App Inventor Foundation
App Inventor Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the free, open-source App Inventor Platform, a block-based visual programming tool enabling anyone to create Android and iOS mobile apps without coding, serving K-12 students, educators, and global innovators worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What App Inventor Foundation does
App Inventor Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 88-0979374) that operates the App Inventor Platform, a free, open-source, block-based visual programming environment enabling users to create native mobile apps for Android and iOS without traditional coding. The platform was originally developed in 2007 by educators and researchers at MIT and Google, and the Foundation was established in 2022 to expand the educational mission of the MIT App Inventor project. Headquartered in Los Angeles with engineering ties to MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Foundation serves K-12 students, teachers, and global innovators through a horizontal distribution model that emphasizes accessibility for under-resourced populations — including support for legacy devices down to Android 2.3.
The product portfolio centers on the App Inventor Platform and is supplemented by complementary educational programs: the annual Global Appathon (an open virtual hackathon aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals that drew 2,176 participants from 141 countries in 2026), the Educator Collaborative teacher community, a structured Curriculum offering aligned with standards, the Teacher Excellence Awards, and the Responsible AI in Every Classroom initiative. Distribution runs through direct web access, the MIT App Inventor community forum, a public GitHub repository, and an extensive partnership network spanning Mobile CSP (College Board-approved AP Computer Science Principles curriculum reaching 700+ teachers and 30K+ students), Code.org, Girls Who Code, Project Lead The Way, Technovation, the Congressional App Challenge, CoolThink.hk, and UNICEF.
The business model is donation-based: the Foundation is funded by tax-deductible contributions from individuals, corporations, and institutional partners, with documented corporate support from Google, AWS, Adobe, Braze, Amazon Future Engineer, Foundry10, and the UI Path Foundation. The platform itself is free with no paid tiers, subscriptions, or transaction fees. The Foundation does not disclose revenue, headcount, or compensation data; it operates on a community-led go-to-market motion anchored by educational partnerships, conferences, and global hackathons rather than traditional sales or marketing channels.
App Inventor Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- App Inventor Foundation
- Legal name
- App Inventor Foundation
- Website
- https://appinventorfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- App Inventor Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the free, open-source App Inventor Platform, a block-based visual programming tool enabling anyone to create Android and iOS mobile apps without coding, serving K-12 students, educators, and global innovators worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
App Inventor Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Software
- NAICS
- Computer Training (611420), Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile App Development (iOS/Android) (EDAMACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Foundational Computer & Device Literacy (EDAAAIAA)
Keywords
Where App Inventor Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
App Inventor Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN #: 88-0979374), the foundation relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund operations, teacher training, and educational programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Platform Access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
App Inventor Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The foundation sustains and develops App Inventor, a free, open-source, block-based visual programming platform that enables anyone — particularly students and educators — to create functional mobile applications for Android and iOS devices without writing code. Beyond the platform, the foundation provides curriculum resources, educator training, community programs, and global events that support computer science education worldwide.
