Alive Studios
Alive Studios provides supplemental Pre-K through 3rd grade literacy and math programs using patented glasses-free 3D augmented reality. The woman-owned company sells one-time perpetual-license software kits (Letters alive, Math alive, Learning alive) to classrooms, schools, libraries, and consumers across all 50 U.S. states and 26 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersDacula, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Alive Studios does
Alive Studios, LLC is a privately held, woman-owned education technology company founded in 2013 (incorporated 2014) by CEO Cynthia Kaye and headquartered in Dacula, Georgia. The company builds supplemental reading and math programs for Pre-K through 3rd Grade, anchored by a patented glasses-free 3D augmented-reality system (U.S. Patent Nos. 10,157,550 and 9,514,654 B2) that converts physical flashcards, word cards, storybooks, journals, and classroom rugs into animated 3D zoo-themed animal characters (e.g., Gerdy the Giraffe, Amos the Alligator). Core products include Letters alive (literacy, launched 2014), Math alive (math, 2015), and the bundled Learning alive Suite (2015), augmented by Storybooks alive, Rugs alive Plus, My Letters/Math alive Journals, the Interactive Zoo Panel hardware, and the Stickers alive mobile companion app. The platform is aligned to the Science of Reading and Common Core standards, engages visual/auditory/kinesthetic pathways simultaneously for dual-coded memory, and is supported by an in-house content library (26 alphabet cards, 97 sight-word cards, 84 word-family cards, 45 interactive math games, and a Building Words module assembling 1,200+ words). An independent 90-day University of West Georgia blended study reported 112% and 48% gains in letter-sound and letter-naming fluency respectively, with 100% of fully implemented students showing measurable improvement.
Commercially, Alive Studios operates a one-time / perpetual-license model (no subscriptions, no recurring fees, no internet required, no student data collected) layered with paid professional learning services (on-site $2,495 per 10 kits, live virtual $199 per teacher, small-group coaching $495 per teacher across six 30-minute sessions). Distribution combines an embedded My Education Consultant network, Kaplan Early Learning as a reseller, direct purchase-order/institutional sales (net-10 terms), an e-commerce storefront at alivestudiosco.com, DonorsChoose.org crowdfunding for bottom-up adoption, and a 2018 first-of-its-kind multi-branch public library rollout with Gwinnett County Public Library. Product marketing is heavily content- and event-driven (ISTE, NAEYC, FETC, Title 1, PK1 conferences; blog; YouTube; webinars; earned media in ABC, Scholastic, WSJ, Entrepreneur, Inc.). The company reports adoption across all 50 U.S. states and 26 countries, has won ISTE 2019 Best of Show, and operates with an 11–50 person team under family/founder ownership with no disclosed institutional funding rounds.
Alive Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alive Studios
- Legal name
- Alive Studios, LLC
- Website
- https://alivestudiosco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Alive Studios provides supplemental Pre-K through 3rd grade literacy and math programs using patented glasses-free 3D augmented reality. The woman-owned company sells one-time perpetual-license software kits (Letters alive, Math alive, Learning alive) to classrooms, schools, libraries, and consumers across all 50 U.S. states and 26 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alive Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Education Software
- NAICS
- Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Interactive Multimedia Learning Content (Video, Audio, Interactive Lessons) (EDAFACAG)
Keywords
Where Alive Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dacula
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Alive Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Product Licenses (One-Time Purchase): Schools and districts purchase Alive Studios' supplemental programs (Letters alive, Math alive, Learning alive, etc.) as a one-time investment with no recurring subscription fees. The product is delivered as a physical kit with software, often bundled with professional learning. The company notes no internet required for operation and no subscriptions, emphasizing a single perpetual license model.
- Professional Learning Services: Alive Studios sells professional learning and training services to support implementation, including onsite training ($2,495 per 10 learning kits), live virtual training ($199 per teacher), and virtual coaching ($495 per teacher for small group PLC sessions of six 30-minute meetings).
- Accessories and Consumables: The company sells supplementary physical products including My Letters alive Journals, My Math alive Journals, Rugs alive Plus, Storybooks alive, and Zoo Carts, available for purchase through its e-commerce storefront.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Onsite Professional Learning – 4 Hours |
| Per seat | Pay-as-you-go | LIVE Virtual Training – 2 Hours |
| Per seat | Multi-year contract | Virtual Coaching – Six 30-Minute Sessions |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Letters alive / Math alive / Learning alive Kits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Alive Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alive Studios develops and sells patented 3D augmented reality (AR) supplemental reading and math programs for Pre-K through 3rd Grade. Its zoo-themed kits (Letters alive, Math alive, Learning alive) use physical flashcards and books that trigger 3D animated animals on classroom screens without the need for glasses or internet, combining Science of Reading-aligned instruction with multi-sensory, brain-based engagement. The company also sells companion journals, AR storybooks, classroom rugs, mobile storage carts, an interactive zoo panel, a free mobile sticker app, and Professional Learning services to support implementation.
