Matraquinha

What Matraquinha does

Matraquinha is a Brazilian assistive technology company founded in 2018 that provides an alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) platform for autistic children and people with speech difficulties. The company's core product is a mobile application available on iOS and Android, built on PhoneGap, which uses visual cards with human voice output to enable non-verbal users to communicate needs, desires, and emotions. The platform includes pre-made communication boards for situations such as hospital visits, meals, and yes/no responses, as well as daily routines (bathing, tooth brushing, bathroom use), customizable categories, and progress tracking. Users can choose between real photos and illustrated images and personalize content with family, home, and pet photos.

The company operates a freemium subscription model with tiers ranging from a free version (60 illustrations, with advertisements) to Silver at R$9.99/month (250 illustrations, ad-free) and Premium at R$47.99/month (full features including custom cards, AAC boards, real photos, and progress tracking). Additional revenue streams include the Matraquinha PLUS subscription at R$45/month or R$256.15/year annual, printable PDF communication cards sold through Hotmart, and the Matraquinha PAIR cognitive stimulation game distributed via Steam. The primary customer segment is families of autistic children, with secondary segments including speech-language therapists, special education schools, and people with speech delays or apraxia.

Founded by Wagner Yamuto, Grazyelle, and Adriano—family members of Gabriel, an autistic child—Matraquinha has grown to over 600,000 users across more than 90 countries and supports 6 languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, Italian, and one additional). The company received investment from four sharks on Shark Tank Brasil in 2023, won the 1st Sabará Pediatric Innovation Day in 2023, and was selected for the Google Play Apps Accelerator in 2026. Its go-to-market relies on product-led growth through app stores, content marketing via a dedicated autism blog, language-specific social media presence, and word-of-mouth within autism support communities and therapist networks.

Name

Matraquinha

Legal name

Matraquinha

Website

https://matraquinha.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Matraquinha is a Brazilian assistive technology company that provides an alternative communication mobile app for autistic children and people with speech difficulties, serving over 600,000 users across 90+ countries through a freemium subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) & Speech/Language Therapy Tech (EDAFAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

AAC (Augmentative & Alternative Communication) Devices, Apps & Training (EDAKAIAB), Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Autism Assistive Technology & Learning Tools (Educational) (EDAKAKAM), Special Needs Skill-Building & Therapy Learning Apps (Autism, OT/PT, Life Skills) (EDAFAKAJ), Assistive Technology-Enabled Instructional Content (AAC, Switch, Eye-Gaze Compatible) (EDAGAMAC), Assistive Technology & AAC for Young Children (EDACAFAL)

Keywords

• Augmentative communication software
• AAC mobile applications
• Autism communication tools
• Assistive technology apps
• Alternative communication platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Premium App Subscription: Monthly and annual subscription plans unlocking advanced features including 250+ pictures, ad-free experience, custom cards, AAC boards, real photos, and progress tracking
2. Freemium App: Free tier providing 60 illustrated figures with advertisements, enabling broad user acquisition before conversion to paid plans
3. Printable PDF Materials: Physical-world extensions including illustrated books to cut out, visual dialogues, and pairing guides sold through Hotmart platform
4. Matraquinha PAIR Game: PC/MAC computer game sold through Steam platform for cognitive stimulation and development

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Matraquinha develops and sells a cross-platform mobile application (iOS and Android) that delivers augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for autistic children and people with speech difficulties. The app combines tap-activated visual cards (real photos or illustrated figures) with human-voice output to help non-verbal users express needs, desires, and emotions, and ships with pre-built communication boards and daily routines. The company extends this core into a multi-format ecosystem including a Steam-distributed PC cognitive game (Matraquinha PAIR), a TocaZoo educational app, a custom-photo subscription (Matraquinha PLUS), and printable PDF communication card sets sold through Hotmart.

