London Inc. Winter 2021-22 - 23

" We completely shut down our business-facing focus and
switched to kids, " he says.
Cyber Legends is, in essence, a cybersecurity teaching
platform that takes the form of an interactive game, set
on a colourful, fantasy alien planet under threat from
Lord Hacker. It is designed to integrate into Ontario's
school curriculum and is currently being evaluated by
primary-grade teachers in Niagara region.
Students using the game (the first iteration is targeted
at grades one to three) learn things like cybersecurity
practices, password protection, how to protect themselves
online and the basic building blocks of how to code.
To guide that process, they are collaborating with experts
in the field of education, as well as working teachers, to
develop the content.
educators. Habib Pour says revenue will be generated from
selling subscription plans to parents - at an estimated
$8.99 a month - that lets them " accelerate the learning for
their children, " as well as adding freemium content such
as " pets, skins and furniture, so that it's more engaging to
kids. "
Parents will also get access to more detailed reports
highlighting areas where their children might be at greater
risk. It's a business model similar to that of Oakville-based
Prodigy Education Inc., a company that has turned math
education into a video game for millions of children worldwide
and recently raised $159 million from U.S. private-equity
giant TPG and the Canadian Business Growth Fund.
At the moment, Cyber Legends is in what Habib Pour
" WE WANT TO BE COMPETING FOR
SCREEN TIME - AND TEACHING KIDS
HOW TO PROPERLY ENGAGE WITH
THAT SCREEN TIME " -Farzin Habib Pour
" I have brought on a PhD in education, and we have four
teachers on board creating the teaching resources, " Habib
Pour explains. He likens it to the children's television show
Sesame Street - a content vehicle for teaching counting,
reading, writing and math.
" What we want
to do is be a Sesame Street for
cybersafety, " Habib Pour says.
And like Sesame Street, which has aired on public
television since its debut, Cyber Legends is free for kids and
calls " pre-pre-Alpha " - they are testing the teaching
materials and a prototype in Niagara
schools, gaining feedback and improving
the educational materials as they work with
a game developer to turn those lessons into
in-game quests. All of it is building towards
a crowdfunding campaign in the spring
that will give parents their first taste of the
product.
By next September's school year, Habib Pour says the
final product " should be ready to go. "
Referencing games like Fortnite and Roblox, Habib Pour
says the end goal is to develop something more than just an
educational game. Engagement, he says, is key.
" We want to develop a fun game that kids want to play.
We want to be competing for screen time - and teaching
kids how to properly engage with that screen time. "
KIERAN
DELAMONT
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WINTER 2022 | londonincmagazine.ca | 23
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London Inc. Winter 2021-22

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