Tipitap Named Best International Startup At LAUNCH Edu & Kids Conference In Mountain View, CA

Online, June 26, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The LAUNCHEdu Conference was held June 12th and 13th at Microsoft's Silicon Valley Campus in Mountain View, California. The LAUNCH team chose the 31 most innovative companies from an initial list of 300+. Jason Calacanis, founder of LAUNCH, said, "Education is one of the last giant markets to be disrupted by technology. This is our first education-focused event, and I believe we are at the start of something very, very big."

Tipitap presented HappiTaps, a hybrid of a plush toy and an app, currently at the front-line of the growing "appcessory" market. HappiTaps changes your iPhone into a lovable companion for small children. Beary Happi, the first character in the series, is an animated modern version of the beloved classic teddy bear. Beary interacts with children by telling jokes, playing fun games, singing songs and teaching the ABC's and 123's. Beary Happi also provides toddlers with nurturing opportunities. Kids love taking care of their teddy bears, Beary can be fed, stroked and put to bed.

Rodrigo Benadon, co-founder of Tipitap says, "We're so grateful to Jason Calacanis and the LAUNCH Team for organizing such an elegant conference. It was invigorating to be presenting with so many passionate companies. It's clear that the education vertical is being disrupted right now. It's a unique time to make a big change in education, all traditional forms of education are being re-invented.The LAUNCHEdu conference was sold-out, showing how much interest there is in edu-tech."

Some of Beary Happi's highlights include:
Age appropriate games (Peek-a-boo, Feeding Time, and Rattle & Fun)

Rich stock of interactions and recordings (150+ phrases, songs, and stories written by a veteran of Sesame Street)

Pixar Style animations make HappiTaps incredibly realistic.

Displays multiple nurturing behaviors and expressions (kids can feed Beary, pet him, and help him sleep; Beary can sneeze, blink, look about, laugh, giggle, wiggle his nose, whistle and sniff)

Position aware (uses the iPhone's accelerometer and gyroscope to detect its position)

Beary Happi is available as a free download from the App Store http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beary-happi-lovable-friend/id470256147?ls=1&mt=8. The plush toy can be bought at the Apple Retail Stores, online at Amazon, Toys"R"Us and Target. In the fall he will be on the shelves at major retailers.