Thimble

What Thimble does

Thimble.io is a K-12 STEM education company that delivers subscription-based Arduino hardware kits paired with a cloud-hosted learning management system to schools, families, and educational organizations serving students ages 9-18. The product is structured as a four-level progressive curriculum (TH-101 through TH-400) with kits that combine across levels into larger projects, covering electronics, robotics, climate science, music engineering, agricultural engineering, and advanced topics. The platform is built on GCP infrastructure with full FERPA, COPPA, CCPA, and GDPR compliance, and is sold through a hybrid go-to-market: sales-led B2B demos to K-12 districts, direct-to-consumer e-commerce subscriptions, and individual course purchases, with revenue also generated from corporate CSR sponsorships (e.g., National Grid), professional development through the STEM Ambassador Program, and a New York State BOCES contract providing access to over 700 school districts. The company operates from Buffalo, NY with 1-10 employees, is privately held, and was founded by Oscar Pedroso in 2017 following a 2015 Kickstarter campaign that raised approximately $296k.

Name

Thimble

Legal name

Thimble, Inc.

Website

https://thimble.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Thimble.io is a K-12 STEM education company delivering subscription-based Arduino hardware kits and a cloud-hosted learning platform to schools, families, and educational organizations for students ages 9-18.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Kits

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Electronic Components, Nec (3679)

akta.pro primary industry

Maker / DIY Electronics & Physical Computing Platforms (EDAFANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused) (EDAMADAN), Educational & Hobby Robotics Kits (Consumer) (CRACARAG), Embedded, Maker Platforms & Development Kits Retail (CRACAKAI)

Keywords

• STEM education kits
• K-12 science curriculum
• Electronics learning kits
• Subscription education
• Robotics education

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. STEM Subscription Boxes: Monthly and annual subscription boxes delivering physical STEM kits with projects like robots, weather stations, and Arduino-based electronics. Subscribers receive progressive kits that build on each other over time.
2. Individual Course Purchases: Customers can purchase individual courses (TH-101, TH-201, TH-202, TH-203, TH-204) outside of subscription, providing flexibility for one-time learners.
3. Corporate CSR Sponsorship: Corporations and family foundations sponsor STEM education kits for schools through Corporate Social Responsibility programs, creating a B2B revenue stream.
4. Professional Development for Educators: STEM Education Ambassador Program provides training workshops, curriculum resources, and professional development for educators, supporting school adoption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Thimble designs, manufactures, and ships monthly STEM education kits built around Arduino-based electronics, bundled with a cloud-hosted learning platform that delivers progressive, standards-aligned curriculum from beginner (TH-101 Creator Set) through advanced high school and college-level projects (Level 4). Kits cover robotics, mechatronics, climate science, music engineering, agricultural technology, gaming, and AI, and are sold as subscriptions, individual course purchases, CSR-sponsored donations to schools, and through the New York State BOCES procurement channel.

