Epic
Epic (Epic Kids Inc.) operates a cloud-based digital reading platform for children aged 12 and under, offering 40,000+ books and videos from 250+ publishers via web and mobile apps. It monetizes through consumer subscriptions (Epic Family) and school licenses (Epic School Plus).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Epic does
Epic (Epic Kids Inc.) operates a cloud-based digital reading platform for children aged 12 and under, delivering on-demand access to a curated library of more than 40,000 books, audiobooks, and learning videos sourced from over 250 publishers including Scholastic, National Geographic, Nickelodeon, and HarperCollins. The platform is accessed via web (getepic.com) and native iOS and Android apps, with features spanning Read-To-Me narration, audiobooks, adaptive personalized recommendations, speech-to-text book search on iOS, dyslexia-friendly formatting, offline downloads, parent dashboards, and educator tools including class rostering, assignments, reading badges, and progress reports. Identity and roster integrations with Clever, ClassLink, and Google Classroom support K-12 classroom deployment.
The company monetizes primarily through Epic Family, a direct-to-consumer subscription priced at $7.25/month billed annually ($84.99/year) or $13.99/month, reportedly accounting for roughly 85% of revenue, alongside gift subscriptions ($39.99 for three months, $84.99 for twelve months) and Epic School Plus, a quote-based paid upgrade for schools and districts offering 24/7 access to the full library, admin portal, and SSO. Epic School, a free tier limited to school hours, drives bottom-up adoption and is claimed to be used in over 90% of US elementary schools. Go-to-market combines product-led self-serve signup, direct-to-consumer subscription funnels, channel partnerships with publishers, community-led evangelism via the 1,500+ Epic Ambassadors educator program, and event presence (ISTE+ASCD, LA Times Festival of Books). Epic Originals, an in-house content brand launched in 2018 anchored by the Cat Ninja series, has been read over 400 million times and was extended in 2025-2026 into physical toy figurines, AI-generated animated YouTube content, and the 'Author Chats with Epic' podcast.
Epic was founded in 2013 by Suren Markosian and Kevin Donahue, acquired by India's Byju's for approximately $500 million in 2021, and sold in December 2025 to China's TAL Education Group for $95.1 million as part of Byju's US insolvency proceedings. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California, employs 101-250 people across distributed US and international teams, and operates with compliance certifications including COPPA, FERPA, SOPIPA, and CCPA.
Epic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Epic
- Legal name
- Epic Kids Inc.
- Website
- https://getepic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Epic (Epic Kids Inc.) operates a cloud-based digital reading platform for children aged 12 and under, offering 40,000+ books and videos from 250+ publishers via web and mobile apps. It monetizes through consumer subscriptions (Epic Family) and school licenses (Epic School Plus).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Epic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Digital Reading Platform
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Foundational Literacy & Early Reading Apps (EDACANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK), Kids & Family Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAG)
Keywords
Where Epic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Epic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Epic Family consumer subscription: Recurring consumer subscription for parents/families at $7.25/month (annual, billed $84.99/year) or $13.99/month (monthly), with a 7-day free trial. This is the company's core revenue stream (reportedly ~85% of revenue per third-party analysis).
- Epic School (freemium) and Epic School Plus (paid): Epic School is free for educators Mon-Fri 7am-4pm with ~20,000 books; Epic School Plus is a paid upgrade providing 24/7 year-round access to 40,000+ books plus downloadable books, book filtering, class reports, admin portal, and SSO — quote-based pricing for schools/districts.
- Gift subscriptions: Gift subscriptions in 3-month ($39.99) or 12-month ($84.99) terms, redeemable online.
- Publisher licensing (content acquisition): Licensing agreements with major children's publishers (e.g., HarperCollins for Pete the Cat, Biscuit, Splat the Cat) for distribution on the Epic platform — licensing royalties paid to publishers for content rights.
- Epic Originals content licensing (off-platform retail): In-house Epic Originals IP (e.g., Cat Ninja) sold via traditional book retail channels in addition to the platform, and extended into physical toys and YouTube video content, generating supplementary retail/licensing revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Epic Family — Monthly subscription for parents/families |
| Subscription | Annual | Epic Family — Annual subscription for parents/families |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Epic School — Free for educators during school hours |
| Subscription | Annual | Epic School Plus — Paid 24/7 upgrade for schools |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Subscription — 3 months |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Subscription — 12 months |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
Epic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Epic (Epic Kids Inc.) operates a cloud-based digital reading platform for children aged 12 and under, providing on-demand access to more than 40,000 curated books, audiobooks, and learning videos from 250+ publishers, plus proprietary Epic Originals content. The platform is sold via a consumer subscription (Epic Family for parents and families) and a freemium educator offering (Epic School free for classroom hours / Epic School Plus paid for 24/7 year-round access with administrative tools).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Epic School: Free educational product for students and teachers offering access to books during school hours (Mon-Fri, 7am-4pm).
- Epic School Plus
- Epic Family
- Epic Originals
Products and services
- Epic Family Subscription plan for families providing anytime, anywhere access to 40,000+ books, audiobooks, and learning videos. Includes a Parent Dashboard, up to 4 kid profiles, weekly progress emails, offline downloads, and content filtering. Priced at $7.25/month billed annually ($84.99/year) or $13.99/month, with a 7-day free trial.