Product overview
App Inventor Foundation offers a unified product portfolio centered on its free, open-source App Inventor Platform — a block-based visual programming tool that enables anyone to create mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Founded in 2007 by educators and researchers at MIT and Google, the platform is the largest app development tool for global education. The Foundation supports the platform through complementary programs including the Global Appathon (an annual virtual hackathon for apps addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals), the Educator Collaborative (teacher community), structured Curriculum resources, Teacher Excellence Awards, and Responsible AI in Every Classroom. Additional resources include the Community Forum for developer support, GitHub open source contribution opportunities, and the annual MIT App Inventor Global Education Summit at MIT. The entire portfolio operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on empowering people to create apps that improve their lives and communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- App Inventor Platform Free, open-source, block-based visual programming platform that enables anyone — particularly students and educators — to create mobile applications for Android and iOS devices without prior coding knowledge. Includes a web-based development environment, cross-device compatibility, and AI integration capabilities, with the underlying source code distributed via GitHub.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85% of students agreed that computer science can positively impact their community after learning App Inventor
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use App Inventor Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
App Inventor Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability11 records
Feature4 records
App Inventor Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UNICEFcorePartnership to help close the digital divide in AI and CS education, working together on global educational initiatives
- AIEDU (Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education)corePartner organization working to advance computing education globally
- Congressional App ChallengecoreU.S. Congressional competition for students using App Inventor to create mobile apps
- mEducation AllianceminorAlliance focused on mobile education and learning technologies
- MIT Hacking MedicineminorMIT program combining healthcare and technology innovation
- CoolThink.hkcoreHong Kong computational thinking education initiative using App Inventor
- TechnovationcoreGlobal STEM education nonprofit for girls using App Inventor in their programs
- BeaverWorksminorMIT program focused on assistive technology and learning
- GSoLENminorGlobal Online Learning Equity Network initiative
- Mobile CSPcoreCollege Board-approved AP Computer Science Principles curriculum reaching 700+ teachers and 30K+ students using App Inventor
- GooglecoreCo-founded App Inventor in 2007 with MIT; provides ongoing support through AI principles and initiatives
- MITcoreFounded App Inventor in 2007; MIT App Inventor team continues development and research
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
App Inventor Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scratch: MIT-developed block-based visual programming platform targeting K-12 and beginner programmers; closest analogue to App Inventor's drag-and-drop philosophy, age range, and educational mission.
- Thunkable: Drag-and-drop no-code platform for building native iOS and Android apps; competes head-to-head with App Inventor in the accessible mobile-app-builder category for education and hobbyists.
- MIT App Inventor: The original MIT-hosted App Inventor project from which the App Inventor Foundation was spun out; they operate the same core platform, and the foundation substantially extends the MIT project's educational programs.
- Kodular: Open-source derivative of App Inventor's codebase that offers a similar visual mobile-app builder; cited as a partner organization and competes for the same pool of educational and hobbyist builders.
- Tynker: Block-based coding education platform serving K-12 students and schools; competes for the same CS-curriculum adoption dollars and teacher mindshare as App Inventor's educator-facing programs.
- AppGyver (SAP Build Apps): Professional-grade no-code mobile and web app builder acquired by SAP; targets a more enterprise/pro-developer audience than App Inventor but competes for the same visual-development mindshare.
Broad incumbents
- Code.org: Largest nonprofit CS-education platform and a current App Inventor partner; broader in scope (K-12 curriculum across many languages and tools) but overlaps on the AP CSP and intro-programming learning paths where App Inventor is embedded.
- MakeCode (Microsoft): Microsoft's block-based coding environment for micro:bit, Minecraft, and Arcade; competes for school-hour coding time and teacher professional-development budgets alongside App Inventor.
- Bubble: Visual no-code platform for web applications with a large educator/maker community; overlapping audience of self-taught builders but with a web-first (vs. mobile-first) toolset.
Others
- MIT OpenCourseWare: Sibling MIT educational initiative providing free courseware globally; shares the open-access, MIT-anchored educational mission but is not a direct competitor in app-development tooling.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
App Inventor Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceApp Inventor Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
App Inventor Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
App Inventor Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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App Inventor Foundation 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 App Inventor Foundation
What does App Inventor Foundation do?
The foundation sustains and develops App Inventor, a free, open-source, block-based visual programming platform that enables anyone — particularly students and educators — to create functional mobile applications for Android and iOS devices without writing code. Beyond the platform, the foundation provides curriculum resources, educator training, community programs, and global events that support computer science education worldwide.
Is App Inventor Foundation a public or private company?
App Inventor Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was App Inventor Foundation founded?
App Inventor Foundation was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is App Inventor Foundation based?
App Inventor Foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does App Inventor Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are App Inventor Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scratch, Thunkable, MIT App Inventor, Kodular, Tynker and AppGyver (SAP Build Apps). Broad incumbents are Code.org, MakeCode (Microsoft) and Bubble. MIT OpenCourseWare is listed as an others.
Does App Inventor Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for App Inventor Foundation.
What industry is App Inventor Foundation in?
App Inventor Foundation's product category is Educational Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMACAD, Mobile App Development (iOS/Android), with a secondary code of EDAAAIAA, Foundational Computer & Device Literacy. Its NAICS code is 611420 and its SIC code is 8200.