As an Albanian immigrant, who grew up poor, Aldi Agaj dreamed for his children to have the access and opportunities he didn’t have. When his daughter was four, he had an idea to create an edtech company that gives kids free access to innovative games.

His upbringing plus the cost of living realities in the U.S. inspired him to launch Alter Learning, a Davis-based startup that builds innovative STEAM games for kids, like his daughter, who is 10 now.

“And I’m like, okay, so I can’t afford to live in the fanciest areas,” says Agaj, founder and CEO of Alter Learning. “My daughter has to go to schools that don’t have adequate materials. So the idea of Alter Learning was like, okay, let’s make a platform where every school, no matter where they are, can have the latest technology everywhere in the world.”

One game, called “Celestial,” puts players in the role of robot astronauts surviving on a moon base after a supply cargo explosion. Another game, which is coming soon, is called “Marine Biology,” where players can explore marine habitats and populate them with sea life.

With the focus on STEAM — science, technology, engineering, the arts and math — the goal is to make learning games that aren’t boring, blending virtual and augmented reality with education.

“It’s not like AAA games,” he says, referring to high-budget, widely marketed games like “Grand Theft Auto” and “Fallout.” “Those games are popular because you go there, you spend a couple of 100 bucks with your friends, and you shoot things that move.”

With the focus on education, he builds games that kids might enjoy, but with the parents in mind.

“If you are a parent, would you rather your child kill monsters in a zombie apocalypse?” he says. “Or would you want them to learn about technology, science, biology?”

As a corporate security lawyer for 18 years, Agaj had experience with startups, but he needed experts in academia to bring his vision for innovative games to life. To find them, he created another AI-powered company in tandem (AAK Tele-Science), which he says tracks all the PhDs and every investment made around the globe.

This platform became the foundation for building a team of nearly 800 people, operating all over. The company is 100 percent employee-owned, he says. Any public school can access these games for free, he says, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If parents want to access the games at home, they pay a $13 per month subscription.

“There is little available right now in the VR field to use in the teaching setting,” says Fernando Fierro, an associate adjunct professor at UC Davis Health; his daughter is friends with Agaj’s. He hasn’t seen the games yet, but emphasizes the importance of educational games that have a fun factor. Most games “are either boring or too simple and not engaging for kids,” he says. “Or pure entertainment with no educational function. This is an interesting balance of looking at both.”

Fierro mostly studies stem cells for application and regenerative medicine, working to set up various trials. From this perspective, he knows the value of STEAM teaching and, he says, “it’s important to do it in a way that’s motivating.”

When it comes to motivation, Agaj reiterates the bigger purpose behind Alter Learning’s games.

“You’re not thinking about the popularity of the game,” Agaj says. “You are trying to think in terms of: Does this game serve a purpose? Can this game help the future generation learn something? Can this learning process become more pleasant, more fun?”

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