- Epic School Free tier of Epic for K-12 educators and students providing access to approximately 20,000+ books and videos during school hours only (weekdays 7am-4pm). Includes Reading Badges, Daily 20 reading assignments, ELA Tools, Collections, Class Reports, Admin Portal, Clever/ClassLink SSO + Auto Rostering, and COPPA/FERPA compliance.
- Epic School Plus Premium paid tier of Epic School for K-12 classrooms offering 24/7 year-round access to 40,000+ books and videos, including downloadable books for offline access, book filtering, class reports, admin portal, Clever/ClassLink SSO + Auto Rostering, and COPPA/FERPA compliance. Quote-based pricing for schools and districts.
- Epic Originals Exclusive in-house book series published by Epic, including flagship titles such as Cat Ninja, Scaredy Monster, My Pet Slime, Bright Family, Kitty and Dragon, and more. Epic Originals have been read over 400 million times on the platform and are also available wherever books are sold through traditional retail channels.
- Cat Ninja Toy Figurine Line Physical consumer toy line based on Epic's Cat Ninja book IP, extending the franchise beyond the digital platform into retail merchandise.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of Epic parents say Epic helped improve their child's reading skills
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Epic
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Epic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability4 records
Feature10 records
Epic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HarperCollins Children's BookscoreLicensing agreement giving Epic rights to distribute bestselling HarperCollins Children's Books titles on its digital reading platform. The deal covers popular series including Pete the Cat, Biscuit, and Splat the Cat, enhancing Epic's library for children, families, and schools.
- Think Academy US OnlineminorDigital learning partnership featured on the Epic blog, with Epic and Think Academy US Online co-promoted in connection with supporting state reading test preparation and supplemental learning for children.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Epic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Amazon Kids+: Amazon's subscription bundle of age-appropriate books, videos, and educational content for kids, directly competing with Epic Family on the kids reading/content subscription use case and bundled into the Amazon ecosystem.
- Reading Eggs (Blake eLearning): Subscription-based digital literacy platform for early childhood and elementary readers; competes head-to-head with Epic on structured reading instruction, leveled readers, and school/home usage.
- ABCmouse (Age of Learning): Comprehensive digital curriculum and reading platform for ages 2–8, sold via direct-to-consumer subscription and school licensing; closely comparable to Epic Family and Epic School in audience, model, and content depth.
- Khan Academy Kids: Free, non-profit early-learning app covering reading, math, and social-emotional learning for kids 2–8; competes with Epic School's free tier and Epic Family on foundational literacy for the same age group.
- Raz-Kids / Learning A-Z: School-focused K-5 reading platform offering leveled eBooks, assessments, and reporting; competes with Epic School and Epic School Plus on classroom literacy, rostering, and district procurement.
Broad incumbents
- Scholastic (Storia / Literacy Pro): Major children's book publisher with its own e-reading platforms (Storia, Literacy Pro); competes both as a publisher licensing content to Epic and as a competing reading platform for schools.
- PBS Kids: Broadcaster's free kids education brand with apps and video; overlaps with Epic on age 2–12 educational content and brand trust, but does not offer a dedicated paid reading library subscription.
- Highlights for Children: Established children's magazine and book publisher with a digital app (Highlights Library); comparable to Epic in offering curated children's content but with a smaller digital catalog.
- Apple Education / Apple Books: Apple's education ecosystem, including Apple Books and Apple School Manager, competes at the platform/infrastructure layer with Epic on school device reading and content distribution.
Emerging players
- Bookful (Inception Interactive): AR-based interactive children's reading app partnering with publishers; overlaps with Epic on the digital kids reading use case but focuses on augmented reality immersion rather than Epic's subscription library model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Epic social profiles
Digital presenceEpic compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Epic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Epic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Epic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors16 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Epic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Epic
What does Epic do?
Epic (Epic Kids Inc.) operates a cloud-based digital reading platform for children aged 12 and under, providing on-demand access to more than 40,000 curated books, audiobooks, and learning videos from 250+ publishers, plus proprietary Epic Originals content. The platform is sold via a consumer subscription (Epic Family for parents and families) and a freemium educator offering (Epic School free for classroom hours / Epic School Plus paid for 24/7 year-round access with administrative tools).
Is Epic a public or private company?
Epic is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Epic founded?
Epic was founded in 2013. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Epic based?
Epic is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Epic make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Epic Family consumer subscription is the primary driver. The others are epic School (freemium) and Epic School Plus (paid), gift subscriptions, publisher licensing (content acquisition) and epic Originals content licensing (off-platform retail).
Who are Epic's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Amazon Kids+, Reading Eggs (Blake eLearning), ABCmouse (Age of Learning), Khan Academy Kids and Raz-Kids / Learning A-Z. Broad incumbents are Scholastic (Storia / Literacy Pro), PBS Kids, Highlights for Children and Apple Education / Apple Books. Bookful (Inception Interactive) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Epic have an API?
No public API is recorded for Epic.
What industry is Epic in?
Epic's product category is Children's Digital Reading Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACANAA, Foundational Literacy & Early Reading Apps, with a secondary code of EDAGALAK, Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment). Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.