Steve & Kate's

What Steve & Kate's does

Steve & Kate's Camp is a privately held, founder-owned children's day-camp operator founded in 1980 by Steve and Kate Susskind in Mill Valley, California and now headquartered in San Francisco. The company runs 90+ physical camp locations across 25+ US states serving children ages 4–12 (PreK through 7th grade), with a mentorship track for ages 14–15 at select sites. Its core product is a self-directed, child-choice summer camp operating 8am–6pm with all-inclusive fees covering meals, snacks, and activities; the portfolio has been extended with Holiday Camps (fall, winter, spring, and school breaks), a Bright Horizons–branded Virtual Camp, Field Trip Camps, and a teen mentorship program.

The underlying 'platform' is operational rather than technological: a refined child-led curriculum and staffing model built over 44 years, supported by a direct-to-consumer e-commerce registration site and a self-serve location finder. Pricing is offered as usage-based Day Passes (auto-refunded for unused days) and a Summer Pass for unlimited use (with an end-of-season refund equal to the daily-rate gap). Distribution is overwhelmingly D2C via the website and email list, supplemented by earned media (Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Variety, Apple News, plus a Pixar director endorsement) and a B2B channel through the Bright Horizons Back-Up Care employer benefit program.

Revenue mechanics are seasonal and consumer-funded: working parents purchase passes directly online, with automatic refunds on unused capacity creating a consumer-friendly differentiator but also capping revenue intensity. The company is reported as founder-owned with no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or parent-company ownership, and has grown to 90+ locations without acquisitions or outside capital — implying sustained organic growth funded by operating cash flow.

Name

Steve & Kate's

Legal name

Steve & Kate's Camp

Website

https://steveandkate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Steve & Kate's Camp is a founder-owned US children's day-camp operator founded in 1980, running 90+ locations serving ages 4–12 with a child-choice philosophy and selling flexible Day Passes and Summer Passes direct to working parents, with a supplementary B2B channel through Bright Horizons Back-Up Care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Day Camp Services

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)

Keywords

• Children's day camp
• Summer camp programs
• School break camps
• Childcare services
• Youth mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Day Passes: Parents purchase individual day passes that can be used at any location throughout the summer. Unused days are automatically refunded at season's end.
2. Summer Pass: Unlimited use pass for the entire summer at any location. If usage doesn't justify the cost, the company calculates the daily rate difference and automatically refunds the difference.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Steve & Kate's Camp operates children's day camps at 90+ US locations for kids ages 4–12, built around a child-choice philosophy where campers select their own activities and plan their own days. The company sells Day Passes (pay-per-day with automatic end-of-season refunds for unused days) and Summer Passes (unlimited summer access with cost-adjustment refunds), all-inclusive of meals, snacks, and activities during 8am–6pm hours. Holiday Camps extend the program through fall, winter, and spring breaks.

Product overview

Steve & Kate's is a single-brand children's day camp operating across 90+ locations. The core offering is Summer Camps for kids aged 4–12 featuring self-directed, child-led activities. The portfolio includes Holiday Camps (fall, winter, spring break), Mentorship Programs for teens (ages 14–15), and specialized modules like Bright Horizons Virtual Camp and Field Trip Camps. Flexible enrollment options include Day Passes (pay-per-day with automatic refunds) and Summer Passes (unlimited access with cost-adjustment refunds). All camp fees are all-inclusive, covering hours 8am–6pm, meals, snacks, and activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Camps
• Holiday Camps

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bright HorizonscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSteve & Kate's Camp is included as a childcare option within Bright Horizons Back-Up Care employer-provided benefits program. Working parents with Bright Horizons Back-Up Care benefits can use their benefits at Steve & Kate's Camp locations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Right At School: Before-, after-, and summer enrichment programs for elementary-age children delivered on school campuses nationwide. Directly comparable child-choice enrichment model, school-break programming, and B2B school partnerships.
• Galileo Learning: Multi-activity innovation day camps for ages 4–12 with a strong enrichment/curriculum focus, operating across multiple US metros. Closest direct comparable to Steve & Kate's by age range, day-camp format, and multi-activity philosophy.
• Club SciKidz: Multi-location science and STEM-focused summer day camps for ages 4–15. Comparable day-camp format, age range, and multi-city footprint, though with narrower STEM focus than S&K's general multi-activity philosophy.
• iD Tech: Multi-location STEM and tech-focused summer day camps and online programs for kids and teens. Comparable day-camp format and multi-city distribution, though narrower subject-matter focus than S&K.
• ESF Camps: Multi-activity summer day camps, holiday camps, and sports programs for children across the Philadelphia and Mid-Atlantic region. Comparable day-camp model, multi-activity philosophy, and holiday-camp extensions.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA of the USA: National non-profit operating summer day camps, resident camps, after-school care, and youth sports across thousands of locations. Broad incumbent in youth programming and a frequent lower-priced alternative for working parents.
• Champions (KinderCare Education): Before- and after-school enrichment and summer day camps operated through KinderCare Learning's national footprint. Larger incumbent with similar school-break and summer programming targeting the same working-parent segment.
• KLA Schools: Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool and enrichment franchise with before/after-school and summer programming. Competes for the same affluent working-parent segment with year-round care rather than camp-only seasons.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Publicly traded global provider of employer-sponsored childcare, back-up care, and camp/early-education programs. Direct GTM partner to S&K via Back-Up Care, and competes as a broader incumbent in employer-sponsored dependent-care benefits.

Emerging players

• Code Ninjas: Franchised kids' coding and STEM enrichment centers offering after-school classes, camps, and project-based programs. Adjacent STEM enrichment offering for the same age group, with rapid franchise-driven growth and a more focused curriculum.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/steveandkatescamp

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 Steve & Kate's