HiMama
HiMama (operating as Lillio) is a Toronto-based SaaS company that provides childcare centers, preschools, and families with an integrated platform for center management, parent communication, billing, curriculum, and educator professional development across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What HiMama does
HiMama, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, operates commercially as Lillio following a 2024 rebrand. The company sells a cloud-based SaaS platform that helps licensed childcare centers and preschools manage daily operations, communicate with families, deliver curriculum, process billing and payments, and support educator professional development. The product is delivered via web and native iOS/Android applications, and is structured as an integrated suite of modules — center management, family engagement, billing, curriculum and lesson planning, digital daily reports, and Lillio Academy for CEU-bearing professional development — rather than a collection of point tools. The company has built a proprietary content library including 500K curriculum kits and 25K CEUs, and adds depth through acquired content (FunShine Express, 2021; Daily Childcare Report, 2017).
Revenue is generated primarily through quote-based SaaS subscriptions billed annually, with tiering by center size, number of classrooms, and feature requirements. The company employs a hybrid go-to-market: a product-led growth motion with self-serve free trials for small and mid-market centers, paired with an enterprise field sales motion — formalized after the 2021 Bain Capital Double Impact investment — that pursues multi-location operators such as YMCAs and national childcare chains. Customer segments include SMB childcare centers (the bulk of the base), enterprise multi-location operators, and home daycare providers, all in North America (U.S. and Canada). Distribution is reinforced by a content-led marketing engine comprising an early learning blog, The Preschool Podcast, webinars, free templates, and a free "How to Open a Daycare" ebook that drive organic top-of-funnel demand from the early childhood education community. The platform reports 35,000+ customer reviews, 2.1B family moments shared, and a 4.9-star average rating, indicating a large installed base of childcare programs.
HiMama firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HiMama
- Legal name
- HiMama Inc.
- Website
- https://himama.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- HiMama (operating as Lillio) is a Toronto-based SaaS company that provides childcare centers, preschools, and families with an integrated platform for center management, parent communication, billing, curriculum, and educator professional development across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HiMama industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Childcare Management Software
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (6244), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Center-Based Infant Care (0–18 months) (EDACAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Home-Based Infant & Toddler Care (Family Daycare) (EDACAGAD)
Keywords
Where HiMama is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
HiMama business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription-based pricing for childcare centers accessing the platform, with tiered plans based on center size and feature requirements. Revenue is recurring in nature with typical land-and-expand dynamics as centers grow.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Quote-based enterprise pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
HiMama product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HiMama (operating as Lillio) provides a cloud-based SaaS childcare management platform that enables licensed childcare centers and preschools to manage center operations, engage families, deliver developmentally appropriate curriculum, process tuition billing and payments, and support professional development for educators. The platform includes native iOS and Android mobile apps for parent and educator access, and serves over 35,000 childcare programs across North America.
Product overview
HiMama operates as Lillio, a comprehensive childcare management platform offering a unified suite of integrated modules. The core Lillio platform encompasses center management, family engagement tools, curriculum and lesson planning, billing and payments, and professional development through Lillio Academy. The platform is augmented by supplementary resources including Lillio Activities for classroom activities, digital and printable daily reports, free templates for childcare operations, educational webinars, The Preschool Podcast, and a free eBook on opening a daycare. The company also offers a mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Lillio serves childcare centers, educators, directors/owners, and families across North America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lillio Childcare Management Platform (formerly HiMama) All-in-one cloud-based SaaS platform for licensed childcare centers, preschools, and home daycare providers that combines center management, family engagement, tuition billing and payments, curriculum and lesson planning, and digital daily reporting into a single solution with native iOS and Android apps.
- Lillio Academy Online professional development course library for early childhood educators delivering research-based training with continuing education units (CEUs), enabling educators to advance their credentials and apply learning directly in the classroom.
Quantifiable outcome
- Saves childcare directors an average of 5 hours per week through digital daily reporting
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use HiMama
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
HiMama technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
HiMama partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
HiMama competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- brightwheel: brightwheel is the most direct competitor to Lillio, offering a similarly all-in-one SaaS platform for childcare centers covering parent communication, daily reports, billing, and attendance. Both target center-based childcare operators across North America with a PLG + enterprise hybrid motion.
- Procare Solutions: Procare is one of the largest US childcare management software providers, offering center management, billing, family engagement, and tuition processing to licensed childcare programs. It directly overlaps Lillio's product scope and customer base.
- LifeCubby: LifeCubby provides a childcare management platform with daily reports, parent communication, lesson planning, and developmental observations for early childhood programs. It serves a similar SMB childcare audience and competes in the same daily-reporting/parent-engagement niche.
- Sandbox Learning (Sandbox Software): Sandbox provides childcare center management software including parent communication, billing, and curriculum/lesson planning tools for early childhood programs. It competes directly with Lillio across center management and family engagement modules.
- EZCare: EZCare offers childcare management software covering attendance, billing, family engagement, and state reporting for licensed childcare centers. It targets a similar SMB-to-mid-market ECE audience and competes on center management workflows and parent communication.
Emerging players
- Jackrabbit Technologies: Jackrabbit provides class management, billing, and parent communication software primarily for children's activity businesses (gymnastics, swim, music) with growing overlap into childcare center operations. Its enrollment, billing, and family communication features overlap with Lillio's billing and engagement modules.
- Illumine: Illumine is an emerging childcare management platform offering parent communication, daily reports, billing, and lesson planning to preschools and daycare operators. It targets the same SMB childcare segment as Lillio with a comparable feature set and PLG approach.
Broad incumbents
- FACTS (FACTS/Renweb): FACTS provides K-12 and school administrative software with adjacent capabilities in family communication, billing, and student information. While focused on K-12 rather than licensed childcare, its billing and family-engagement modules overlap with Lillio's feature set.
Regional players
- Tadika: Tadika is a childcare management platform focused on Southeast Asian preschools and daycare operators. While geographically distinct from Lillio's North American footprint, it addresses the same center-management, parent-engagement, and billing use cases.
- Hi Rasmus / BUK: Hi Rasmus (and adjacent tools like BUK in the Nordics) are regional childcare management platforms covering parent communication, daily reporting, and billing for licensed daycare operators. They compete with Lillio's core modules but serve primarily European markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HiMama social profiles
Digital presenceHiMama financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HiMama leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
HiMama funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HiMama M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HiMama
What does HiMama do?
HiMama (operating as Lillio) provides a cloud-based SaaS childcare management platform that enables licensed childcare centers and preschools to manage center operations, engage families, deliver developmentally appropriate curriculum, process tuition billing and payments, and support professional development for educators. The platform includes native iOS and Android mobile apps for parent and educator access, and serves over 35,000 childcare programs across North America.
Is HiMama a public or private company?
HiMama is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was HiMama founded?
HiMama was founded in 2013. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is HiMama based?
HiMama is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does HiMama make money?
One revenue line is on record: saaS Subscription.
Who are HiMama's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are brightwheel, Procare Solutions, LifeCubby, Sandbox Learning (Sandbox Software) and EZCare. Emerging players are Jackrabbit Technologies and Illumine. FACTS (FACTS/Renweb) is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Tadika and Hi Rasmus / BUK.
Does HiMama have an API?
No public API is recorded for HiMama.
What industry is HiMama in?
HiMama's product category is Childcare Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAGAA, Center-Based Infant Care (0–18 months), with a secondary code of EDACAGAD, Home-Based Infant & Toddler Care (Family Daycare). Its NAICS code is 6244 and its SIC code is 8351.