codeSpark
codeSpark builds codeSpark Academy, a word-free, drag-and-drop learn-to-code app for children ages 3–10, distributed via app stores, web, and a Teacher Dashboard used in 35,000+ schools worldwide as part of the Begin Learning portfolio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersPasadena, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What codeSpark does
codeSpark is a private educational technology company that builds codeSpark Academy, a learn-to-code application for children ages 3–10. The product is built around a deliberately word-free, visual drag-and-drop interface so pre-readers can engage with sequencing, loops, conditionals, events, and variables through puzzles without requiring reading ability. The platform spans iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle, Chromebook, and web browsers, and includes a Kid Community for sharing and remixing user-created games (64M+ games created), a self-directed Game Maker, ancillary STEM mini-games, and a dedicated Teacher Dashboard used in 35,000+ schools worldwide. The company was founded in 2014, is headquartered in Pasadena, California with parent-company operations at 121 Varick Street, New York, and operates with a 1–10 person team.
The business model is a freemium consumer subscription: parents receive a 7-day free trial before a recurring monthly or annual subscription; verified public schools and non-profits in North America receive free Teacher Dashboard access; homeschool families and youth organizations such as the Girl Scouts of the USA access discounted annual licenses (51% off for Girl Scout families); and gift plans ($99.99 for 12 months, $199.99 lifetime, both discounted from regular pricing) are sold through The Foos Shop e-commerce storefront. codeSpark, Inc. is a subsidiary of Conscious Content Media Inc. (d/b/a Begin Learning), a diversified children's-education portfolio that also owns HOMER, Little Passports, and Learn with Sesame Street, providing cross-brand member benefits and shared corporate infrastructure.
Revenue, funding totals, and ownership structure beyond the Begin Learning parent are not publicly disclosed; approximately $4.15M was raised across six rounds from 2014 to May 2019, led at various points by Idealab, Kapor Capital, NewSchools Venture Fund, and Plug and Play. The product holds kidSAFE, COPPA, FERPA, and CCPA certifications, has received Parents' Choice Gold, AASL Best Digital Tools, KAPi, Kidscreen (2016), Academics' Choice Brain Toy, and Tillywig Brain Child awards, and reports a 53% female user base with measured learning outcomes (22% sequencing-accuracy lift and 55% confidence lift after 90 minutes of play).
codeSpark firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- codeSpark
- Legal name
- codeSpark, Inc.
- Website
- https://codespark.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- codeSpark builds codeSpark Academy, a word-free, drag-and-drop learn-to-code app for children ages 3–10, distributed via app stores, web, and a Teacher Dashboard used in 35,000+ schools worldwide as part of the Begin Learning portfolio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
codeSpark industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Educational Coding Software
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Computer Training (61142), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coding & Programming Learning Platforms (EDAFANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Introductory Coding (Block-Based & Beginner) (EDAMACAA), STEM & Coding Readiness for Early Learners (EDACANAF)
Keywords
Where codeSpark is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pasadena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
codeSpark business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Parent Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription for parents to access full codeSpark Academy content for their children, with 7-day free trial available
- Educator/School Access: Free access for verified public schools and non-profit organizations in North America; discounted rates for homeschool families
- Gift Subscriptions: Lifetime gift ($199.99) and 12-month gift ($99.99) plans sold through The Foos Shop for giving to children as educational gifts
- Member Benefits: 20% discount on future orders from Begin's family of products including hands-on kits and digital programs for members
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Parent Subscription with Free Trial |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Lifetime Gift Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | 12-Month Gift Subscription |
| Freemium | Annual | Educator/School Access |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
codeSpark product offering
Product offeringCore offering
codeSpark Academy (The Foos) is a word-free, drag-and-drop coding app for children ages 3-10 that teaches foundational programming concepts through puzzles, game creation, and a moderated community. The company sells parent subscriptions through app stores and the web, free educator access through a Teacher Dashboard, and gift subscriptions via The Foos Shop.
Product overview
codeSpark is a unified learn-to-code platform for kids ages 3-10, centered around the codeSpark Academy (The Foos) app with a word-free, drag-and-drop interface. The product suite includes the core coding app featuring puzzles, game creation, and community sharing; a free Teacher Dashboard for K-5 educators with curriculum resources; Hour of Code activities for annual coding events; and The Foos Shop for merchandise gift plans. The platform is accessible across iOS, Android, Amazon Kindle, and web browsers, with a partnership program for Girl Scouts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Foos: Characters and game world within the codeSpark coding platform for kids
- The Foos
Products and services
- codeSpark Academy (The Foos) Award-winning, word-free, drag-and-drop learn-to-code subscription app for children ages 3-10 that teaches foundational programming concepts through puzzles, game creation, and a moderated Kid Community. Distributed as a paid subscription via app stores and the web, with a 7-day free trial.
- Teacher Dashboard Free classroom management platform for K-5 teachers and librarians providing coding curriculum, unplugged activities, solutions guides, and student management features aligned to CSTA, Math, and Science standards.