Product overview

Thimble is a K-12 STEM education company offering a subscription-based program combining physical hardware kits with an online learning platform. The core product is organized into 4 progressive levels (Levels 1-4) and multiple course series: TH-101 (Creator Set) for beginners, TH-201 (Climate & Weather), TH-202 (Robotics & Mechatronics), TH-203 (Music), and TH-204 (Agricultural Engineering). Students receive hands-on electronics kits featuring Arduino-based projects that build upon each other, paired with online curriculum access, video tutorials, live classes, and community forums. The Learning Platform serves as the digital hub, while the STEM Ambassador Program provides professional development for educators. The company also holds various privacy compliance certifications (FERPA, COPPA, CCPA, GDPR) and operates from Buffalo, NY.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Creator Set (TH-101) Beginner-level course introducing computer science and engineering fundamentals. Includes an Arduino-based kit with 12 projects including Robot Friend, Clapper, and 8-Bit Music Conductor, designed for students grades 4-12 with no prior STEM background required.
• TH-201 Climate, Science, and Technology (Weather Station) / Level 3 Climate & Sustainability Climate and sustainability course featuring 4 weather station kits (Weather Station Sensors, Online Weather Station, Precipitation Collection & Analysis, and Weather Station Housing) that teach meteorology, data collection, and environmental monitoring. Aligned with Level 3 of the progressive curriculum.
• TH-202 Robotics and Mechatronics Robotics and mechatronics course with 4 kits (WiFi-controlled RC Car, Controller, Drawing Robot, and Robotic Arm) that combine into one large robot, teaching WiFi control, motor systems, and embedded programming.
• TH-203 Music, Acoustics, Engineering, and Programming Course exploring sound engineering, acoustics, and audio programming through hands-on music-related electronics projects.
• TH-204 Agricultural Engineering and Technology Course covering agricultural technology concepts through engineering projects related to farming and food systems.
• Level 4: Gaming & Advanced Robotics/AI Advanced-level curriculum with 7 kits: Advanced WiFi Light Switch, RGB Game Controller, MIDI Controller Piano, IMU Game Kit, RGB LED Cube, Advanced WiFi Robot, and LED Compass Kit. Covers high school and college-level material in physics, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.
• WiFi Robot WiFi-enabled robot kit controllable via phone, tablet, or laptop through a web browser, serving as a foundation project for robotics learning within the broader curriculum.
• STEM Ambassador Program for Educators Professional development program for educators providing hands-on training, complementary Thimble products, beta testing opportunities, three-session training workshops at Thimble's Buffalo HQ from August-October, curriculum resources, and networking. Designed so teachers with no prior STEM background can deliver Thimble curriculum in classrooms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67% of all new jobs are in Computer Science + IT fields
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SeaVuriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 March 2024SeaVuria, led by MaryMargaret Welch with 14+ years of experience, partners with Thimble.io to bring coding education to students in Kenya. Thimble's platform enables students to learn coding even with unreliable WiFi connectivity, supporting the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) implementation in Kenya.
• TiE New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2023Thimble participated in TiE NY's 25th anniversary celebration, which included ringing the opening bell at Nasdaq. Dharti Desai represented Thimble at this entrepreneurship and innovation event.
• National GridcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 August 2023National Grid, an energy company serving New York and Massachusetts, partnered with Thimble.io to provide STEM experiences for hundreds of children through their Corporate Social Responsibility program. Thimble supports National Grid's STEM education and outreach initiatives in the communities they serve.
• BOCES (New York State)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThimble received a New York state contract through BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services), enabling the company to work with over 700 school districts in New York through an established government procurement channel.
• HackadayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThimble co-hosted World Create Day with Hackaday at their Buffalo HQ. Hackaday organizes the global maker event and annual Hackaday Prize competition. Thimble was featured on Hackaday's Twitter during the event.
• EdufrontcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdufront and Thimble.io announced a joint initiative to certify 5 million STEM learners, announced at the TiE NY Nasdaq event in October 2023.
• Center for American EntrepreneurshipminorOthersCAE hosted the Entrepreneurs of Color roundtable with the Senate Entrepreneurship Caucus where Thimble's founder Oscar Pedroso participated alongside 20 other founders to discuss obstacles minorities face in entrepreneurship.
• Alliance for Entrepreneurial EquityminorOthersCo-host of the Senate Entrepreneurship Caucus roundtable on entrepreneurs of color that Thimble's founder participated in.
• The FoundryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundry is a business incubator and makerspace in Buffalo, NY where Thimble hosts workshops for schools and community events including National Week of Making celebrations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Piper: Maker of DIY STEM computer kits (Arduino/Raspberry Pi-based) that combine hardware assembly with progressive coding curriculum for ages 8+ — directly comparable hardware-first STEM learning model.
• Sphero: Educational robotics and electronics kit maker (parent of littleBits) selling programmable hardware and curriculum to K-12 schools — competes in the same Arduino/microcontroller-based STEM kit category as Thimble.
• Makeblock: Arduino-compatible STEM robotics platform with structured curriculum for K-12 — competes head-to-head in maker/microcontroller-based STEM kits with school-distribution focus.
• KiwiCo: Subscription-based STEM/STEAM kit company delivering hands-on projects to children and families with a progressive curriculum structure — the closest direct analog to Thimble's subscription kit model, including a B2B school channel.
• micro:bit Educational Foundation: Non-profit foundation promoting the BBC micro:bit microcontroller platform for STEM education worldwide, with curriculum and classroom tools — comparable hands-on electronics learning ecosystem for K-12.
• Arduino Education: The official education arm of the Arduino ecosystem, offering Arduino-based STEM kits, lesson plans, and a learning platform for schools — sits on the same underlying platform Thimble's curriculum is built on.
• Robolink: STEM robotics education company (CoDrone, Rokit Smart) selling kits bundled with curriculum to K-12 schools and consumers — comparable maker/robotics kit + curriculum model.

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Education: Established K-12 STEM learning incumbent with progressive curriculum (SPIKE, Mindstorms) and global school-distribution footprint — operates in the same category with vastly broader resources and brand.

Others

• Adafruit Industries: Open-source electronics hardware company selling components, dev kits, and learning resources widely used in maker/STEM education — adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a direct curriculum competitor.

Emerging players

• Tynker: K-12 coding/STEM platform with subscription curriculum and school-district distribution — partial overlap with Thimble's curriculum + school channel, though Tynker is more software-led than hardware-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thimbleio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/thimbleio
• Facebookfacebook.com/thimbleio
• Instagraminstagram.com/official_thimbleio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thimble-io

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thimble