Tinkercast
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersMontclair, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Tinkercast firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tinkercast
- Legal name
- Tinkercast, LLC
- Website
- https://tinkercast.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tinkercast industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Educational Podcasts
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Sound Recording Industries (5122)
- SIC
- Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM), Children’s Audio Publishing (Audiobooks & Podcasts) (MPAJAFAI), Podcast Ad Sales Networks & Monetization Platforms (MPACADAD), Podcast Distribution Directories & Listening Apps (MPACADAC)
Keywords
Where Tinkercast is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montclair
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tinkercast business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Subscription Memberships: Recurring annual subscriptions from three membership tiers: W.O.W. family membership ($95/year), TinkerClass for classroom teachers (free ad-supported with paid upgrades), and TinkerClass@Home for homeschoolers ($120/year). Memberships include welcome kits, quarterly mailings, birthday cards, exclusive activities, and early event access.
- Direct-Sales Podcast Advertising: Exclusive advertising partnership with SuperAwesome connects global brands with millions of co-listening families through brand-safe audio environment. SuperAwesome serves as the exclusive direct-sales advertising partner for the portfolio.
- Merchandise and STEM Toys: Physical merchandise including toys, books, and branded products sold through Amazon (Amazon.com/wow), Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, Toys 'R' Us, and Learning Express Toys. Product line includes stomp rockets, everlasting volcanoes, shark figures, and astronomy kits.
- Book Publishing: New York Times Best-Selling book series including 'Dinosaurs Are WOW!' featuring original IP from the podcast universe. Books are sold through major retail channels.
- Live Events and Tours: Family tours partnered with Atlas Obscura offering first-ever trips for kids and families to educational destinations. Premium ticketed experiences and live show performances.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | W.O.W. Family Membership - $95/Year |
| Subscription | Annual | TinkerClass@Home Homeschool Membership - $120/Year |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | TinkerClass for Schools - Free |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Tinkercast product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tinkercast produces and distributes an award-winning portfolio of educational podcasts for children and families, including the #1 kids science podcast Wow in the World. The company monetizes its content through family memberships, classroom subscriptions, direct advertising sold via SuperAwesome, branded merchandise, New York Times best-selling books, STEM toys, and live family events, while offering free standards-aligned curriculum tools (TinkerClass) to K-5 teachers.
Product overview
Tinkercast is an audio-first children's media company offering a portfolio of educational podcasts and related educational products. The core offering consists of six flagship podcast shows: Wow in the World (flagship science podcast), Two Whats?! And A Wow! (interactive game show), Who, When, Wow! (history mystery), WeWow (variety show), Once Upon a Beat (musical fairy tales), and Flip and Mozi (intergalactic animal adventures). The company extends these shows through membership programs (W.O.W. Membership for families at $95/year) and educational tools (TinkerClass for classrooms and TinkerClass@Home for homeschoolers at $120/year, both featuring the Listen-Wonder-Tinker-Make pedagogical framework). Additional products include YouTube channel WowTube, New York Times Best-Selling books, STEM toys, mobile games, and the Planet WOW geocaching initiative. The portfolio has surpassed 300 million lifetime listens and 275 million downloads according to recent news.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- W.O.W. (World Organization of Wowzers): The membership club for curious kids offering exclusive content, activities, events, welcome kits, birthday cards, and quarterly mailings from character Reggie. Annual membership at $95/year.
Products and services
- Wow in the World The #1 science podcast for kids and families, hosted by Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas. A cartoon-for-the-ear audio format that explores the latest discoveries in science, technology, and innovation, featuring recurring characters including Dennis, Reggie the pigeon, and the bonkerballs.
- Two Whats?! And A Wow! Interactive science-based game show podcast hosted by Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas where kid contestants compete to identify facts from fiction about various topics.
- Who, When, Wow! History mystery podcast featuring Carly Q, a junior analyst at B.U.T.T.H.E.D, who explores the mysteries of history through storytelling.
- WeWow Variety show podcast featuring characters from across Tinkercast's podcast universe. Hosted by Dennis and Reggie the pigeon, featuring themed weeks and audience interaction.
- Once Upon a Beat Musical podcast hosted by DJ Fyütch and Baby Scratch that remixes classic fairy tales and fables with hip-hop beats and hooks.
- Flip and Mozi Intergalactic musical adventure podcast where Flip and Mozi explore amazing animal creatures that make Earth full of WOW, featuring original music and discoveries about life on Earth.
- W.O.W. Membership (World Organization of Wowzers) Premium annual membership at $95/year offering exclusive content, a welcome kit with t-shirt and autographed photo, quarterly mailings from Reggie the pigeon, birthday cards, shoutouts on WOW Wednesday, access to hundreds of online activities, and early access to live events. Available to families in the U.S., Canada ($30 shipping), and international ($45 shipping).
- TinkerClass Free project-based learning program for K-5 classrooms using Tinkercast podcasts. Features the Listen, Wonder, Tinker, Make framework with NGSS-aligned curriculum, ad-free episodes, and guided podject activities. Integrates with Wow in the World, Who When Wow!, Two Whats?! And A Wow!, and Flip and Mozi podcasts.
- TinkerClass@Home
- Wow in the World Books New York Times Best-Selling book series based on the Wow in the World podcast, including titles like 'Dinosaurs Are WOW!' with prehistoric facts and dino discoveries.
- Wow in the World STEM Toys Physical toys including stomp rockets, volcano kits, shark figures, science kits, and other hands-on STEM toys sold at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us.
- Two Whats?! And A Wow! Game (Google Play) Mobile game app available on Google Play for Wear OS smartwatches, featuring interactive gameplay drawn from the Two Whats?! And A Wow! podcast.
