SAM Labs
SAM Labs is a K-12 edtech company selling an integrated STEAM platform — Bluetooth-enabled hardware blocks, the SAM Studio coding software, an 850-lesson curriculum library, and the FRST skills tracker — to U.S. school districts via multi-year enterprise contracts and direct field sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What SAM Labs does
SAM Labs (SAM Labs Inc.) is a K-12 STEAM education company that sells an integrated hardware, software, and curriculum platform to U.S. school districts. The platform combines Bluetooth-enabled wireless electronic blocks (sensors, motors, lights, controllers) with the proprietary SAM Studio coding environment, which progresses students from drag-and-drop visual programming in elementary grades through block-based coding to text-based and Python coding in middle school. A curriculum library of 850+ standards-aligned lessons (mapped to NGSS, CSTA, and ISTE) and the FRST longitudinal skills tracker complete the core offering, supported by a professional development suite spanning self-paced SAM Academy certification, live webinars, onsite training, and virtual coaching.
The company was founded in 2014 by Joachim Horn in London and has since re-domiciled and headquartered in Houston, Texas, with reported customer reach across 80% of U.S. states. Revenue is generated through multi-year district-wide contracts that bundle hardware kits (one-time sales), software licensing/subscription, curriculum content, and professional services; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is primarily direct enterprise field sales targeting district administrators, supplemented by inside sales handling inbound demo requests and a product-led growth motion via free trials, with a SAMbassador educator community program driving bottom-up advocacy.
The business operates in a regulated K-12 procurement environment and maintains compliance with SOC 2 Type I, FERPA, COPPA, SOPPA, and GDPR/UK GDPR, and integrates natively with Google, Microsoft, Apple, Clever, and ClassLink for SSO and rostering. The company has raised approximately $20M+ in disclosed equity funding across Series A (Imperial Innovations, 2016), Series B (E15 VC/Touchstone Innovations, 2017; extended with Inventures SA and IP Group in 2019), and a Series 4 (Next Wave Partners, 2022). Management is led by founder and CEO Joachim Horn, with Morten Bernhard Hagen as VP Product & Customer Success and John Kline as Head of Sales.
SAM Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SAM Labs
- Legal name
- SAM Labs Inc.
- Website
- https://samlabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SAM Labs is a K-12 edtech company selling an integrated STEAM platform — Bluetooth-enabled hardware blocks, the SAM Studio coding software, an 850-lesson curriculum library, and the FRST skills tracker — to U.S. school districts via multi-year enterprise contracts and direct field sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SAM Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 STEAM Education Platform
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- STEAM-Focused Early Learning Academies (EDACADAJ)
Keywords
Where SAM Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SAM Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Kit Sales: Sale of wireless Bluetooth-enabled SAM Labs hardware blocks and sensors. Hardware is sold as bundled kits to schools and districts, typically as one-time purchases with replacement components available.
- Software Licensing/Subscription: SAM Studio software platform is licensed or subscribed to by schools and districts to enable coding curriculum delivery.
- Professional Development Services: Teacher training and professional development programs delivered to districts implementing SAM Labs curriculum, provided as part of district agreements.
- Curriculum Content: Standards-aligned curriculum content (850+ lessons) provided alongside hardware and software, bundled into district packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | District-wide deployment packages (hardware, software, curriculum, professional development) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
SAM Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SAM Labs sells a fully integrated K-12 STEAM education system to U.S. school districts, combining proprietary Bluetooth-enabled hardware blocks with the SAM Studio visual coding software, an 850+ lesson standards-aligned curriculum library, and a comprehensive professional development program. Bundled Elementary (K-5) and Middle School (6-8) solutions are sold under multi-year contracts that include the FRST longitudinal skills tracking platform and ongoing customer success support.
Product overview
SAM Labs is an integrated K-12 STEAM education platform combining wireless Bluetooth-enabled hardware blocks, the SAM Studio/SAM Space visual coding software, and standards-aligned curriculum content library of 850+ lessons. The platform follows a Flow Coding methodology progressing from drag-and-drop (K-2) through block coding (3-5) and conditional logic (6-8) to text-based Python. The core offering includes FRST (Future Ready Skills Tracker) for longitudinal skills measurement, comprehensive Professional Development (SAM Academy, Live Webinars, Onsite Training, Virtual Coaching), and Customer Success support. Separate bundles serve Elementary (K-5) and Middle School (6-8) with appropriate curriculum depth and CTE pathway alignment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FRST: Future Ready Skills Tracker - A K-12 skills tracking platform that enables districts to measure and track student competency development across classes, grades, and schools.
