Unruly Studios
Unruly Studios develops Unruly Splats—programmable Bluetooth floor buttons paired with a block-based coding app—that teach K-5 students coding, math, and cross-curricular STEM through physically active, screen-light play. The company sells school-wide subscription memberships to public school districts and after-school programs across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Unruly Studios does
Unruly Studios, Inc. is a Boston-based, venture-backed education technology company founded by Bryanne Leeming that develops Unruly Splats, a programmable floor-button platform designed to teach K-5 students coding, math, and cross-curricular STEM through physically active play. The core technology pairs durable Bluetooth-connected Splat tiles with a web/iPad app where students use block-based coding to program rules that trigger lights, sounds, and responses when tiles are stomped, reducing screen time while increasing movement. The company delivers this through two complementary sub-brands—Unruly Code (coding/STEM) and Unruly Math (K-5 math)—plus supporting software including the Unruly Portal, Classroom Manager, and a library of 80+ lessons and 12+ pre-built after-school courses across math, coding, music, PE, ELA, and SEL.
Unruly's business model is a school-wide subscription membership sold on 1-year or 3-year terms at quote-based pricing. Each membership bundles 24 Splats hardware under warranty, school-wide software access, dedicated Success Manager support, and ongoing training. The go-to-market is sales-led, targeting district administrators, principals, and teachers directly, with demos, custom implementations, and dedicated Success Managers for onboarding. Distribution reaches 1,000+ schools across 49 US states and 6 Canadian provinces; 91% of customers are public schools and 78% receive Title I funding, indicating a deliberate focus on underserved districts. Strategic channel partners include Brains & Motion Education (BAM!) and Boys & Girls Clubs for after-school reach, with statewide deployments underway in Hawaii (100% public elementary coding by 2025) and Georgia.
The company has raised approximately $8.5M in disclosed funding across multiple rounds since 2017, including a $1.8M seed (2019, led by Ecoast Angel Network with Amazon Alexa Fund, AT&T, and Techstars participation) and a $4M round in 2024 (LBZ, New York Angels). A $200K grant from NewSchools Venture Fund was awarded in 2025. The company operates with a lean 1-10 person team and has earned industry recognition including a 2021 Gold Stevie Award for Best Cross-Curricular Solution and a Common Sense Media 4-star learning rating.
Unruly Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Unruly Studios
- Legal name
- Unruly Studios, Inc.
- Website
- https://unrulysplats.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Unruly Studios develops Unruly Splats—programmable Bluetooth floor buttons paired with a block-based coding app—that teach K-5 students coding, math, and cross-curricular STEM through physically active, screen-light play. The company sells school-wide subscription memberships to public school districts and after-school programs across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Unruly Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Education Technology / Active Learning Hardware
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Math & STEM Learning Technology (incl. Coding/Robotics Platforms) (EDAJAMAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Game-Based CS & Computational Thinking Platforms (EDAFANAD), Educational Games & Kids/Families Game Studios (MPAFAAAI)
Keywords
Where Unruly Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Unruly Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- School Membership Subscriptions: Unruly Studios operates on a subscription membership model where schools purchase annual or multi-year plans that include Splats hardware, schoolwide software access, warranty, dedicated support, and ongoing training. The membership is structured as a school-wide license with unlimited seats in the Unruly App.
- Hardware (Splats): Hardware (24 Splats under warranty) is bundled with the membership subscription, not sold separately. The membership model ensures schools receive replacement Splats for any that break during use.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Standard School Membership |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Unruly Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Unruly Studios sells a school membership combining Unruly Splats—durable, Bluetooth-connected programmable floor tiles—with block-based coding software accessible via iPad or Chromebook, plus 80+ cross-curricular lessons spanning math, coding, music, PE, ELA, and SEL. The platform enables K-5 students to physically stomp, jump, and collaborate while learning STEM, reducing screen time through active game-based coding experiences like whack-a-mole, relay races, and Splat tag.
Product overview
Unruly Studios offers Unruly Splats as its core product—a platform of programmable floor tiles (physical buttons) that students code using a companion web/iPad app to create active learning games. The platform operates through two complementary sub-brands: Unruly Code (for coding and STEM activities across math, music, PE and more) and Unruly Math (for K-5 math instruction with reduced screen time). These are delivered through school-wide memberships that include the Splats hardware, the Unruly App and Portal software, Classroom Manager tools, dedicated onboarding, professional development, and ongoing support. The ecosystem connects physical play with block-based coding for cross-curricular learning in K-8 classrooms, after-school programs, and summer camps.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Unruly Math: A math education program that brings math to life through active play and kinesthetic learning, featuring standards-aligned activities that boost engagement, foster collaboration, and build math confidence.
- Unruly Code
Products and services
- Unruly Splats Programmable, durable floor tiles (buttons) that light up, make sounds, and sense when stomped on. Students code the rules using iPads or Chromebooks to create active games like whack-a-mole, relay races, and tag. Sold to K-5 schools and after-school programs as part of a school membership bundle.
- Unruly App Web-based and iOS application where students and teachers code game rules for Splats using block-based coding. Controls when Splats light up and make sounds in response to physical interaction. Accessible via iPad or Chromebook for K-5 classroom and after-school use.
- Unruly Portal Member portal for Unruly Schools providing access to lesson plans, classroom management tools, Unruly Tube video resources, calendar for school-wide events and challenges, and community connection features. Includes Google sign-in authentication for member access.
