Gamifying Finance: How One Startup is Tackling Global Financial Illiteracy

FRANKFURT, Germany – January 20, 2026 – In a world grappling with widespread financial anxiety, a Frankfurt-based fintech company is proposing a novel solution: make learning about money a joyful adventure. The Great Moneyverse was recently named one of Business Worldwide Magazine's "20 Most Innovative Companies to Watch 2025," a significant nod to its mission of overhauling financial education for the next generation.

The annual award celebrates organizations poised to reshape global industries through innovation and vision. For The Great Moneyverse, the recognition highlights a strategy that swaps dense textbooks and intimidating spreadsheets for intuitive gameplay, aiming to solve the persistent and global problem of poor financial literacy.

While many companies vie for attention in the crowded fintech space, The Great Moneyverse captured the judges' attention with its unique blend of technology, behavioral science, and a deeply human-centric approach. The company argues that financial education has long been inaccessible and, frankly, boring. Their goal is to reframe the entire concept of money from a source of fear into a tool for empowerment.

A Personal Mission Behind the 'Moneyverse'

For founder Tanja Kulisch-Ziemens, this mission is not just a business strategy; it's the culmination of her own life experience. The philosophy underpinning The Great Moneyverse is deeply rooted in her childhood, where finance was introduced not as a daunting academic subject, but as a form of play.

Her father taught her the fundamentals of investing through hands-on experimentation. Together, they explored shares, bonds, and portfolio performance with a sense of curiosity. These early, positive interactions shaped her perception of money as a world to be explored rather than a danger to be avoided. It is this exact mindset—one of confidence and inquisitiveness—that Kulisch-Ziemens seeks to instill in children today through her company's work.

She founded the company in response to a clear market failure: financial illiteracy is a critical issue worldwide, yet the educational tools designed to address it often fail to engage the very people they are meant to help. By building a platform guided by her own formative experiences, Kulisch-Ziemens is challenging the exclusionary and often intimidating nature of traditional financial instruction. The company is now growing into a global platform, supported by an international team dedicated to this transformative vision.

"Moneyverse was built to support curiosity, confidence and long-term financial wellbeing," Kulisch-Ziemens stated, reflecting on the recent award. "Being recognised by Business Worldwide Magazine is a powerful validation of that vision."

Redefining Education Through Play

At the core of this vision is the company's flagship innovation: an interactive educational game currently in development. Designed specifically for children, the game is a 3D adventure that translates complex real-world financial principles into intuitive and engaging gameplay.

Instead of memorizing definitions, players learn by doing. They navigate virtual worlds, make choices, assess risks, and see the immediate outcomes of their decisions—all within a safe, consequence-free environment. The game encourages experimentation, helping to build a foundational understanding of concepts like earning, saving, spending, and even basic investing. The goal is to equip children with critical decision-making skills and a healthy financial mindset long before they face real-world pressures.

This approach is a direct challenge to passive learning models. By making the process active and enjoyable, The Great Moneyverse aims to foster genuine confidence. Experts in educational psychology have long noted that gamified learning can significantly improve engagement and retention, particularly with complex subjects. By creating a space where mistakes are part of the learning process, the platform helps dismantle the fear of failure that often paralyzes adults when dealing with their finances.

A Growing Movement in Financial Gamification

The Great Moneyverse is entering a market that is increasingly recognizing the power of play. The concept of using gamification to teach financial literacy is gaining significant traction, with a growing number of apps and platforms from banks, educational non-profits, and other startups like GoHenry and Banqer entering the space. This trend is backed by a consensus among educators and development experts that traditional methods are insufficient.

Organizations from the United Nations Development Programme to leading universities have highlighted gamification's potential to make learning more effective. The strategy leverages core human desires for achievement, competition, and reward to make otherwise mundane tasks engaging. In the context of finance, this means transforming budgeting into a challenge, saving into a quest, and learning about investment into an adventure.

What appears to set The Great Moneyverse apart, and what was noted by the Business Worldwide Magazine judges, is its emphasis on empathy and purpose. The platform isn't just about teaching mechanics; it's about building a positive emotional relationship with money. The company's commitment to education, transparency, and ethical growth was cited as a key factor in its inclusion on the prestigious list.

A Vision for an Empowered Future

The recognition from a global business publication does more than just add a trophy to the company's shelf; it signals a broader shift in how we think about preparing future generations for economic life. As technology continues to reshape every industry, the focus is turning toward companies that are not only responding to change but actively shaping it for the better.

Judges praised The Great Moneyverse for its scalable model and modern business structure, which they believe position it to drive meaningful change across global markets. By focusing on the root of the problem—early education—the company is playing a long game, investing in the financial wellbeing of a generation that will navigate an increasingly complex economic landscape.

As the Frankfurt-based startup continues to develop its platform and expand its reach, it stands as a compelling example of purpose-driven innovation. It is a reminder that some of the world's most intractable problems might find their solutions not in more data or stricter rules, but in the simple, transformative power of play.