COREDUMP #023: Running Edge AI in Their Sleep: How Elemind Built Embedded Firmware for On-Demand Rest

Yoto has built one of the fastest growing brands in kid tech by focusing on a simple idea that is harder to execute than it looks. Co-founders Ben Drury and Filip Denker, both dads with backgrounds in the music industry, set out to create a screen-free audio player that gives children access to stories, music, and learning without cameras, microphones, or ads. What began as a product shaped by their own families has grown into a platform used in homes around the world. Behind that growth sits a steady progression of engineering decisions across three generations of hardware. The team had to design for durability, battery life, and connectivity in environments that cannot be controlled or predicted.

In this episode, François and Chris speak with Ben and Filip about how those decisions took shape over time. They reflect on how real-world use influenced later hardware revisions and how unexpected behavior from kids led to practical design changes. The discussion also covers how the team monitors devices after launch and how their update strategy evolved as their fleet expanded. 

Key Takeaways

• Yoto built its product around a deliberately constrained experience: no screens, no ads, no microphones, and controls simple enough for a two-year-old to use independently.
• The company treated audio content as the core product, combining licensed entertainment, music, podcasts, and interactive experiences to drive long-term engagement.
• Early prototypes were built with Raspberry Pi hardware to validate real-world usage quickly before investing in custom production hardware.
• Children became the primary usability test group because their behavior immediately exposed friction points and design flaws.
• Hardware constraints drove innovation. Limited controls and minimal inputs forced the team to create more intuitive product interactions.
• Yoto evolved through multiple hardware generations as real-world family usage exposed challenges around durability, connectivity, and battery performance.
• Device observability and fleet monitoring became increasingly important as Yoto scaled globally and needed visibility into issues occurring in the field.
• OTA update strategy matured alongside fleet growth, helping the team manage reliability improvements and software iteration remotely.
• Regulatory complexity around connected kid devices continues to increase, particularly around cybersecurity and children’s data protections.
• Community became a major product advantage, with parents contributing feedback, creating custom content, and shaping future product improvements.