Products and services
- SAM Studio
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.3 million+ STEAM projects created by students
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SAM Labs
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
SAM Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature4 records
SAM Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- GooglecoreGoogle integration enables SAM Labs users to sign in with Google accounts and sync gradebook data with Google Classroom, reducing friction for districts already using Google Workspace for Education.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft integration enables single sign-on and data syncing with Microsoft 365 Education and Teams, supporting districts using Microsoft ecosystems.
- ApplecoreApple integration supports iOS device compatibility and enables SAM Labs usage on iPads and other Apple devices common in K-12 education settings.
- ClevercoreClever Instant Login integration enables seamless single sign-on for districts using the Clever classroom management platform, reducing IT setup complexity.
- ClassLinkcoreClassLink single sign-on integration allows districts using ClassLink to authenticate SAM Labs users automatically, streamlining district-wide deployment.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SAM Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wonder Workshop: Wonder Workshop's Dash, Dot, and Cue robots are widely deployed in U.S. K-5 STEAM programs, sold via district contracts with curriculum and PD. Directly comparable to SAM Labs on elementary STEAM, coding progression, and district procurement motion.
- Ozobot: Ozobot provides small programmable robots (Evo, Bit) used for K-8 STEAM and coding instruction, paired with lesson libraries and professional development. Comparable to SAM Labs in target customer (K-12 districts), solution shape (hardware + curriculum + PD), and standards alignment.
- LEGO Education: LEGO Education offers K-12 STEAM kits (SPIKE, WeDo, Mindstorms) with proprietary hardware, a visual programming app, standards-aligned curriculum, and professional development. It is the most direct competitor to SAM Labs' integrated hardware+software+curriculum+PD model.
- Sphero: Sphero (which acquired littleBits) sells programmable robots, electronic building blocks, and a coding platform targeting K-12 STEAM with curriculum and educator resources. Overlaps directly with SAM Labs on Bluetooth-enabled educational hardware and coding curriculum for elementary and middle school.
- KinderLab Robotics: KIBO is a screen-free robotics kit for early learners (K-2) with curriculum and PD, sold into schools and districts. Comparable to SAM Labs on the early-elementary STEAM segment and standards-aligned lesson approach, though screen-free vs. SAM Labs' tablet-first model.
- Makeblock: Makeblock (mBot, Codey Rocky, CyberPi) provides programmable robotics and STEAM kits with mBlock visual coding software and curriculum. Comparable to SAM Labs on integrated hardware+software+curriculum targeting K-12 with a visual-to-text coding progression.
Others
- Code.org: Code.org is a free, widely adopted K-12 computer science curriculum platform (including CS Fundamentals and CS Discoveries) used by a majority of U.S. districts. Not a direct competitor to SAM Labs' kits but a structural alternative that district buyers weigh against paid STEAM solutions.
Emerging players
- Tynker: Tynker is a K-8 coding curriculum and self-paced learning platform sold to schools and districts. Comparable to SAM Labs' SAM Studio software/curriculum layer, though Tynker is hardware-agnostic and competes primarily on the curriculum/SaaS side.
- BirdBrain Technologies: BirdBrain sells the Hummingbird Bit and Finch robots with Snap!/BirdBlox visual programming and curriculum for K-12 STEAM. Comparable niche competitor focused on creative robotics kits with standards-aligned lessons for schools.
Broad incumbents
- VEX Robotics: VEX (via VEX Robotics and VEXcode) provides K-12 robotics kits, competitions, and curriculum at scale across elementary through high school. A broader, competition-anchored incumbent in the same STEAM/coding category where SAM Labs competes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SAM Labs social profiles
Digital presenceSAM Labs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
SAM Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SAM Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SAM Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SAM Labs 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 SAM Labs
What does SAM Labs do?
SAM Labs sells a fully integrated K-12 STEAM education system to U.S. school districts, combining proprietary Bluetooth-enabled hardware blocks with the SAM Studio visual coding software, an 850+ lesson standards-aligned curriculum library, and a comprehensive professional development program. Bundled Elementary (K-5) and Middle School (6-8) solutions are sold under multi-year contracts that include the FRST longitudinal skills tracking platform and ongoing customer success support.
Is SAM Labs a public or private company?
SAM Labs is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was SAM Labs founded?
SAM Labs was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SAM Labs based?
SAM Labs is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SAM Labs make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Kit Sales are the primary driver. The others are software Licensing/Subscription, professional Development Services and curriculum Content.
Who are SAM Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wonder Workshop, Ozobot, LEGO Education, Sphero, KinderLab Robotics and Makeblock. Code.org is listed as an others. Emerging players are Tynker and BirdBrain Technologies. VEX Robotics is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SAM Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for SAM Labs.
What industry is SAM Labs in?
SAM Labs's product category is K-12 STEAM Education Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAD, Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms, with a secondary code of EDACADAJ, STEAM-Focused Early Learning Academies. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.