littleBits Electronics

What littleBits Electronics does

littleBits Electronics, founded in 2011 and headquartered in New York, is an open-source library of modular electronic components designed to teach electronics, engineering, and coding through hands-on prototyping. The company's core product is a system of magnetic, snap-together hardware modules called "Bits" that allow users to build circuits and interactive projects without soldering or wiring expertise, paired with the littleBits Fuse digital app for coding instruction and a library of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and Coding lessons. The platform serves two primary customer segments: K-12 schools and educators (the dominant vertical), and individual consumers and families using kits for home-based learning.

Revenue is generated through direct hardware kit sales via the littlebits.com e-commerce storefront and institutional sales routed through the Savvas educational distribution partnership, with the littleBits Fuse app positioned as a potential recurring-revenue digital layer. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; bulk orders are handled through dedicated US and international sales representatives. The company operates as a wholly-owned brand under Sphero Inc., with littleBits, Bits, bitLab, and several tagline trademarks registered to the parent. Acquired DIY.org in August 2018 to broaden its digital learning footprint, bringing total disclosed venture funding to approximately $70M across rounds spanning 2011-2018. The brand is identified as a key industry player in the global STEM toys market alongside LEGO Group, Mattel, and Kano Computing.

Name

littleBits Electronics

Legal name

Sphero Inc.

Website

https://littlebits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

littleBits Electronics designs modular, snap-together electronic building blocks and the Fuse coding app for STEAM education, serving K-12 schools, educators, and families through direct e-commerce and the Savvas distribution partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Educational Electronics

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)

akta.pro primary industry

Maker / DIY Electronics & Physical Computing Platforms (EDAFANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Electronics, Circuits & Soldering Programs (EDAMADAG)

Keywords

• Electronic building blocks
• STEAM education kits
• Coding education tools
• Modular electronics platform
• STEM learning products

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Kits: Physical electronic building block kits sold to consumers, educators, and schools for hands-on STEAM learning experiences
2. littleBits Fuse App: Digital platform/app for coding and electronics education, potentially offering in-app purchases or subscriptions

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

littleBits designs and sells modular electronic building blocks ("Bits") that snap together magnetically so learners can build circuits and prototypes without soldering or wiring. The hardware is paired with the littleBits Fuse digital app for coding activities and a library of STEAM and coding lessons for classroom and home use. The core customers are K-12 schools, educators, makerspaces, and individual consumers/families seeking hands-on STEM learning experiences.

Product overview

littleBits Electronics, a subsidiary of Sphero Inc., offers a platform of electronic building blocks and related digital tools designed for STEAM education and coding learning. The product portfolio consists of physical hardware modules (Bits) that snap together magnetically to create circuits, accompanied by the littleBits Fuse app for coding/creation activities and a library of STEAM and Coding lessons for educational use. The offering represents a modular, hands-on learning system where physical electronic components are combined with digital learning content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• littleBits Fuse: Online platform/app for littleBits electronics and coding lessons

Products and services

• littleBits electronic building blocks (Bits) Modular electronic modules ("Bits") that snap together magnetically so learners of all ages can build circuits and prototypes without soldering or wiring. Sold to consumers, educators, and schools for hands-on STEAM learning experiences.
• littleBits Fuse App Digital application platform associated with littleBits that provides coding and creation activities for use with the littleBits electronics platform. Available via fuse.littlebits.com.
• littleBits STEAM and Coding Lessons A comprehensive library of educational lessons focused on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and coding, designed for use with littleBits electronic building block products in classroom and home learning settings.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SavvascoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSavvas (formerly known as Pearson K12 Learning) is listed as a partner on the littleBits website. Savvas is an educational publisher and distributor serving K-12 schools, providing curriculum and learning solutions. The partnership enables littleBits to reach institutional buyers through Savvas's established distribution network for educational institutions and schools.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ozobot: Educational robotics and coding tools for K-12 (Ozobot Bit, Evo) used in classrooms to teach STEAM and coding. Comparable buyer (school districts, educators) and STEM curriculum integration approach.
• LEGO Education: LEGO's K-12 educational division offering hands-on STEAM building sets (including LEGO Mindstorms and SPIKE) that compete head-to-head with littleBits in classrooms, makerspaces, and at-home learning. Most direct competitor given overlapping curriculum integration and school procurement channels.
• Kano Computing: Maker of build-your-own computer and electronics kits for kids, explicitly named alongside littleBits as a key industry player in the global STEM toys market. Highly comparable target customer (children, schools, families) and product-led educational offering.
• Makeblock: Provider of STEAM education solutions including mBot, Codey Rocky, and the Neuron electronic building block platform — directly analogous to littleBits' snap-together module concept. Targets schools, makerspaces, and families with hardware + coding software.
• Arduino Education: Maker-focused electronics platform with a dedicated education division offering STEAM kits and curriculum. Competes with littleBits in teaching electronics and coding concepts through hands-on hardware, though typically pitched to slightly older learners.
• Raspberry Pi Foundation: Low-cost computing and electronics platform widely used in K-12 and maker education. Competes for the same institutional STEAM budget and educator mindshare as littleBits, particularly for older students learning coding and electronics.
• Micro:bit Educational Foundation: Pocket-sized programmable computer adopted in schools globally for coding and electronics lessons. Direct competitor in the classroom electronics-and-coding category, often distributed through national education programs.
• VEX Robotics: Provider of educational robotics kits (VEX IQ, VEX EDR) and competition platforms widely used in K-12 STEM programs. Competes for school STEM budgets and after-school makerspace participation.

Broad incumbents

• Sphero: Parent company of littleBits and a broader STEAM education robotics brand (programmable robots, apps for schools). Operates in the same K-12 STEAM category with overlapping distribution and content but anchored on robotic balls rather than modular electronics.
• Mattel (Tynker / STEAM brands): Global toy incumbent with expanding educational offerings including the Tynker coding platform acquisition. Competes with littleBits across both consumer and educational channels and has substantially larger scale and retail reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/littleBits
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_2hEbur8-gPYMYl5Z5_48A
• Facebookfacebook.com/littleBitselectronics
• Instagraminstagram.com/littlebits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/littlebits

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors16 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about littleBits Electronics