What Blue Marble does

Blue Marble (legal entity JMW Sales, Inc.) is a privately held STEM toy manufacturer founded in 2011 by Jordan and Katie Willing and headquartered in Ashland, Oregon. The company designs, produces, and distributes hands-on educational toys for children spanning science kits, rock tumblers, dig kits, earth science kits, arts and crafts, magic kits, building sets, and early learning toys. Its portfolio is anchored by exclusive licensing partnerships with the National Geographic Society and NASA, supplemented by proprietary brands including Blockaroo (foam magnetic building toys for infants and toddlers) and Tie-Dye Dotz (a 2025-launched mess-free tie-dye craft line). The company has accumulated over 100 industry awards since 2011, including the Toy Association's Toy of the Year Award, and has built an integrated educational content platform called Learning Galaxy across four content pillars (Food for Thought, Activity Lab, Product Zone, Parenting Hacks).

The company's go-to-market is product-led and multi-channel. Blue Marble sells direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce storefront at thinkbluemarble.com, maintains branded storefronts on Amazon, Walmart, and Target reaching North America, Europe, and Oceania, and operates a dedicated B2B wholesale channel serving retailers, schools, libraries, and nonprofits with invoicing processed via the Fortis PCI-compliant payment gateway. Pricing is unit-based with products ranging from $2 to $159.99 and a multi-year contract cadence on the wholesale side. Customers are individual parents and gift-buyers (primary B2C), institutional buyers (schools, libraries, nonprofits), and retail/wholesale partners. The company employs 101-250 people, uses Mailchimp or Klaviyo for email marketing, and uses Google Analytics and Meta Pixel for site analytics and targeted advertising.

Blue Marble is founder-owned, has not raised institutional venture capital, and reports no parent company or controlling entity. The underlying technology is primarily product design (e.g., the patented GemFoam polishing system, the Blockaroo magnetic connector architecture) combined with brand licensing rather than software. The business model is volume-driven consumer products rather than recurring software revenue, with the Learning Galaxy content platform serving as an SEO and brand-equity asset supporting organic demand generation rather than a direct monetization channel.

Name

Blue Marble

Legal name

JMW Sales, Inc.

Website

https://thinkbluemarble.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Blue Marble (JMW Sales, Inc.) is an Oregon-based STEM toy manufacturer founded in 2011 that designs, produces, and distributes hands-on educational toys for children via licensed brands (National Geographic, NASA) and proprietary lines (Blockaroo, Tie-Dye Dotz) through direct e-commerce, Amazon/Walmart/Target marketplaces, and B2B wholesale to schools, libraries, and retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Educational Toys

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120), Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423920)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Educational/Children’s Learning Games & Puzzles Retail (CRALALAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Building Sets & Construction Toys Retail (CRALAFAE), Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG), STEM & Educational Toys Distribution (CRAOAMAF)

Keywords

• STEM educational toys
• Science experiment kits
• Rock tumbler kits
• Magnetic building toys
• Children craft kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Blue Marble sells products directly to consumers through their own e-commerce storefront at thinkbluemarble.com. This direct channel supports both individual shoppers and B2B wholesale buyers.
2. Marketplace Sales (B2C): Blue Marble generates revenue through marketplace sales via Amazon, Walmart, and Target, where individual consumers purchase STEM toys. The marketplaces handle payment processing directly, with Blue Marble fulfilling orders.
3. Wholesale/B2B Sales: Blue Marble serves wholesale buyers including retailers, schools, libraries, and nonprofits who order directly through the company's team, with invoicing and payment handled through the Fortis PCI-compliant payment gateway.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Blue Marble designs, manufactures, and distributes hands-on STEM toys for children, offering science kits, rock tumblers, dig kits, arts and crafts, magic kits, magnetic building sets, and space-themed toys under brands including National Geographic, NASA, Blockaroo, and Tie-Dye Dotz. The company sells through its own e-commerce site, major third-party marketplaces (Amazon, Walmart, Target), and a dedicated B2B wholesale team serving schools, libraries, nonprofits, and retailers.

