[The Kwangwoon University 2025 Pre-Startup Package CEO] i-play, An AI-Powered Matching Platform for Kids One-Day Classes

Haeun Jeong CEO of i-play

-A class-centric platform designed to maximize children’s interest and engagement

-Core competitiveness lies in the synergy between field-based problem solving and data-driven recommendations

i-play is an AI-powered O2O (Online-to-Offline) class matching platform that connects students, parents, and academies. The service recommends tailored experiential educational programs for children while providing academies with innovative marketing and content solutions. It offers academies effective promotional opportunities and gives children and parents a chance to adapt to and choose the right learning environment. The company was founded in November 2025 by CEO Haeun Jeong.

“For about five years, I served as an assistant teacher for kindergarten and elementary students, experiencing the real needs of parents and children firsthand”, said CEO Haeun Jeong. “Based on the insights gained from the field, I founded i-play to create a structure that benefits both children and educational institutions.”

Moving away from the rigid, regular-curriculum structure of traditional academies, i-play operates as a platform centered on individual ‘classes’ that heighten children’s excitement and satisfaction.

By utilizing a KoBERT-based recommendation algorithm, i-play provides. For Parents, Automated recommendations for classes tailored to a child's disposition, age, and interests.
For Academies, Solutions for planning and operating proven one-day classes.
For Children, Opportunities to experience new academies without the pressure of long-term commitment.

The service currently operates two versions—B2C for parents and B2B for academies—with ongoing advanced development for both its mobile app and web platform.

The primary strength of i-play is its combination of practical problem-solving and data intelligence. “First, because the programs are operated directly by established academies, they offer high safety and reliability”, Jeong explained. “Second, we have a cost-effective structure; while the average price for a kids' one-day class is over 30,000 KRW, i-play offers them at around 10,000 KRW. Third, it is not just a one-time event, learning data is accumulated as cumulative content records. These advantages have led to a 98% B2C satisfaction rate and an 80% repurchase rate, with 85% of partner academies reporting an increase in student enrollment and retention.”

i-play is executing a hyper-local marketing strategy that blends online and offline channels. Online, the company manages its own SNS channels (Instagram, Facebook, Naver Band, etc.), securing a database of over 600 parents. Offline, it utilizes a network of academy directors through direct field sales and community engagement.

Regarding future plans, Jeong stated, “Following the enhancement of our service, we plan to attract more customers through an official launch and strategic branding. Our short-term goal is the official release of our app and web platforms and expansion into the Seoul metropolitan area. In the medium term, we aim to refine our AI-based class planning solutions using accumulated data, with a long-term vision of evolving into a comprehensive educational content platform driven by kids' learning data.”

Established: November 2025
Core Business: AI-powered kids one-day class matching platform, educational content planning, and solution provision
Key Achievements: Partnered with 30 academies and operated 25 one-day classes, Cumulative revenue of approximately 25 million KRW, Selected for the Pre Startup Package

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com