Osmo

What Osmo does

Osmo (legal entity Play Osmo Inc., DBA Osmoland) is an educational play company that combines physical game pieces with tablet-based digital gameplay via proprietary "reflective AI" technology. A hardware base with a red reflector sits in front of an iPad or Amazon Fire tablet, allowing the device camera to detect physical objects—coding blocks, number tiles, tangram shapes, drawings, and letter tiles—and translate them into on-screen interactions. The product portfolio spans eight Starter Kits for ages 3-10, twenty-plus add-on games (including the five-title Math Wizard series, Coding Awbie, Pizza Co., Detective Agency, and Genius Words), accessories (reflectors, cases, carrying cases), and bundles. The system targets two principal segments: families with children ages 3-10 seeking hands-on STEAM learning alternatives to passive screen time, and K-2/elementary educators, with claimed adoption in 30,000+ classrooms across 42 countries.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer business model: hardware is sold one-time at $49-$227 per Starter Kit, with add-on games priced $19-$59, through its own Osmoland Shopify storefront, Amazon (20,000+ reviews at 4.7/5 stars), and physical retail. There is no recurring subscription for core gameplay, and revenue is generated entirely from hardware and one-time game licenses. Distribution is currently restricted to US shipping only. The company is incorporated in California, holds registered trademarks (Osmo, Awbie, Tangible Play), and maintains academic and accessory partnerships with Northwestern University's TIDAL Lab and Speck.

Osmo's corporate history is material: founded in 2013 and backed by Accel, Upfront Ventures, K9 Ventures, Mattel, Sesame Workshop, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (~$32.5M raised), it was acquired by India's BYJU'S for approximately $120M between 2017-2021. Following BYJU'S insolvency proceedings in 2024-2025, Osmo was placed for auction in US bankruptcy in December 2025 and was re-acquired in March 2026 by former employees, who relaunched the business with a sharpened focus on classroom AR edutainment. Headcount is currently 1-10 and the company is operating under a turnaround posture.

Name

Osmo

Legal name

Play Osmo Inc.

Website

https://playosmo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Osmo (Play Osmo Inc.) builds a proprietary "reflective AI" educational play system that merges physical game pieces with iPad and Fire tablet apps for children ages 3-10, serving families via retail and 30,000+ classrooms globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Toys

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Technology-Enabled Instructional Content (AAC, Switch, Eye-Gaze Compatible) (EDAGAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Graphics Tablets, Styluses & Pen Displays (HDACAFAD), Special Needs Skill-Building & Therapy Learning Apps (Autism, OT/PT, Life Skills) (EDAFAKAJ)

Keywords

• Educational toys
• Hands-on learning games
• STEAM learning kits
• Coding toys
• Tangible play

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Product Sales: Osmo generates revenue through selling physical products including Starter Kits (Genius, Coding, Creative, Little Genius, Explorer, Preschool, Elementary), game add-ons, and accessories (bases, reflectors, cases, carrying cases). Products are sold as one-time purchases with no recurring subscription required for core gameplay.
2. Digital Game Add-ons: Additional game apps and expansions are available for purchase, complementing physical kits. Games like Detective Agency, Math Wizard series, and new game bundles provide ongoing revenue opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Osmo designs and sells an educational play system that combines physical game pieces, play mats, and bases/reflectors with a tablet (iPad or Fire) to deliver interactive, app-driven learning experiences. Its proprietary "reflective AI" technology uses a camera mirror and computer vision to translate children's physical manipulations of tangible pieces into on-screen digital gameplay, covering subjects such as reading, math, coding, drawing, and creative problem solving for ages roughly 3–10.

Product overview

Osmo is an educational play system that combines physical game pieces with tablet-based digital interactions using proprietary reflective AI technology. The system consists of a hardware base unit with a reflector that enables the tablet camera to detect physical objects on the table, bringing tangible play into the digital realm. The product portfolio centers on Starter Kits (Genius, Coding, Creative, Little Genius, Explorer, Preschool, Elementary School, and Family variants) that serve as entry points and include the necessary base hardware and core games. Additional gameplay is available through Add-on Games including educational titles like Pizza Co., Detective Agency, Genius Numbers, Genius Tangram, Genius Words, and the Math Wizard Series. The Math Wizard Series is a self-paced curriculum-inspired adventure spanning multiple titles focused on geometry, measurements, multiplication, algebraic thinking, and arithmetic for grades 1-2. Accessories include the Osmo Base & Reflector units for iPad and Fire tablets, protective cases developed with Speck, and carrying cases. Bundles combine multiple games with complementary physical components for expanded pretend play and family learning experiences. Osmo serves children ages 3-10 through retail channels and has been adopted in over 30,000 classrooms across 42 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Genius Starter Kit Bundled entry kit for ages 6–10 including the Osmo base/reflector plus multiple physical-dig

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of parents report increased children's enjoyment of math through Math Wizard gameplay
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Northwestern University (TIDAL Lab)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOsmo Coding Starter Kit was created by a team from TIDAL Lab at Northwestern University, inspired by over 50 years of research into computer programming education. This academic partnership provides research credibility and pedagogical foundation for Osmo's coding products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Primo Toys: Primo Toys (Cubetto) makes screen-free coding toys for young children using physical blocks. Comparable to Osmo in emphasizing tangible, hands-on learning without requiring screen engagement, though for a younger age band.
• Tinkering Labs: Tinkering Labs (Electric Motors Catalyst) makes hands-on STEM building kits for kids. Comparable to Osmo in serving the hands-on educational toy market with curriculum-aligned content for parents and schools.
• Kano Computing: Kano makes build-it-yourself computer and coding kits for kids (e.g., Kano PC, Pixel Kit). Comparable to Osmo in targeting hands-on STEM learning with tangible components paired with software, though with a stronger focus on hardware assembly.

Direct peers

• PlayShifu: PlayShifu makes AR-enabled educational toys that blend physical pieces with tablet-based gameplay for children ages 4-12. Competes directly with Osmo on the phygital learning category and similar age ranges, with overlapping classroom adoption motion.
• Sphero: Sphero makes app-enabled educational robots (SPRK+, BOLT, indi) used widely in K-12 STEM education. Similar to Osmo in combining physical programmable objects with tablet apps and serving the same classroom STEAM buyer.
• LEGO Education: LEGO Education sells hands-on STEM and STEAM learning kits for K-12 classrooms, combining physical building bricks with digital extensions. Highly comparable to Osmo in its phygital classroom-learning approach and target audience of educators and parents.
• Wonder Workshop: Wonder Workshop (Dash & Dot, Cue) produces educational coding robots for elementary classrooms with curriculum-aligned lesson plans. Comparable to Osmo in targeting STEAM/coding curriculum for K-8 with institutional sales motion.

Broad incumbents

• Mattel: Mattel is a major toy incumbent and a past Osmo investor. Mattel's educational offerings (including Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price Code-a-Pillar, and licensed learning products) overlap with Osmo's child learning category, and Mattel could become a strategic acquirer or competitor.
• VTech / LeapFrog: VTech (parent of LeapFrog) is a long-established incumbent in electronic educational toys and learning tablets for children. Comparable to Osmo as a broader educational toy/tablet ecosystem with much wider product range and retail scale.

Regional players

• Hatch (by Hatch Early Learning): Hatch makes early childhood education tablets and software (formerly Hatch Baby) used in early childhood classrooms. Comparable to Osmo in targeting preschool/early learning and combining physical products with digital content, though with a software-led subscription model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/playosmo
• Facebookfacebook.com/PlayOsmo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tangible-play-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors12 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 Osmo