Nowa — your child's first friend who helps them grow

CH. 01 The Care Loop

Growth as a side effect of caring.

Nowa never assigns chores or grades behavior. The pet simply has needs and emotions. Your child responds — and in responding, builds the habits and empathy that last.

Pixel-art scene: a child watering a sprout

PX-ICONpet + emotion bubble (sound waves)

The pet feels

Nowa expresses a need or emotion in its own sounds and animation — never human words.

PX-ICONwatering can / feeding hand

Your child cares

They interpret what Nowa needs and respond with care and imagination.

PX-ICONsmall sprite → big sprite, evolution sparkle

The pet grows

Consistent care helps Nowa thrive and evolve — the visible reward of showing up.

PX-ICONpixel kid with star badge

Your child grows

Habits, emotional skills, and self-regulation form — as a consequence of the relationship.

“Children don’t learn feelings from being told about them. They learn by reading them, naming them, and caring for someone who has them.”
Dr. Susanne Denham · Emotional competence · 40+ years of research SAMPLE · PENDING APPROVAL

Technical blueprint of the Nowa device, 6.76 by 7.52 centimeters, with three buttons

THE DEVICE

One small device. A whole friend inside it.

No tablet, no app for the kid, no open internet. The pet lives in a pocket-sized device built for small hands — three chunky buttons and a screen just big enough for a friend.

6.76 × 7.52 cm — fits a coat pocket or a backpack side pouch
Three physical buttons — simple enough for age 3
Closed, family-safe system — you set the boundaries from the parent app
$99 · ships September 2026

CH. 02 Why Nowa doesn't talk

It doesn't talk to your kid. It needs your kid.

A pet that chats like an AI gives answers. A pet that communicates in feelings, sounds, and animation invites your child to read it — to infer, empathize, and imagine. That's where emotional intelligence is actually built. It's also why Nowa's safety story is simple: no open conversations, no open internet, nothing to say it shouldn't.

“The safest AI for a child is one with nothing to say, and everything to feel.”
Dr. David Mou · Harvard-trained physician · CEO, Benchmark Health SAMPLE · PENDING APPROVAL

♪ prrr… blip!

Nowa speaks in sound, motion, and feeling — your child does the understanding.

CH. 03 The Missions

All the learning runs through missions.

The pet asks for help. What it asks for is designed by child-development experts — and every mission syncs to a real-world action, so practice happens in your actual morning, your actual bedtime. It never feels like homework, because it isn't presented as one.

Brushing teeth, bedtime, homework start, transitions.

Not rigid compliance — routines that feel more doable, more consistent, and less emotionally draining.

Synced to the real world: tonight's actual toothbrush.

PX-GFX · MISSION LOOPS ×3graphic team: pixel-style re-renders of these mission videos · 16:9 loops

You choose which mission types run, and when — from the parent app.

“Self-regulation works like a muscle. It grows through small, repeated practice — and play is where children practice the hardest.”
Dr. Megan McClelland · Executive function · HTKS, used in 31 countries SAMPLE · PENDING APPROVAL

CH. 04 Why kids beg to play it

Missions work because the friendship is real to them.

Children follow through on things they care about — not things they're told to do. So we made caring the whole game.

PX-ICONpet + heart bubble

A friend that knows them

The pet reacts to the care it's been given — greeting, moods, and little rituals, all in its own sounds and animations. Never human words.

PX-ICONwatering can + sprouting creature

Grown through care

How the pet grows depends on how your child shows up. With steady care the bond deepens and the pet evolves in its own way — no two journeys alike.

PX-ICONopen storybook + sparkle

Its own quirks and story

Every pet arrives with a look, a personality, and a backstory from Nowa Planet — the bond is theirs, not a checklist.

PX-ICONcracked egg + glow

From the first crack

The hatch is the hook: surprise, delight, and an instant reason to care. The motivation never has to be assigned.

BRIM

NORI

OLLIE

FLORI

MIKO

PUFFIN

TARO

NORI · CRYSTAL

MIKO · SCHOLAR

TARO · PILOT

BRIM · VIKING

NORI · CORAL

Who might your child meet? Every journey is its own story — never a set to complete.

CH. 05 Between missions

Also the storyteller, the singer, and the question-answerer.

The library is part of the game. As your child raises their pet, they unlock more of it — songs, stories, podcasts, and soundscapes earned through care. The bedtime story, the morning anthem, the "why do planets spin?" — without handing over a screen.

Story

Beloved classics retold for every age, plus original tales from the Nowa universe.

The Lion and the Mouse2:16

The Bunny and the Secret Tunnel LVL 26:09

The Fairy Who Collected Lost Giggles LVL 54:28

Song

A morning anthem to start the day, a lullaby to end it — every song built for a moment and a mood.

Yellow Duck1:27

Whispering Dreams LVL 34:01

Spin Around the Sun LVL 64:02

Podcast

A curious host and a real expert, on science, history, nature, culture, and life.

Why Do Planets Spin?10:57

Kick It Like a Pro LVL 46:47

Inside a Raindrop LVL 712:40

Sound & Fun Facts

Soundscapes matched to the mood, with fun facts sprinkled in at just the right moment.

Soft Wind Chimes15:06

Amazing Animal Hearts LVL 22:15

Space & Planets Fun LVL 52:04

Unlocks are part of the game; you decide what's available, always. A closed, family-safe library — no open internet, ever. Tap play to preview real samples.

INTERLUDE For the hard parts

Wherever you are in the hard parts.

A boy by the front door, backpack on, holding his Nowa device

A boy on the sofa, smiling at his Nowa device

The morning-battle parent

Teeth, clothes, breakfast, the door. Nowa turns the routine into something your child does with a friend — minus the referee.