- Wow in the World Watch Face (Google Play) Watch face app for Wear OS devices available on Google Play, featuring podcast branding and characters.
- Planet WOW Geocaching eco-adventure program for kids and families. Partners with Geocaching, the Aspen Institute, and the Nature Conservancy for outdoor exploration and environmental education.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ million lifetime podcast listens
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Tinkercast
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Tinkercast technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
Tinkercast partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SuperAwesomecoreSuperAwesome serves as Tinkercast's exclusive direct-sales advertising partner for the Wow in the World podcast and broader award-winning podcast portfolio. The partnership connects global brands with millions of co-listening families through a premium brand-safe audio environment. Tinkercast's podcasts are also introduced to SuperAwesome's Awesome Audio ecosystem delivering 18+ million listens per month.
- Little Free LibraryminorPartnership creates a summer reading and listening challenge combining books and audio content. U.S. Wowzers can enter for a chance to win free Wow in the World books. Non-profit organization supporting literacy and access to books.
- Girls Who CodeminorJoint development of a podcast-powered lesson that breaks down AI concepts for K-5 students and sparks coding explorations. Educational partnership supporting early technology education.
- Atlas ObscuraminorPartnership for first-ever family tours offering WOW-themed educational travel experiences. Atlas Obscura provides the travel infrastructure while Tinkercast provides branded content experiences.
- WonderycoreWondery serves as a primary podcast hosting and distribution platform for Wow in the World and other Tinkercast shows. Provides distribution through Wondery's podcast network and audience reach.
- Wondery Kids (Amazon)coreAmazon/Wondery Kids partnership for STEM toy distribution. Products sold through Amazon storefront (amazon.com/wow) include stomp rockets, everlasting volcanoes, shark figures, and astronomy kits.
- ClassWalletminorClassWallet is an approved vendor platform for state homeschool funding programs. TinkerClass@Home can be purchased through ClassWallet by eligible families in participating states.
- Aspen InstituteminorPartnered with Aspen Institute for Planet WOW environmental education initiative, encouraging kids to explore and care for the planet through geocaching adventures.
- Nature ConservancyminorEnvironmental partnership supporting Planet WOW geocaching initiative. Focus on environmental education and teaching kids to protect natural spaces.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Tinkercast competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wondery (Amazon): Amazon-owned podcast network that serves as Tinkercast's primary distribution partner for Wow in the World. Operates the same podcast-network-plus-IP model, with comparable show portfolios and direct kids/family programming.
- Pinna: Subscription-based audio streaming service for kids offering podcasts and audiobooks. Closest direct competitor in the kids-audio subscription category, targeting the same co-listening family demographic with similar per-child content libraries.
- Rebel Girls: Children's media company producing podcasts, bestselling books, and merchandise focused on girls. Operates the same podcast-plus-book-plus-product model, monetizing IP across audio, print, and physical goods for the same age group.
- Brains On! / Smash, Boom, Best: Science-focused kids podcast from American Public Media. Directly competes with Wow in the World in K-5 science audio; comparable format, standards-aligned content, and co-listening audience.
- Story Pirates: Kids media company producing podcasts, books, and live shows adapted from children's stories. Closely mirrors Tinkercast's cross-format IP strategy (podcast → book → live event) targeting the same K-5 family audience.
Broad incumbents
- Sesame Workshop: Established nonprofit children's media organization behind Sesame Street. Same NGSS-aligned, screen-free educational mission, with several former executives at Tinkercast (Meredith Halpern-Ranzer from PBS Sprout; Jodi Nussbaum from Sesame Workshop).
- Highlights for Children: Long-established children's media brand producing magazines, books, and audio content for K-5. Operates a comparable cross-format model (print + digital + audio) targeting the same family audience with educational content.
- National Geographic Kids: Established educational kids brand producing books, magazines, podcasts, and videos. Overlaps with Tinkercast's science-exploration format and shares distribution through retail and digital channels.
Others
Emerging players
- Tumble Media: Independent science podcast for kids. Direct category overlap with Wow in the World but a smaller indie operation; useful comp for the science-for-kids audio segment Tinkercast leads.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tinkercast social profiles
Digital presenceTinkercast financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tinkercast leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Tinkercast funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tinkercast 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 Tinkercast
What does Tinkercast do?
Tinkercast produces and distributes an award-winning portfolio of educational podcasts for children and families, including the #1 kids science podcast Wow in the World. The company monetizes its content through family memberships, classroom subscriptions, direct advertising sold via SuperAwesome, branded merchandise, New York Times best-selling books, STEM toys, and live family events, while offering free standards-aligned curriculum tools (TinkerClass) to K-5 teachers.
Is Tinkercast a public or private company?
Tinkercast is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tinkercast founded?
Tinkercast was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tinkercast based?
Tinkercast is headquartered in Montclair, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tinkercast make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Subscription Memberships are the primary driver. The others are direct-Sales Podcast Advertising, merchandise and STEM Toys, book Publishing and live Events and Tours.
Who are Tinkercast's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wondery (Amazon), Pinna, Rebel Girls, Brains On! / Smash, Boom, Best and Story Pirates. Broad incumbents are Sesame Workshop, Highlights for Children and National Geographic Kids. PBS Kids is listed as an others. Tumble Media is listed as an emerging player.
Does Tinkercast have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tinkercast.
What industry is Tinkercast in?
Tinkercast's product category is Children's Educational Podcasts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACADAB, Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers, with a secondary code of EDAGALAM, Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs). Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 3652.