yoto Player with updated hardware and improved performance.3

YOTO’s mission is to become “the soundtrack of childhood.” The company believes that children benefit from technology that encourages imagination rather than passive screen consumption. Its products are designed to let children choose and control their own listening experience while giving parents confidence through safe, ad-free content.4

Core principles include:

• Screen-free entertainment
• Independent play
• Child-led exploration
• Safe, curated content
• No advertisements

Yoto Player

The flagship smart audio player is designed primarily for children aged approximately 3–12 years. Features include:

• Physical Yoto Card playback
• Stories and audiobooks
• Music
• Educational activities
• Podcasts
• Internet radio
• White noise
• Night light
• Alarm clock
• Sleep timer
• Pixel display animations
• Bluetooth audio
• Parent controls through the Yoto app

Yoto Mini

A smaller, lightweight, portable version of the Yoto Player with similar core functionality, intended for travel and everyday portability.

Yoto Cards

Yoto Cards are physical cards embedded with NFC technology. Each card unlocks specific audio content when inserted into a Yoto Player. Content categories include:

• Children’s literature
• Fairy tales
• Educational lessons
• Language learning
• Nursery rhymes
• Music albums
• Podcasts
• Mindfulness exercises
• Sleep sounds
• Interactive adventures

After the first use, content is stored locally on the device, allowing offline playback.5

Make Your Own (MYO) Cards

Users can purchase reusable blank cards that can be linked to personal recordings, family messages, custom playlists, public audio feeds, MP3 collections, and homemade stories. These are managed through the Yoto mobile application.

YOTO offers a catalogue of more than 1,000 audio titles spanning stories, music, educational programming, and podcasts. The company combines original productions with licensed content from major publishers and entertainment companies.6

Notable publishing and entertainment partners include:

• Disney
• LEGO
• HarperCollins
• Scholastic
• Penguin Random House
• Macmillan
• Hachette
• Sony
• Roald Dahl Story Company
• Pottermore Publishing (Harry Potter)7

Unlike conventional tablets, YOTO devices do not rely on touchscreens. Children interact using two physical control knobs, physical content cards, a simple pixel-based LED display, and audio prompts.

The companion app allows parents to manage downloaded content, control settings, create playlists, configure alarms, and access free daily content.

YOTO generates revenue through multiple streams, including hardware sales, audio card sales, digital content, subscription services (Yoto Club), and accessories. The combination of hardware and recurring content purchases has been compared to a console-and-content ecosystem.8

YOTO has received several notable honours, including:

• TIME Best Inventions 2020 (Yoto Player)
• D&AD Pencil Award 2022 (Yoto Mini)

The brand has also gained recognition from parents, educators, and child-development experts for its emphasis on screen-free learning.9

YOTO products are available in multiple markets, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. The company maintains offices in London and New York, with additional team members distributed internationally.10

YOTO has attracted investment from several high-profile backers, including Sir Paul McCartney, The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and members of the Roald Dahl family. These investments have supported the company’s international expansion and content development.11

YOTO’s products are heavily influenced by Montessori educational principles. Rather than maximising screen engagement, the company aims to foster independent decision-making, imaginative play, active listening, reading readiness, healthy bedtime routines, and reduced dependence on smartphones and tablets.

YOTO primarily serves children aged approximately 3–12 years, parents seeking alternatives to screen-based entertainment, schools and libraries, homeschooling families, and early childhood educators.

Today, YOTO is considered one of the leading brands in the screen-free children’s audio category, alongside competitors such as Tonies. Its ecosystem of audio players, collectible content cards, and subscription services has helped it build a significant global presence, with millions of children using its platform worldwide.12

1. Yoto – Our Story
2. Inspiring audio for life’s
3. Careers – Yoto
4. Yoto Homepage – The Screen-Free Audio Platform for Children
5. Start-up Yoto conjures Harry Potter magic
6. McCartney- and Zuckerberg-backed Yoto doubles sales of screen-free kids’ speakers
7. Yoto
8. Yoto partners with Kmart to supercharge national growth
9. The screen-free revolution that is a $188m phenomena
10. Yoto (company) – Mepedia
11. Yoto – Our Story
12. About Us – YOTO Group官网