Natalia Pereldik

Can we start with the journey that led you to the EdTech space? Tell us about your background.

Sure, thanks for having me. I was born into a math-loving family, always solving puzzles. When I had kids, I wanted to share that experience with them. My co-founder had a similar background, and we met at a math-focused school over 20 years ago. Funexpected Math grew from our desire to pass on that love of math to our children.

Great! I noticed on your LinkedIn that you started as a trader at Deutsche Bank. How did that path evolve? Is there a math connection?

Yes. I graduated from a school for math-gifted kids and earned a math degree. Early on, I realized being a professional mathematician wasn’t for me, so I applied my math knowledge in trading. I spent over 12 years in investment banking, trading complex credit products. At the same time, I taught math to kids as a hobby, which kept me connected to the subject. When my eldest son showed a strong interest in numbers, it brought me back to teaching math.

✨ Pearl of wisdomFunexpected's Approach and Challenges. Math is like a language, and we should teach it as such. You need to create a mathematically rich environment for kids to explore. Like learning to walk, it’s about supporting them, celebrating wins, and guiding them when needed. Our goal is to make math creative, engaging, and fun, so children are inspired to continue learning. We aim to shift the perception of math from being a rigid set of rules to a life skill. Math is about problem-solving and experimentation, where making mistakes is essential for learning. That’s what we’re trying to emphasize with Funexpected—math should be fun, exploratory, and not something to fear. In the U.S., two out of three nine-year-olds are already behind in math. That’s why we believe it’s essential to inspire children early—when they’re three, four, or five—so they see math as something fun and interesting, not something intimidating or unattainable. 

Was there a specific branch of math that fascinated you?

Yes, my field is theoretical—multidimensional complex analysis. I enjoyed it, though it’s very abstract.

Let’s talk about Funexpected. You’re the co-founder. Can you tell us about your team?

Of course. There are two co-founders. We were classmates and have known each other for over 20 years. We both earned math degrees, but my co-founder moved into design and branding while I went into banking. After we had kids, we decided to create Funexpected Math to share the joy of math with them. We first found a CTO who was passionate about math and had kids himself. Now, our team has about 12 to 14 people.

Funexpected is a great brand name! What do you think is the most common struggle kids face with math?

Many struggles come from parents with math anxiety. Kids pick up on their fear of making mistakes and start seeing math as rigid rules, which isn’t true. Math is about experimentation and problem-solving, with mistakes being essential for learning. With Funexpected Math, we aim to make math fun and engaging.

✨ Pearl of wisdomReaching Families. Initially, we relied too much on organic marketing and word-of-mouth. We won awards like the Kidscreen Award and were featured by Apple in over 50 countries, which gave us visibility. But we realized we needed to focus more on structured marketing strategies. Now, we’re investing in paid marketing through Apple Search Ads and Meta, and taking a social-first approach. Our marketing strategy now focuses on specific contexts, like when families are traveling or looking for educational weekend activities. We want parents to think of Funexpected as the go-to app for those moments, whether they need a learning tool or just a distraction for their kids. Parents don’t always remember the names of the apps their kids use, even if their children have been playing with them for months. That’s why building brand recall is so important to us—parents need to remember Funexpected so they can recommend it to other families.

Let’s dive into Funexpected. What sets your approach apart?

Our goal is simple: to be the ideal first math program for kids aged 3 to 7. Funexpected introduces numbers, geometry, logic, problem-solving, and coding in a fun, creative way. We want kids to explore, make mistakes, and not fear challenges.

You mentioned Funexpected is for families, but are you working with schools too?

Yes, our main focus is families, which is challenging because we engage both kids and parents. Recently, we started working with schools to introduce Funexpected Math to more children through their teachers.

So is your value proposition similar to saying, “Don’t give kids Roblox, give them Funexpected instead,” using extrinsic motivation for a more meaningful purpose?

In a way, yes. We believe math is another language, and it should be taught like one. You create a rich environment and guide kids through it, much like teaching them to walk. In our program, kids encounter problems, and we support them by asking questions that help them find the answers themselves.

I love how you’re framing math as a life skill rather than just a school subject.

Exactly. Math is a life skill. It’s about problem-solving, not just using set methods but tackling open problems that don’t have clear solutions.

Can you tell me about the “backed-by-science” positioning on your site?

