From game design to mental health support, Nick Sabamehr is building a platform that helps caregivers grow alongside their children

When Nick Sabamehr and his co-founders started designing educational games for kids, one pattern kept surfacing in his research. No matter what issue they were trying to solve for children, the root cause almost always led back to the parents.

“We talked to 30 or 35 families, including first, second and third-generation immigrants,” he said. “And what stood out to us was how alone the parents felt. They were carrying so much of the burden, often in silence.”

That realization led to a pivot. Instead of building another screen-time tool for kids, Nick’s startup, MA EdTech Solutions, built ParentZ.io. It’s a microlearning platform to help parents understand and support their children’s emotional and mental health needs as they grow.

Designed to support emotional education and personalized parenting growth, the platform helps caregivers develop skills in real-time, alongside their children’s development, not behind it.

The hidden gap in family support

“So many apps for parenting are still focused on the child,” he said. “Even though they’re supposed to help parents, the child remains the centre of attention. But what if we flipped that?”
He found that while a wealth of resources exists, from government-funded programs to private mental health facilities, most of it is fragmented, difficult to access, or unknown to the people who need them most.

“Parents are overwhelmed,” he said. “They want to learn, but when they do, they don’t know how to apply what they’ve learned. And many don’t even know what’s out there.”
ParentZ.io combines structured microlearning with daily check-ins and journalling to personalize the journey. The idea is to help parents grow in sync with their kids emotionally, cognitively, and confidently.

A new home for a new venture

Originally from Iran, Nick built his first two startups in Iran and Turkey, one in architecture, the other in mobile games. His experience in the gaming world helped him develop a product mindset.

“I learned how games keep people engaged,” he said. “That mindset is built into ParentZ.io. We want to make the platform not just helpful, but enjoyable, and something parents want to come back to.”

In 2023, he applied to Canada’s Startup Visa program and chose to relocate to Kitchener.

“I could have gone to the Netherlands or Portugal,” he said. “But I chose Canada because of the community. I chose Waterloo Region because of the founders.”

He had studied Waterloo Region’s tech history from afar, learning about the influence of BlackBerry, the University of Waterloo, and the startup density in a mid-sized town, and made his move in July 2023.

“When I got here, I understood what people meant by ecosystem,” he said. “You meet people and suddenly, you’re part of something.”

Building with purpose

Nick credits the Communitech Startup Bootcamp for helping him sharpen his vision and connect with the local founder network.

“As a founder, you’re often trying to solve everything at once,” he said. “But the Bootcamp gave me clarity. Every session was a moment of insight. I also connected with other founders. We help each other, and we brainstorm. It’s an organic support system.”

At the Startup Bootcamp Showcase, Nick pitched ParentZ.io and caught the attention of an investment group representative in the audience.

“They reached out personally,” he says. “They really connected with the mission.”

Now, Nick is working with schools and mental health clinics — including new partnerships in Switzerland — to pilot ParentZ.io in real-world settings. The goal is to deliver value to parents globally while creating opportunities to export Canadian innovation, strengthening the economy and giving back to the community that’s helping the company grow.

A founder and a learner

Nick is not a technical founder, self-teaching AI and coding to ensure he deeply understands what the product is doing.

“It sounds scarier than it is,” he said. “I like learning. Every time I hit a wall, I stop and figure out why. It’s slow, but it’s the right pace for me. I want to be the kind of founder who understands every piece behind the scenes.”

The work is also personal for him.

“Parents from immigrant backgrounds face specific challenges,” he said. “We want to empower them, not overwhelm them. And we want them to feel supported, not isolated.”

With pilots underway and product development advancing, Nick’s next focus is traction and funding.
He’s optimistic, but cautious.

“We’re still early,” he says. “We want to prove the value with our partners first, then grow with purpose.”

For Nick, Waterloo Region is not only where his startup lives, but where he and his wife have found a home.

“We were lucky to find a flat downtown,” he said. “I used to walk by Communitech every day before I knew what was inside. Now I work in there.”