- Hour of Code Activities Free Hour of Code activities and curriculum offered in partnership with code.org and CSTA, providing accessible introductory coding puzzles and multiplayer experiences for classrooms, families, and Code Ninjas centers worldwide.
- The Foos Shop (Gift Subscriptions) Online merchandise and gift-subscription storefront selling lifetime and 12-month gift subscriptions to codeSpark Academy, plus related Foo-branded merchandise for giving educational coding access to children.
Quantifiable outcome
- 22% increase in accuracy with moderate sequencing tasks after 90 minutes of play
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use codeSpark
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
codeSpark technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
codeSpark partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Girl Scouts of the USAcorePartnership to encourage more girls to code through Girl Scouts Coding for Good Badges. 51% discount on annual licenses for Girl Scout families. Includes plugged-in and unplugged coding activities suitable for all Girl Scouts regardless of technology access.
- Code.orgcoreHour of Code movement partner providing free coding activities and curriculum for the annual Hour of Code event. codeSpark participates as official partner aligned with CSTA standards.
- Code NinjasminorParticipating Code Ninjas locations host free Hour of Code activities including 'Holiday Hackathon' events with prizes. Strategic channel for physical community engagement.
- MITcoreResearch partnership for curriculum development. codeSpark's teaching methodology and puzzle design based on research from MIT's computer science education program.
- UCLAcoreResearch partnership with UCLA CRESST (Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing) for evidence-based curriculum development and efficacy measurement.
- Princeton UniversitycoreResearch partnership for curriculum development. codeSpark's teaching methodology incorporates research insights from Princeton's educational technology research.
- Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreResearch partnership contributing to the evidence-based curriculum developed for codeSpark's coding education platform.
- CSTAcoreComputer Science Teachers Association partnership supporting Hour of Code events and aligned with CSTA standards for computer science education.
- Begin Learning (Parent Company)corecodeSpark is owned by Conscious Content Media Inc. (d/b/a Begin Learning), which also operates HOMER, Little Passports, Learn with Sesame Street, and offers member benefits across the family of products.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
codeSpark competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hopscotch: iOS-first block-coding platform for kids with a strong creator-community model. Comparable age band, game-creation UX, and shareable kid-content feature set.
- ScratchJr: Free MIT/Tufts block-based coding app for ages 5-7. Most direct peer to codeSpark's pre-reader positioning at the youngest end of the market.
- CodeCombat: Game-based coding platform progressing from block to text-based programming, with both consumer and school offerings. Comparable curriculum arc and freemium school-distribution model.
- Lightbot: Puzzle-based learn-to-code app covering sequencing, loops, and conditionals. Comparable age range (4-13) and similar block-based, screen-time-friendly learning mechanic to The Foos.
- Code.org: Non-profit Hour of Code organizer with free K-12 computer science curriculum. Already a codeSpark partner but also the dominant free CS curriculum provider competing for the same school adoption wallet.
- Kodable: Subscription coding curriculum for K-5 classrooms with parent and school tiers. Direct competitor in elementary coding education with similar freemium school model.
- Scratch: MIT's free block-based coding platform; the dominant direct competitor in kids' coding education. Comparable curriculum (loops, conditionals, events) and similar creator-community model, but skews to ages 8+ and requires reading ability.
- Tynker: Well-funded subscription coding platform for kids serving schools and consumers with block-based and text-based curricula. Closest commercial competitor across parent subscription, school licensing, and the same 5-14 age range.
Emerging players
- Khan Academy Kids: Free early-literacy and STEM learning app from Khan Academy that now includes early coding activities. Competes for the same parent attention at the 3-8 end and is free, putting pricing pressure on the cohort codeSpark targets.
- Osmo: Tangible/hybrid play-to-learn system with coding kits (Osmo Coding) targeting similar preschool-to-elementary households. Complementary rather than direct, but overlapping parent buyer and STEM-coding positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
codeSpark social profiles
Digital presencecodeSpark compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
codeSpark financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
codeSpark leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
codeSpark funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
codeSpark 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 codeSpark
What does codeSpark do?
codeSpark Academy (The Foos) is a word-free, drag-and-drop coding app for children ages 3-10 that teaches foundational programming concepts through puzzles, game creation, and a moderated community. The company sells parent subscriptions through app stores and the web, free educator access through a Teacher Dashboard, and gift subscriptions via The Foos Shop.
Is codeSpark a public or private company?
codeSpark is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was codeSpark founded?
codeSpark was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is codeSpark based?
codeSpark is headquartered in Pasadena, United States, in the North America region.
How does codeSpark make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Parent Subscription is the primary driver. The others are educator/School Access, gift Subscriptions and member Benefits.
Who are codeSpark's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hopscotch, ScratchJr, CodeCombat, Lightbot, Code.org, Kodable, Scratch and Tynker. Emerging players are Khan Academy Kids and Osmo.
Does codeSpark have an API?
No public API is recorded for codeSpark.
What industry is codeSpark in?
codeSpark's product category is Children's Educational Coding Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFANAA, Coding & Programming Learning Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAMACAA, Introductory Coding (Block-Based & Beginner). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.