- Unruly Math K-5 math program featuring standards-aligned activities that boost engagement through active play and kinesthetic learning while reducing screen time. Includes dedicated onboarding, training, and ongoing support. Targets elementary schools seeking to improve math outcomes through movement-based learning.
- Unruly Code Coding-focused educational offering within the Unruly membership, providing block-based coding activities for math, coding, music, PE and more across K-5 classrooms and after-school programs. Students create games by coding conditional statements and rules.
Quantifiable outcome
- 88% of teachers say students are more excited to learn when lessons include movement, play, and collaboration
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Unruly Studios
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Unruly Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Unruly Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Jonathan Jones (New England Patriots)minorPartnership with New England Patriots cornerback and two-time Super Bowl champion Jonathan Jones for the Get Active Coding Challenge during Hour of Code. The partnership aims to make computer science more accessible and fun for all students.
- KABOOM!minorPartnership with nonprofit KABOOM! to help end playspace inequity. Collaboration during events like Stomp Madness to fight playspace inequity while promoting active STEM learning.
- Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network (GSAN)coreCase study partner for DOE-funded STEM rollout showing how statewide networks can bridge funding and implementation for active learning programs across multiple schools.
- Georgia Department of EducationcoreStatewide partnership demonstrating active learning impact on math confidence and reduced screen time. Multiple case studies showing implementation across Georgia schools.
- Hawaii State Department of EducationcoreMajor statewide partnership with goal of rolling out coding to 100% of public elementary students by 2025. Hawaii DOE is working to make computer science a requirement for younger grades.
- Brains & Motion Education (BAM)coreBAM! uses Unruly Splats to drive participation in after-school and summer school programs, demonstrating cross-curricular integration and increased student engagement.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Unruly Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Kano Computing: Kano makes build-your-own computer kits (Kano PC, Pixel Kit) for kids with coding components. Adjacent competitor in the physical+code K-5 STEM market, though more consumer-direct than Unruly's school focus.
- Tynker: Tynker is a software-only K-12 coding platform with self-paced courses used in schools and at home. Competes for the same K-5 coding curriculum budget but lacks Unruly's physical activity differentiation.
- Code.org: Code.org provides free K-12 computer science curriculum including Hour of Code. While not a paid competitor, it shapes what schools expect from coding offerings and competes for instructional time and budget.
Direct peers
- Sphero: Sphero makes programmable educational robots (BOLT, BOLT+, indi) used widely in K-12 STEM classrooms. Direct competitor to Unruly Splats in the K-5 coding-through-physical-play category, with similar lesson libraries and district sales motion.
- Wonder Workshop: Wonder Workshop's Dash and Dot/Cue robots teach K-5 block-based coding in classrooms and after-school programs. Comparable EdTech peer with a similar target buyer (elementary teachers, district administrators) and pedagogical approach (physical robots + visual coding).
- Osmo: Osmo blends physical manipulatives with iPad-based interactive play for K-5 learning (coding, math, reading). Direct competitor in the physical-digital active learning category, particularly for early-elementary classrooms.
- Makey Makey: Makey Makey is an invention kit that turns everyday objects into touchpads/interfaces, used in K-12 STEM/coding. Comparable as a hands-on physical computing tool used in elementary classrooms and makerspaces.
- Ozobot: Ozobot produces small programmable robots (Evo, Bit) used in K-5 coding and STEM education. Comparable EdTech peer targeting the same elementary classroom and after-school segments with a physical+code product.
- BirdBrain Technologies: BirdBrain makes the Hummingbird Bit robotics kit for K-12 STEM and the Finch robot for computer science. Comparable peer serving middle and elementary classrooms with physical coding tools.
Broad incumbents
- LEGO Education: LEGO Education offers SPIKE Prime, WeDo, and other K-5 STEM/coding kits widely adopted in schools. Larger, established incumbent in the educational STEM hardware space; competes for the same district STEM budgets as Unruly Splats.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Unruly Studios social profiles
Digital presenceUnruly Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Unruly Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Unruly Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors12 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Unruly Studios 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 Unruly Studios
What does Unruly Studios do?
Unruly Studios sells a school membership combining Unruly Splats—durable, Bluetooth-connected programmable floor tiles—with block-based coding software accessible via iPad or Chromebook, plus 80+ cross-curricular lessons spanning math, coding, music, PE, ELA, and SEL. The platform enables K-5 students to physically stomp, jump, and collaborate while learning STEM, reducing screen time through active game-based coding experiences like whack-a-mole, relay races, and Splat tag.
Is Unruly Studios a public or private company?
Unruly Studios is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Unruly Studios founded?
Unruly Studios was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Unruly Studios based?
Unruly Studios is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Unruly Studios make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. School Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are hardware (Splats).
Who are Unruly Studios's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Kano Computing, Tynker and Code.org. Direct peers are Sphero, Wonder Workshop, Osmo, Makey Makey, Ozobot and BirdBrain Technologies. LEGO Education is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Unruly Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Unruly Studios.
What industry is Unruly Studios in?
Unruly Studios's product category is K-12 Education Technology / Active Learning Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAG, Math & STEM Learning Technology (incl. Coding/Robotics Platforms), with a secondary code of EDAFANAD, Game-Based CS & Computational Thinking Platforms. Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.