The big-feelings parent

When meltdowns are big and frequent, Nowa is a low-stakes place to practice calming down — before the storm, not during it.

The parent doing their own work

On the days your patience is gone, Nowa is a second steady presence in the room — so one hard moment doesn't have to land on you.

“When the practice happens before the meltdown — not during it — the whole temperature of a home comes down.”
Dr. Steven Kurtz · Parent-child interaction · One of 21 certified PCIT trainers worldwide SAMPLE · PENDING APPROVAL

CH. 06 The Science

Built with the scientists who wrote the science.

Nowa's developmental design was shaped by leading researchers in emotional competence, executive function, and parent-child interaction. Not a focus group — the people whose frameworks the field is built on.

Dr. Susanne Denham

Emotional competence

Professor Emerita, George Mason University

40+ years researching how children process and manage emotions
Creator of CAPSEL and the Affect Knowledge Test

[ Approved quote from Dr. Denham — pending sign-off ]

Dr. Megan McClelland

Executive function

Professor, Oregon State University

Co-creator of the HTKS task, used in 31 countries
116+ peer-reviewed publications, cited 23,000+ times

[ Approved quote from Dr. McClelland — pending sign-off ]

Dr. Steven Kurtz

Parent-child interaction

President, Kurtz Psychology Consulting

ABPP board-certified child psychologist
One of only 21 certified global PCIT trainers worldwide

[ Approved quote from Dr. Kurtz — pending sign-off ]

Dr. David Mou

Mental-health systems

CEO, Benchmark Health Group

Harvard-trained physician — MD and MBA
Named "Top 10 Under 35 for Healthcare" by LinkedIn

[ Approved quote from Dr. Mou — pending sign-off ]

Shaped by our advisory board. We say "built with" — never "clinically proven."

Screen-free like Yoto. Developmental like Lovevery. But alive.

PX-ICONcassette audio player

Audio players

Great stories. But the child listens — they don't form a relationship.

PX-ICONbuilding blocks

Play kits

Thoughtful toys. But they don't grow, respond, or build a bond over time.

PX-ICONtablet + warning sparkle

Tablets & apps

Endless engagement — designed to keep your child in, not send them back out.

A living companion

Grows with your child, sends them back into real life, and was built with scientists.

CH. 07 Beta families

From the families who tested it first.

Real households, real mornings — words from the beta program.

My son used to fight me for 20 minutes every morning about his shoes. Now he's racing to get them on because he wants to tell his Nowa pet he's ready for the School Mission.

Mark J. · Dad of a 6-year-old BETA FAMILY

The dashboard actually showed me my daughter was feeling anxious about her math homework before she even told me. It gave us a bridge to talk.

Kate · Mom of an 8-year-old BETA FAMILY

She came downstairs and said 'I did turtle time so my pet could calm down.' Then she did it herself at dinner. Unprompted.

Dana · Mom of a 5-year-old BETA FAMILY

Bedtime went from negotiation to ritual. The pet gets sleepy, so somehow my daughter does too.

Tom R. · Dad of a 4-year-old BETA FAMILY

He was proud of the pet's growth in a way that felt surprisingly personal. He really felt like his care mattered, and that made the progress feel meaningful.

Elena J. · Mom of a 7-year-old BETA FAMILY

It's the first screen I don't feel guilty about. Ten minutes, then he's off building a fort because his pet 'needed' one.

Priya · Mom of a 6-year-old BETA FAMILY

My two trade care tips like little coworkers. Each pet is different, so nobody's comparing scores.

Steph · Mom of a 7- and a 9-year-old BETA FAMILY

I expected another abandoned gadget. Six weeks in, the pet is still fed and my mornings are still quiet.

Alex M. · Dad of an 8-year-old BETA FAMILY

FAQ Before you ask

The questions every parent asks.

What age is Nowa designed for?+

Kids ages 3–10 — the stage when routines, independence, and emotional habits develop fastest. The experience is age-scaffolded so it grows with your child.

How does Nowa build habits without nagging?+

Instead of you repeating instructions, daily routines become missions your child does to help their pet grow. The pet celebrates wins and encourages them through struggles — habit-building feels like play, not punishment.

Is there AI in Nowa? Is it safe for young children?+

Yes — a closed, walled AI shapes how the pet feels, remembers care, and chooses missions. It never speaks to your child in human language, has no access to the open internet, and collects nothing beyond what personalizes the experience. It was built with our child-development researchers to support growth, not maximize engagement.

Is my child's experience safe and private?+

The pet doesn't converse, so there's nothing to monitor and nothing to leak. No open internet, content age-scaffolded for 3–10, built to meet COPPA and ASTM F963 standards. You stay in control through topic boundaries, bedtime modes, and usage limits in the parent app.

How much screen time does Nowa involve?+

Nowa is designed to be put down, not picked up again and again. Sessions run about 10–15 minutes a day, with no infinite scroll, no autoplay, no engagement mechanics. The goal is always to send your child back into the real world.

What happens if my child misses a day?+

Real life happens. Missing a day doesn't erase progress or create punishment — and the pet never dies. Left alone for a long time it may get sad or gently return to its home world, but it can always come back.

How does the parent app work?+

Set routines, see progress, and get warm, narrative insights without more mental load. Basic setup and routine tracking come with the device; full insights, advanced missions, and expert guidance are part of the optional Nowa+ subscription.

When will Nowa be available?+

Pre-orders are open now at $99, shipping September 2026. You can cancel your reservation anytime before it ships.

Your child's first friend who helps them grow.