MUMBAI, India and NEW YORK , Nov. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miko, the global leader in AI companions for kids, today announced a strategic partnership with iHeartMedia, the number one audio company in the U.S. This partnership marks a powerful fusion of AI innovation and entertainment, setting the stage to bring Miko’s emotionally intelligent robots — through iHeartMedia’s beloved content and unmatched reach — into millions of homes across North America.
iHeartMedia reaches more Americans than any other media company, engaging over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners with its broadcast stations alone. Through this partnership, Miko will also tap into iHeartMedia’s massive audience and cultural influence, across its powerful ecosystem including broadcast radio, podcasts, digital platforms, and live experiences, to introduce families across North America to the world of AI companionship. The brand will also collaborate with iHeart’s iconic talent — from beloved radio hosts to podcast creators — to produce engaging voice integrations and storytelling moments that bring Miko’s personality to life.
“iHeart reaches 9 out of 10 Americans every month, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to help make Miko a household name across North America,” said David Ellis, Executive Vice President of Ventures at iHeartMedia. “Miko is an AI-native robotics pioneer for societal good, with proprietary technology and IP that has the potential to reshape sectors from education and entertainment to mobility and connected living. We’re excited to showcase to our audience Miko’s platform —where emotion, intelligence, and experience converge.”
“Our partnership with iHeart marks a pivotal moment in Miko’s mission to make AI companions part of everyday family life,” shares Sneh Vaswani, Co-founder and CEO of Miko. “Together, we’re bringing Miko’s unique blend of intelligence and emotional connection to millions of homes — creating experiences that entertain, educate, and inspire. We’re especially excited to tap into the incredible voices and reach of iHeart’s trusted hosts, who can bring Miko’s world of imagination and learning to families everywhere.”
iHeartMedia joins Miko’s ongoing Series D round, adding to a cap table that already includes marquee institutional investors Chiratae Ventures, YourNest, 360 One, and IvyCap Ventures. The round underscores strong investor confidence in Miko’s category leadership and accelerating growth trajectory as the company scales its AI and robotics platform globally.
Miko’s AI-native robotics platform integrates proprietary capabilities across culturally aware AI, multimodal emotional intelligence, and hybrid large language models. Its technology stack spans generative content, advanced sensing, and grounded long-term memory — engineered for safe, adaptive, and emotionally intelligent interaction. Together, these breakthroughs position Miko as a global leader in AI-native robotics, shaping the future of human–AI connection across learning, entertainment, and everyday life.
The investment comes at a time of exponential momentum for Miko. The brand just went live across every Costco in North America, marking a massive leap in accessibility and mainstream adoption. Partnering with iHeartMedia amplifies Miko’s vision to make AI companions an integral part of modern family life, and signals the start of a new era where intelligent machines don’t just serve us, but connect with us.
About Miko.AI
Founded in 2015, Miko.AI is pioneering a future where emotionally intelligent, self-learning machines — powered by proprietary AI — not only coexist with humans but elevate human experiences across education, wellness, and caregiving. With advanced AI embedded in consumer-friendly platforms, Miko delivers empathetic, adaptive companions that nurture child development, provide dignified elder care, and support emotional and cognitive well-being at scale. Miko’s products — including Miko 3, Miko Mini, and the upcoming Sparky— make learning fun and interactive for kids worldwide. Headquartered in Mumbai with offices in the U.S. and U.K., Miko’s mission is to create a future where AI-powered companionship sparks curiosity and joy in every home. Visit Miko.AI for more information.
About iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet; twice the size of the next largest broadcast radio company; and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to Podtrac, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, with five times more followers than the next audio media brand, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
Media Contact
Carve Communications
Nicole Brief Curro
nicole@carvecomms.com