We work with researchers from universities who focus on how kids learn math. For example, research shows that spatial skills are crucial for future success in STEM. We design games based on these insights, like a game we developed with Professor Dor Abrahamson from UC Berkeley, based on his research.

✨ Pearl of wisdomDifferences Across Markets Asian parents are often more direct about wanting their children to excel in math. They’re willing to challenge their kids and put in the effort. In the U.S., parents also want their kids to succeed but tend to focus more on making learning enjoyable. There’s often guilt around screen time, so the challenge has to be framed as fun and engaging, not just educational. The core desire is the same worldwide—parents want their children to be good at math. But how you present the learning experience differs by region. In the U.S., it’s about making sure kids enjoy learning and that parents feel good about the screen time their children are spending.

How do you ensure that the games are fun?

It requires a lot of playtesting. We invite kids to play and observe what excites or frustrates them. Over time, we learn what works and what doesn’t by observing their reactions.

What’s your biggest challenge today as a founder?

Marketing—figuring out how to get Funexpected into more families and schools and build brand awareness.

How has your approach to customer acquisition evolved?

Initially, we relied too much on organic word-of-mouth. We won awards and were featured by Apple, which boosted our visibility, but we should have focused more on marketing earlier. Now, we’re investing in paid marketing and using a social-first approach to build brand recognition.

Let’s talk about the first steps where you had significant brand exposure. How did that happen?

We applied for awards like the Kidscreen Award and the EdTech Breakthrough Award. Winning them gave us a stamp of approval and boosted trust. After being featured by Apple, we encouraged parents to share Funexpected with friends, which helped increase word-of-mouth.

Do you have any numbers to share on your user base?

We have over one million installs, and more than a million math tasks are solved on our platform each month. We currently have around 50,000 to 60,000 active users.

Which regions are your main focus?

We’re popular in China, South Korea, and the United States.

You mentioned earlier focusing on institutions. What’s your vision for that?

We’ve always been family-focused, but we’re now working more with schools. A recent study by the University of Chicago found that kids using math apps made 18 months of progress in just six months. That success helped us move into the school market.

What’s your vision for Funexpected’s future?

Our dream is to become the first math program for every child. We aim to cut the number of nine-year-olds behind in math by half. Just as reading has become universal, we believe we can improve mathematical literacy.

What’s your ideal positioning for teachers?

Teachers face different challenges. Funexpected Math helps them cater to both advanced and struggling students with just 15 minutes of use twice a week. It adapts to each child’s level and is available in multiple languages, making it especially helpful for English language learners.

How do you find like-minded people for your team?

It helps if people have kids—they understand the challenges parents face. Those without kids may share the vision, but it’s harder for them to empathize with parents' struggles.

What qualities do you look for in a marketing leader or agency?

Empathy and a data-driven mindset. Numbers help me understand what’s happening, but working with families requires understanding their pain points, even when they’re not openly shared. Marketing firms that specialize in family products do this well.

Have you observed different patterns in how people approach math across regions?

Yes, in Asia, parents are more straightforward about wanting their kids to excel. In the U.S., parents want their kids to enjoy the challenge, partly because they feel guilty about screen time. So while the core desire is the same, the messaging needs to be different.

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✨ Pearl of wisdomTeam and Company Culture. It helps when team members have kids. Those who do tend to understand the challenges parents face and empathize more with the struggles of finding educational, engaging experiences. Young marketers can be talented, but it’s harder for them to grasp parents' pain points when they don’t have that firsthand experience. When working with marketing agencies, I look for a combination of empathy and data-driven decision-making. Numbers help me understand what’s happening, but when working with families, empathy is essential. It’s about understanding their needs and pain points, even when they don’t openly share them.

That makes sense, and it informs your marketing strategies. Really interesting!

Yes, and we’ve found that appealing to parents’ need for “me time” also works. Letting their child engage in educational screen time while they relax resonates well.

It’s like those moments in restaurants when parents just want to enjoy their meal.

Exactly, and some parents may proudly mention their child is using a math app, even in those situations.

Can you talk about the early stages of Funexpected’s creation? How did it go from idea to reality?

We had experience teaching math to small kids, so we based our games on what we knew worked in the classroom. We started with paper prototypes and digitized those ideas. Initially, it was self-funded with help from friends and family.

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