Savivo

Savivo is a Copenhagen-based Danish e-learning company founded in 2006 by Stephan Stephensen. It is best known for educational games that combine structured curricula with play, dialogue, visual storytelling and game mechanics. The company's name combines the ideas of being savvy and being alive, reflecting its emphasis on active, engaging learning rather than passive consumption of lessons. Savivo began by creating browser-based learning content. Its first major project, Mingoville English, was developed with support from Denmark's IT Center for Education and Research under the auspices of the Danish Ministry of Education. The program was designed to help children learn English through missions, exercises, games and interaction inside a virtual world. It later became the company's flagship offering and accumulated more than two million users according to the available reference material. The company expanded beyond language learning with SkoleMat, a suite of mathematics games introduced in 2008. The series was designed to address the Danish Folkeskole curriculum from preschool through lower secondary education. Its three main settings—Mondiso, Hexaville and Pitropolis—cover progressively more advanced subjects, including arithmetic, geometry, equations, coordinates, economics, fractions and the Pythagorean theorem. Mondiso was later adapted for English-language release as part of Savivo's international expansion. Savivo's international work included educational technology deployments and public-sector collaborations. In 2009, the Portuguese government selected Mingoville English for integration on approximately half a million Intel Classmate PCs, while additional computers were sent to Botswana. Savivo also participated in Chile's Chile habla Ingles initiative, where more than 200,000 people reportedly registered for Mingoville English within two weeks of the campaign's launch. These projects positioned the company as a provider of scalable digital learning content for government and education programs as well as individual users. As mobile devices became more important, Savivo moved its products from browser-based delivery toward smartphones and tablets using iOS and Android. In Denmark, it approached major telecommunications operators in 2011 about making its mathematics application available for free streaming to schoolchildren. Its mobile portfolio included Mingoville Preschool, Mingoville Fun Clock and Mingoville Storytelling. Mingoville Preschool introduced English vocabulary and phrases to children aged four to eight, and reportedly reached the top position in Apple's Chinese education category after its iPad release. It also achieved strong rankings in several Latin American markets. In 2012, Savivo entered a partnership with Danish publisher Gyldendal to develop new digital learning content and expand internationally. The company's learning philosophy emphasizes learning through play, with dialogue between the child and the software used to explain concepts dynamically. Mingoville English also incorporated a restricted Safe Chat system intended to protect children in its shared virtual environment by limiting communication to approved words. The available reference material records the company as active in educational software and mobile learning, but does not establish its current ownership, website, financial condition or operating status.

Savivo was established in Copenhagen in 2006 by Stephan Stephensen, whose earlier e-learning experience included developing a program intended to teach Danish to refugees. From the beginning, the company focused on using digital media to make education more interactive and accessible. Its name is described as a combination of the English word “savvy” and the Spanish word “vivo,” or “alive,” expressing an approach centered on active participation and learning through play. The company's first significant project was Mingoville English. The program was created with the involvement of Denmark's IT Center for Education and Research under the Danish Ministry of Education. It used a virtual world, missions, games and language exercises to introduce children to English. The system also included lesson-plan, homework and grading functions for educational use. A restricted Safe Chat feature allowed children to interact while limiting the vocabulary available for communication. Native speakers from several English-speaking regions were used for the voice work, supporting Savivo's goal of exposing learners to natural pronunciation. In 2008, Savivo broadened its scope with SkoleMat, a mathematics-game series designed around the Danish Folkeskole curriculum. The suite was divided into three themed environments. Mondiso introduced foundational arithmetic for younger pupils; Hexaville addressed geometry, equations and coordinates for older children; and Pitropolis covered more advanced material such as economics, fractions and the Pythagorean theorem. Mondiso was subsequently released in English under the name associated with its first-to-third-grade curriculum. Savivo's products were also used in international public-sector initiatives. In 2009, Portugal selected Mingoville English for installation on roughly 500,000 Intel Classmate computers, with another 1,000 computers sent to Botswana. The same year, Savivo joined Chile habla Ingles, a Chilean government campaign intended to address limited English proficiency. The reference material states that more than 200,000 Chileans registered for Mingoville English during the first two weeks of the initiative. The company increasingly adapted its products for mobile delivery. In 2011, it explored cooperation with Danish telecom operators including TDC, Telenor, 3 and Telia so that schoolchildren could access its mathematics application through free streaming. Savivo also developed a wider group of mobile products, including Fun Clock, which teaches time-telling in multiple languages, and Storytelling, which guides children from listening to stories toward retelling and creating their own narratives. A 2012 partnership with Gyldendal combined Savivo's digital-learning expertise with the Danish publisher's education and publishing capabilities. International visibility increased in 2013, when Mingoville Preschool reportedly reached the top of the Chinese App Store education category and performed strongly in education rankings in Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia. The preschool product targeted children aged four to eight and used memory activities, word puzzles and introductory English phrases. Savivo's stated educational method combines game incentives with structured instruction, visual communication and sustained dialogue between the learner and the application. Available reference material also records appearances by Stephensen at education and media conferences and awards connected with mobile technology and innovation. However, it does not provide reliable current information about Savivo's ownership, present management beyond its founder, financial performance, official website or whether all products remain commercially available.

