How a stroller tablet holder sparked a Paul McCartney-backed startup

Drury, a digital music entrepreneur, was nearing burnout after taking his previous company public when he began tinkering with the audio player as a side project. He teamed up with his former colleague Filip, a fellow parent who shared his concerns about early childhood technology consumption. What began as a hobby for his own toddler evolved into a viable business model after a 2017 Kickstarter campaign raised £20,000, signaling a genuine market appetite for screen-free alternatives.

Leveraging industry contacts, Drury eventually connected with Paul McCartney, who had recently authored a children's book. The Beatle invested in the startup in 2019, later doubling down with two additional rounds of funding. Today, Yoto has reached over five million children and maintains partnerships with major brands like Disney. While his own sons are now tweens, Drury maintains that they still use the devices, emphasizing that the player provides a creative outlet that circumvents the strict school-week screen limits he enforces at home.