Product overview

Matraquinha is a Brazilian assistive technology company offering a unified alternative communication platform designed for autistic children and people with speech difficulties. The core offering is the Matraquinha App, which provides picture-based communication with human voice output. The product portfolio includes: the main Matraquinha App (available in Free, Silver R$9.99/month, and Premium R$47.99 tiers); Matraquinha PLUS subscription (R$45/month or R$21.35/month annual) enabling personal photo uploads; Matraquinha PAIR cognitive stimulation game for PC/Mac via Steam; TocaZoo educational animal app; and physical PDF printable communication card sets (360+ illustrations in Boy/Girl versions) sold through Hotmart. Additional materials include the Guia Lúdico de Pareamento and Diálogos Visuais. The ecosystem serves families, schools, therapists, and caregivers across 90+ countries in 6 languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Matraquinha App (Core Application) Core cross-platform mobile app (iOS and Android) that delivers augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for autistic children, adolescents, and people with speech difficulties through tap-activated visual cards paired with human-voice output, pre-built communication boards, and visual daily routines.
• Matraquinha PLUS

Quantifiable outcome

• 600,000+ users across 90+ countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Instituto Mauricio de SousacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership to strengthen mission of promoting inclusion, accessibility, and communication in a playful and welcoming way. Combines Matraquinha's communication technology with Mauricio deSousa's beloved Brazilian comic characters.
• Mens Sana InteractivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian game studio focused on developing games aimed at personal improvement. Partnered with Matraquinha to create the Matraquinha PAIR computer game for cognitive stimulation.
• HotmartminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital product platform used for selling printable PDF materials and books.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CoughDrop: CoughDrop is a cross-platform AAC app marketed as a more affordable, cloud-synced alternative to Proloquo2Go. It targets the same families, schools, and therapists as Matraquinha and represents comparable direct competition in the AAC app category.
• Avaz (by Inference Solutions): Avaz is an AAC app developed in India with strong traction in South Asia and emerging markets, focusing on affordable symbol-based communication for children with autism and speech delays. It is a direct competitor with overlapping features (voice output, customizable cards, picture categories) and similar price-sensitive consumer positioning.
• PRC-Saltillo (TouchChat): PRC-Saltillo's TouchChat is a leading AAC app widely adopted in US schools and by speech-language pathologists. It is a direct peer in both product (symbol-based AAC on tablets) and customer base (autism caregivers and special education professionals), and has stronger institutional and reimbursement-channel positioning than Matraquinha.
• AssistiveWare (Proloquo2Go / Proloquo4Text): AssistiveWare's Proloquo2Go is the most established AAC app for iOS, serving non-verbal and autistic users with symbol-based communication. It directly competes with Matraquinha in the same product category and target market (families, therapists, schools) and is the gold-standard incumbent Matraquinha must differentiate against in international markets.

Broad incumbents

• Tobii Dynavox: Tobii Dynavox is the largest AAC and assistive-technology incumbent, offering eye-tracking hardware and AAC software (TD Snap, Communicator 5) used widely by clinicians and schools. It competes broadly with Matraquinha in the assistive-communication category but at the institutional/clinical end of the market.
• Smartbox (Grid / GridPad): Smartbox provides a broad portfolio of AAC hardware (GridPad, EyeGaze) and software (Grid 3) used by people with complex communication needs including autism. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping product capability, though it specializes in higher-end hardware+software clinical deployments rather than the consumer-mobile model Matraquinha uses.

Emerging players

• JABtalk: JABtalk is a low-cost Android AAC app offering picture-based communication for children with autism and speech delays. It targets the same price-sensitive caregiver market as Matraquinha's free tier and represents emerging-player competition in mobile-only AAC.
• LetMeTalk: LetMeTalk is a free, open-source AAC app supporting 50+ languages and used by families and therapists worldwide. It is an emerging/niche competitor that overlaps significantly with Matraquinha's freemium positioning and multi-language reach, particularly in Europe.

Others

• Revista Autismo: Revista Autismo is a Brazilian media and information platform serving the autism community and is a listed partner of Matraquinha. It is an ecosystem/adjacent player rather than a direct competitor but operates in the same caregiver ecosystem Matraquinha depends on for distribution and credibility.
• Instituto Mauricio de Sousa: Instituto Mauricio de Sousa is a Brazilian inclusion-focused organization that partners with Matraquinha to integrate Mauricio deSousa's iconic characters into its communication tools. It is an enabling partner/ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, but illustrates Matraquinha's distribution and brand strategy in Brazil.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/matraquinhaapp
• Facebookfacebook.com/matraquinhaoficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matraquinha
• Instagraminstagram.com/matraquinhaoficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Matraquinha