The founder of a North East EdTech aiming to make maths more engaging and accessible to children says he learned from ‘my grandad’s baccy tin’.
Chris Withers founded Mi-box Live to combine numeracy and sports via a hybrid methodology of a physical board game, featuring sports figures and stickers, and an app.
Since competing at our North East & Tees Valley pitching night in 2023 he has redesigned the app – supported by a £50,000 Innovate UK grant and £5,000 from the Digital City fund – to “transform it from a MVP into a market-ready product”.
“With over 200 board games sold in just four days, starting right before Christmas, the game is now being sold in both the US and UK, reaching as far as the Isle of Wight,” Withers told BusinessCloud.
“It is currently being used in 35 schools across the UK and continues to expand.”
It is a far cry from the days when Withers learned maths. “I was a good sportsman, but struggled to read and write at school,” he explains. “As a result, I struggled to understand maths questions, even though I could do the maths.
“This made me quite nervous and anxious when turning up to these lessons – and the only tools in the tool kit I had was my grandad’s baccy tin, with words in it to help me learn the basics. Not the best!
“And yes, I had to resit my exams – but I never gave up trying to learn.”
In 2011, he ran an after-school club to help students improve their numeracy skills. “Doing work sheets was boring and this is when the fun began and Mi-box Live was born. It has evolved ever since, helping all kinds of learners engage in maths in a fun, sporty way.”
The product – developed with input from Newcastle University – integrates Sky Sports-style performance data, tracking player stats and adding engaging, interactive elements to the play.
“It’s time we start celebrating getting a maths question right, just like we celebrate our kids scoring a goal in football,” says Withers.
“No one gets dropped, benched, or released. We believe you never lose – you learn and go again as a team. The only way to lose is to give up.”
Withers now works full-time on Mi-box Live, which won an ‘Unlocking Potential Award’ supported by government innovation agency Innovate UK.
He says that key to getting Mi-box Live to market were his connections in education and active networking on platforms such as LinkedIn, as well as within the board game industry.
Mi-box Live is now introducing subscription plans for schools and families on the iOS App Store, offering various bundles to suit different needs.
Asked what sacrifices he has made along the way, Withers answers: “One word: battle.
“It’s about managing the mind, staying calm, and taking the time to process what’s happened. Reflect, think, and begin solving problems.
“I’ve taken measured risks, and while I’m far from out of the woods, I remain focused and keep battling. Minimise mistakes, recover quickly, learn from them, and keep fighting forward.”
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