Product overview

Blue Marble (operating as Think Blue Marble) is a STEM toy manufacturer and distributor that offers a diverse portfolio of educational toys through multiple sub-brands including National Geographic, NASA, Blockaroo, and its own Blue Marble branded products. The core offering centers on hands-on STEM learning toys spanning science kits, rock tumbling equipment, dig kits, arts and crafts, magic kits, building sets, and early learning toys. Blue Marble distributes through direct e-commerce at thinkbluemarble.com, major marketplace retailers (Amazon, Walmart, Target), and B2B wholesale channels serving retailers, schools, libraries, and nonprofits. The company has won over 100 industry awards since 2011 and has operated for more than a decade, with products designed to foster curiosity, exploration, and scientific understanding in children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Geographic: A primary sub-brand partnership for STEM toys including science kits, rock tumblers, dig kits, arts and crafts, and educational specimens.
• NASA
• Blockaroo
• Tie-Dye Dotz

Products and services

• National Geographic Rock Tumbler (Starter, Hobby, Professional, Platinum) A four-tier line of rotary rock tumblers (Starter, Hobby, Professional, Platinum) with rubber barrels, programmable timers, and configurable barrel sizes that polish rough stones into gems through a multi-stage grinding and polishing process. The Hobby edition includes the patented GemFoam polishing system. Designed for families and children interested in geology and earth science education.
• National Geographic Four-Cylinder Engine Kit A STEM kit with over 175 pieces that lets children build and operate a working model four-cylinder engine featuring pistons, gears, valves, lights, sounds, and interactive parts. Includes a learning guide on mechanical and engineering concepts. Designed for children interested in engineering and mechanical sciences.
• National Geographic Magnetic Marble Run A 75-piece magnetic marble run kit with 42 tracks, connectors, 17 trick pieces, and 15 marbles for building dynamic marble maze courses on vertical magnetic surfaces. Teaches engineering and physics concepts including Newton's laws of motion, gravity, and energy. Suitable for children interested in physics and chain-reaction engineering.
• National Geographic River Rock Craft Kit A rock painting and art kit for ages 6+ containing 15 smooth river stones, 10 paint colors, 30 googly eyes, transfer stickers, paint palette, brush, and a learning guide with step-by-step designs and instructions. Combines artistic creativity with earth science education.
• National Geographic Mega Arts and Crafts Kit A three-in-one craft bundle including mosaic, marbling, and air-dry pottery kits with over 100 components for creating 19 unique art pieces. Suitable for children of all ages interested in artistic expression and hands-on crafting.
• National Geographic Kids Epic Fort Building Kit A 225-piece fort building kit with flex-tech hubs and clips for creating various indoor fort structures. Encourages creative play, spatial reasoning, and STEM learning through construction activities.
• National Geographic Earth Science Kit An earth science kit featuring over 15 experiments including water tornadoes, erupting volcano experiments, crystal growing, dig kits, and ten genuine specimens. Explores geology and earth sciences through hands-on experimentation.
• National Geographic Dino Dig Kit & Dinosaur Book A dinosaur excavation kit featuring a replica T. rex tooth fossil hidden in a dig brick, accompanied by a full-color Dino Records book with facts about dinosaurs and fossil discoveries. Combines paleontology education with hands-on excavation.
• National Geographic Rocks, Fossils & Minerals Kit A comprehensive 200+ piece collection of real fossils, rocks, gemstones, and crystals with a full-color hardcover expert book and magnifying glass for identification. Provides hands-on geology education with authentic specimens.
• National Geographic Science Magic Kit A science magic kit featuring 20 experiments that teach scientific concepts through magic tricks. Includes a magic wand, white gloves, and an illustrated experiment guide with bonus experiments using household items.
• Blockaroo Magnetic Foam Building System Foam building blocks with innovative magnetic lock-and-pivot connectors that rotate 360 degrees, designed as an early STEM toy for infants and toddlers. Introduces construction, magnets, gravity, and relational shapes through intuitive play.
• Tie-Dye Dotz
• NASA Branded Space Toys Space-themed educational toys developed under NASA's brand licensing, featuring the High Altitude Rocket System and the Lunarscope tabletop telescope. Designed to teach children about space exploration, rocket engineering, and astronomy through hands-on play.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 industry awards won since 2011