• 2013

  Mingoville Preschool gains international app-store traction

  [1]Savivoen.wikipedia.org

  The iPad application reportedly reached the top of the Chinese education category and ranked highly in several Latin American markets.

• 2012

  Partnership with Gyldendal

  [1]Savivoen.wikipedia.org

  Savivo and Gyldendal formed a partnership to develop digital learning content and extend their international reach.

• 2011

  Savivo expands its mobile-learning strategy

  [1]Savivoen.wikipedia.org

  The company pursued free telecom-enabled access to its mathematics application for Danish schoolchildren and received a Danish Mobile Award according to the reference material.

• 2009

  International education deployments begin

  [1]Savivoen.wikipedia.org

  Mingoville English was integrated into Portuguese Intel Classmate PC deployments, and Savivo joined Chile's Chile habla Ingles campaign.

• 2008

  SkoleMat is developed

  [1]Savivoen.wikipedia.org

  Savivo created a mathematics-game series covering the Danish Folkeskole curriculum from preschool through lower secondary education.

• 2006

  Savivo is founded in Copenhagen

  [1]Savivoen.wikipedia.org

  Stephan Stephensen founded the Danish e-learning company, which initially focused on browser-based educational content.

• 2006

  Mingoville English is developed

  [1]Savivoen.wikipedia.org

  Savivo's first major educational game was created with support from Denmark's IT Center for Education and Research under the Ministry of Education.

Play-based, curriculum-oriented digital learning for children, combining gamification, structured exercises, dialogue, visual content and mobile accessibility.

• English-language learning

  Mingoville English

  Savivo's flagship English-learning program combines ten missions, hundreds of exercises and games, and a shared virtual world. Children can interact through a restricted Safe Chat system using approved words. The product includes lesson-plan, homework and grading tools and uses voice actors from North America, Australia and the United Kingdom. It began as a browser product and was later adapted for iOS, Android and other digital formats. The reference material reports more than two million users worldwide.

• Mathematics learning · 2008

  SkoleMat

  SkoleMat is a suite of curriculum-oriented mathematics games for learners from preschool through lower secondary education. Its three themed components are Mondiso, Hexaville and Pitropolis. Together they cover foundational arithmetic, geometry, equations, coordinates, economics, fractions and the Pythagorean theorem while using fictional worlds and characters to make practice more engaging.

• Elementary mathematics game · 2012

  Mondiso

  Mondiso is the younger-student component of SkoleMat, aimed at approximately ages six to eight. Set on an island inhabited by colorful monsters, it introduces basic addition, subtraction and multiplication. The product was available in Danish and was later released in English for the corresponding early-grade curriculum.

• Mathematics game

  Hexaville

  Hexaville is designed for learners around ages ten to thirteen. Its fantasy school setting supports lessons involving geometry, equations and coordinates. The available reference material identifies it as a Danish-language product.

• Mathematics game

  Pitropolis

  Pitropolis extends the SkoleMat progression for learners approximately thirteen to sixteen years old. Through the everyday experiences of characters Alex and Monica, it addresses economics, fractions and the Pythagorean theorem. The reference material identifies it as available in Danish.

• Preschool English learning

  Mingoville Preschool

  Mingoville Preschool introduces children aged roughly four to eight to basic English words and phrases. Its activities include memory-style games and word puzzles. The iPad version reportedly achieved the top position in Apple's Chinese education category and later ranked among the leading education applications in several Latin American countries.

• Early-learning application

  Mingoville Fun Clock

  Mingoville Fun Clock teaches children how to read and tell time. The application uses spoken content and was reported as supporting English, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

• Literacy and storytelling application

  Mingoville Storytelling

  Mingoville Storytelling guides children through a progression from listening to stories in the Mingoville universe, to retelling them, and finally creating their own stories. Users can combine unlocked images with their own voices to produce personalized narratives.

• 2009Chile habla Ingles

  Chile

  Savivo joined a Chilean government initiative intended to combat limited English proficiency by making Mingoville English available to a broad audience.

  Outcome. The reference material reports that more than 200,000 people registered for Mingoville English within two weeks.

  Source

• 2012

  Partnership with Gyldendal to expand digital learningStrategy

  Background

  Savivo sought additional publishing expertise and a stronger international route for its digital education products.

  Action taken

  The company partnered with Danish publisher Gyldendal to develop new digital learning content and pursue international growth.

  Aftermath

  The partnership linked Savivo's game-based software approach with an established Danish education publisher.

  Source

• 2011

  Move toward telecom-enabled mobile learningStrategy

  Background

  As smartphones and mobile applications became more important distribution channels, Savivo explored ways to make educational software accessible to schoolchildren at no direct charge.

  Action taken

  Savivo approached major Danish telecom operators about free streaming access to its mathematics application for Danish students.

  Aftermath

  The initiative reflected the company's broader transition from browser-based content toward mobile and network-delivered learning.

  Source

• 2009

  Pursuit of large-scale government and hardware distributionStrategy

  Background

  Savivo sought to distribute language-learning content through public education initiatives and low-cost educational computers.

  Action taken

  The company supplied Mingoville English for integration on approximately half a million Intel Classmate PCs in Portugal and supported a related deployment of computers to Botswana.

  Aftermath

  The deployments expanded Savivo's reach beyond direct consumer software and demonstrated an international education-technology model.

  Source

1. 1Savivoen.wikipedia.org