Aiming to bring a fresh perspective to youth finance, Sunshine+Kittens introduces children to money management through an interactive, game-like experience.
While many financial tools for young users focus on practical basics, this app sets out to infuse these lessons with a playful twist.
We chatted to Charles O’Neil, co-founder of the app, to learn more about its vision, approach and the partnerships behind the app’s foray into the world of youth finance.
O’Neil’s journey to Sunshine+Kittens began with a simple observation: traditional financial education tools often miss the mark with kids. He recalls searching for a banking solution for his daughter, only to find options that felt uninspired.
“I was working for a large investment bank at the time, and I knew finance can be a dry subject. Like most parents, I am aware of how important it is for kids to learn financial literacy. I also know that they aren’t learning it at school, to the point that most young adults would fail a simple financial literacy test. I looked at the high street banks and the incumbent brands that supposedly teach kids about money and all I could think was – how dull. These guys understand money… but don’t get kids,” he said.
Changing behaviour
In response, O’Neil teamed up with long-time friend and creative partner Paul Jason. They wanted to create a product that didn’t just teach financial basics, but did so in a way that children would naturally gravitate towards.
“We’d been toying with the idea of a fintech product for a while and had been lamenting the poor state of financial literacy tools,” O’Neil shares. “We share a similar worldview and belief that creativity can connect with people and change behaviour.”
Their combined experience in advertising and creative industries shaped the app’s unique, character-driven approach, while the name Sunshine+Kittens reflects this philosophy, combining two things O’Neil’s son had once described as his favourite.
“The penny finally dropped when my son, aged six, made an ode to his babysitter, describing her as ‘the perfect blend of sunshine and kittens,’ he shares. The playful sentiment helped shape the app’s identity, aiming to make learning about money feel fun and natural.
Gamifying financial learning
Sunshine+Kittens, aimed at kids aged six to 18, is built around the idea of gamification, which uses game-like elements such as rewards and challenges to engage users. But the app aims to go beyond surface-level gamification.
“This isn’t black text on a white background with some multiple-choice questions at the end, then labelled as gamified. This is an immersive experience for both parents and kids to engage with, delivered with exceptional creativity,” says O’Neil.
The app introduces financial concepts through tasks that feel like games, blending educational content with activities children find familiar and fun. The goal is to make concepts like saving, budgeting and spending as natural as playtime, shaking up how financial literacy can be delivered.
With a user-centric ethos and creative design, the Sunshine+Kittens team combines talent from Disney, Star Wars and Universal. Co-founders O’Neil and Jason have been joined by big industry players such as renowned designer Jake Lunt Davies, the creator of the iconic BB8 Star Wars character, and David Arnold, one of the world’s top film composers.
Tackling financial habits
Sunshine+Kittens is launching at a time when young people are increasingly exposed to financial products without fully understanding their implications. O’Neil specifically calls out the rise of buy now, pay later (BNPL) services, which, while convenient, can lead to significant debt accumulation.
“Most of the concerns surrounding BNPL, and the debt issues this generation face, stem from the fact kids and young adults don’t realise the longer-term consequences of their actions. A couple of quick clicks and they start accumulating debts that they may be living under for years.”
The app aims to address these challenges by teaching kids about responsible spending and debt management in a format they’ll want to engage with. By integrating these lessons into everyday activities, Sunshine+Kittens hopes to give children the tools to navigate the complexities of personal finance as they grow.
“We need to educate young people on the dangers of these types of services. The difference between good debt and bad debt. But we can’t lecture them. We need to do it in a fun and joyous manner. To educate them in a way that they don’t feel like they are being ‘taught’. Otherwise, they will simply tune out.”
A strong support system
To bring this vision to life, Sunshine+Kittens has partnered with The PayFirm and SaaScada. These collaborations enable the app to leverage financial technology without needing to build everything in-house. The PayFirm provides a secure payments platform, while SaaScada offers data-driven insights that help the app personalise the user experience.
O’Neil highlights the benefits of these partnerships, explaining that they provide the necessary infrastructure to scale quickly and adapt as needed. “The Payfirm and SaaScada are next generation EMI and core banking platforms respectively. They offer us a turnkey solution to bring in the latest, relevant innovations in a plug’n’play manner. They give us the ability to bring our product to market quickly and then pivot when necessary.”
By integrating real-time transaction data, the app can offer personalised insights that reflect each user’s habits, helping them learn in a way that feels intuitive.
Mastercard’s role in reaching young audiences
Sunshine+Kittens has also garnered the interest of Mastercard, which supports initiatives in youth financial education. Mastercard’s exact role as a key partner hasn’t been clarified yet.
But O’Neil comments: “Mastercard had been looking for a youth product for a while. When we approached them and showed them Sunshine+Kittens, they got very excited.”
Looking ahead
As Sunshine+Kittens prepares to launch, the team’s focus remains on delivering an app that blends learning with play in a way that resonates with children.
“Money is becoming increasingly digital and abstract, and the old mechanism for learning about it (i.e., cash) is disappearing. Without getting into specifics – as this is our secret sauce – we are taking the learning from mobile free-to-play games and from Web3.0 reward mechanisms and designing them into an educational experience.
“We can’t say too much as we’re busy developing, but let’s just say – we’re designing this for kids, to fit into their lives, using visual language and technology they already love and understand. It will be totally unlike anything else in the market.”
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