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Geographic SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Marble holds an exclusive licensing partnership with National Geographic Society to produce a broad range of National Geographic-branded STEM toys and educational products. Every purchase of a National Geographic product helps support the global nonprofit National Geographic Society in its work to protect and illuminate the world through exploration, research, and education. This is Blue Marble's flagship brand partnership and central to its product strategy.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Marble holds a licensing partnership with NASA to produce NASA-branded STEM toys including the High Altitude Rocket System and the Lunarscope tabletop telescope. These products bring space science and rocket engineering concepts to children through hands-on educational toys.
• BlockaroocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlockaroo is a Blue Marble brand featuring foam building toys with magnetic connectors designed for infants and toddlers. Blue Marble develops and markets Blockaroo products as part of its early STEM toy portfolio. The brand is highlighted as one of Blue Marble's core brands alongside National Geographic and NASA.
• Tie-Dye DotzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTie-Dye Dotz is a Blue Marble product line featuring an innovative tie-dye system for kids and beginners. The product has received multiple industry awards (Nappa Award, MCA Award, Good Play Guide Award, FCA 2025 Award) in 2025. It is marketed as a mess-free, award-winning tie-dye experience.
• Amazon, Walmart, Target (Marketplace Partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlue Marble sells products through Amazon, Walmart, and Target as marketplace sellers/retailers. These platforms handle B2C payment processing, with Blue Marble fulfilling orders. The marketplaces serve as Blue Marble's primary B2C sales channels, reaching individual consumers globally. Blue Marble maintains branded Amazon storefronts and stores pages across all three platforms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Learning Resources: Long-established manufacturer and seller of hands-on STEM and educational toys for the classroom and home. Directly comparable to Blue Marble in target customer (parents, teachers, schools), product category (science kits, STEM learning toys), and multi-channel retail distribution.
• K'NEX (Basic Fun!): Building set toy manufacturer focused on construction and engineering play for children. Directly comparable to Blue Marble's Blockaroo magnetic foam building system and National Geographic Magnetic Marble Run in construction STEM.
• Educational Insights: Educational toy brand offering STEM, science, and classroom learning products sold through retail and educational channels. Overlaps with Blue Marble on school/library buyers, science kit content, and consumer STEM gifting.
• SmartLab Toys: Maker of STEM activity kits, science kits, and craft kits for children, sold through mass-market retail. Comparable product mix and target buyer to Blue Marble's science and craft kit portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• LeapFrog (VTech): Major educational toy and learning product company (subsidiary of VTech). Adjacent competitor in early-childhood STEM and learning toys, with broader technology-based offerings but overlapping parent/educator buyer.
• Crayola: Iconic arts, crafts, and creative-play brand for children. Comparable to Blue Marble's arts & crafts and Tie-Dye Dotz lines and competes for the same parent/gift-buyer channel.
• Melissa & Doug: Large, established children's toy and craft brand with broad product portfolio including arts & crafts and educational toys. Competes with Blue Marble in craft kits (e.g., Tie-Dye Dotz) and educational toys via major retail channels.

Others

• National Geographic (21st Century Fox / Disney licensing program): Licensor of the National Geographic brand used across Blue Marble's flagship STEM toy line. Relevant as the upstream licensor whose renewal terms materially impact Blue Marble's product portfolio.

Emerging players

• Steve Spangler Science: STEM/science experiment brand selling science kits and educational supplies to schools, teachers, and parents. Comparable to Blue Marble's school and library B2B channel and hands-on science kit lineup.
• KiwiCo: Subscription-based STEM and STEAM activity kit company serving children and families. Overlaps with Blue Marble on hands-on STEM learning but differentiates through a subscription delivery model rather than retail SKUs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bluemarblestemtoys7468/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/thinkbluemarble
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thinkbluemarble
• Instagraminstagram.com/thinkbluemarble
• Xx.com/thinkbluemarble

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Blue Marble