Product overview
Alive Studios is an early education technology company that provides supplemental reading and math programs for Pre-K through 3rd Grade using patented 3D augmented reality (AR) technology. The core product portfolio centers on zoo-themed programs—Letters alive® (literacy), Math alive® (numeracy), and Learning alive™ (the bundled suite combining both)—where 26 alphabet cards and math activity cards spring to life as animated 3D animals without glasses. Supporting products include Storybooks alive™ (AR printed storybooks), interactive journals (My Letters alive® Journals, My Math alive® Journals), the Interactive Zoo Panel™ (classroom display), Rugs alive™ Plus (educational rugs), and Classrooms alive™ (classroom management). Stickers alive™ is a free COPPA-compliant mobile companion app for physical stickers. The company holds U.S. Patent No. 10,157,550 and U.S. Patent No. 9,514,654 B2 for its teaching method and system of presenting interactive 3D augmented reality for learning.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Letters alive®: Supplemental reading program using augmented reality with 26 alphabet cards that spring to life with 3D animals to help students grasp key concepts in reading
- Math alive®
- Learning alive™
- Storybooks alive™
- Classrooms alive™
- My Letters alive® Journals
- My Math alive® Journals
- Rugs alive™ Plus
- Stickers alive™
- Journals alive™
- Interactive Zoo Panel™
Products and services
- Letters alive® Zoo-themed supplemental reading program using 3D AR where 26 alphabet cards spring to life with animated animals. Aligned to the Science of Reading with explicit, systematic instruction, Zoo Keeper ABC Boot Camp, Animal of the Week, multisensory activities, and connected decodable texts for PreK and Kindergarten classrooms.
- Math alive® Supplemental math program for PreK through 1st Grade using 3D AR with 45 skill-based interactive games aligned to Common Core standards. Features animated math animals to teach number sense, greater than/less than, and foundational math concepts through multimodal learning.
- Learning alive™ Suite Combined supplemental reading and math bundled suite for PreK to 3rd Grade. Integrates Letters alive and Math alive with Interactive Stories into a unified AR learning experience. One-time purchase with Zoo Keeper edition featuring zoo-themed 3D animals; approximate retail value of $2,590.
- Storybooks alive™ Augmented reality printed storybook (e.g., 'Amos Alligator Arrives at the Airport') that brings pages to life with 3D animals and interactive elements. Includes mini games and activities aligned to Common Core State Standards, featuring character traits like courage and kindness.
- Interactive Zoo Panel™ Interactive wall-mounted or standing display panel featuring zoo-themed 3D augmented reality content for classroom use. Enables group instruction with the full suite of AR animal animations and literacy/math activities.
- My Letters alive® Journals Student workbooks/journals for independent practice and reinforcement of letter recognition, phonics, and encoding skills learned through the Letters alive AR program. Designed for both home and classroom use.
- My Math alive® Journals Student workbooks/journals for independent practice and reinforcement of foundational math concepts aligned with the Math alive AR program. Designed for both home and classroom use.
- Rugs alive™ Plus 3D alphabet habitat classroom rugs featuring themed floor displays that complement the zoo-themed AR learning approach. Designed for PreK and Kindergarten classroom environments.
- Zoo Carts Mobile storage carts designed to organize and transport Alive Studios AR kits, cards, and materials within classroom environments.
- Stickers alive™ Mobile App Free mobile companion app (iOS/Android) for physical Alive Studios literacy stickers. Uses device camera for on-device AR sticker recognition to display 3D animals, letters, sounds, and learning activities; COPPA-compliant, with no in-app purchases, advertising, or third-party analytics.
- Professional Learning Services Training and implementation support services including Onsite Professional Learning ($2,495 per 10 learning kits, 4-hour session), LIVE Virtual Training ($199 per teacher, 2-hour session), and Virtual Coaching ($495 per teacher, six 30-minute sessions for small group PLCs up to 5 teachers).
Quantifiable outcome
- 112% increase in letter sound fluency and 48% increase in letter naming fluency, representing up to 4x gain over non-users (University of West Georgia 90-day blended study)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Alive Studios
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Alive Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Alive Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Gwinnett County Public LibraryflagshipAlive Studios partnered with Gwinnett County Public Library (Georgia) for the first multi-branch library rollout in the United States. Learning alive kits (including 26 letter cards, 97 sight-word cards, 84 word-family cards, 3 Interactive Stories, and a full math program) were donated to all 15 branches via the Atlanta Retailers Association and Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. Library staff received training and planned to integrate the program into existing early literacy initiatives and summer programs.
- My Education Consultant (Independent Education Consultants Network)coreAlive Studios maintains a network of independent education consultants (branded 'My Education Consultant') who represent and sell Alive Studios products to school districts and classrooms across the U.S. These consultants provide localized sales, guidance, and implementation support to schools.
- Kaplan Early LearningcoreKaplan Early Learning is listed as a consultant/reseller partner for Alive Studios products, enabling school districts to procure Letters alive, Math alive, and Learning alive through Kaplan's established distribution network for educational materials.
- DonorsChoose.orgminorAlive Studios products (Letters alive and Math alive) are listed on the DonorsChoose.org crowdfunding platform, enabling individual teachers to seek donor funding for classroom purchases of the AR literacy and math programs.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Alive Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Osmo: Osmo (owned by Tang/Byju's) makes AR-enabled physical-and-digital learning play sets for early childhood (letters, numbers, coding, drawing) that mirror Alive Studios' AR card-driven engagement model for the same PK-2 age group.
- Marbotic: Marbotic builds smart wooden letters and numbers that interact with tablets to teach reading and math in early childhood, directly comparable to Alive Studios' AR card-based literacy and numeracy kits.
- Hatch Early Learning: Hatch supplies early-childhood classroom technology and curriculum (Ignite, WeInspire) for Pre-K and early elementary, making it a comparable direct peer competing for the same Title I, Head Start, and PK-3 institutional buyers.
Broad incumbents
- LeapFrog (VTech): LeapFrog is an established incumbent in educational electronics and learning toys for early learners, offering a broader portfolio of reading and math products that overlaps with Alive Studios' PK-3 supplemental use cases.
- Age of Learning (ABCmouse): Age of Learning operates ABCmouse and related early-childhood digital curriculum platforms used widely in U.S. schools and homes, comparable as a broader incumbent targeting the same PK-3 foundational literacy and math niche.
- Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning provides supplemental K-12 literacy and math solutions (Imagine Language & Literacy, Imagine Math), overlapping with Alive Studios' supplemental reading and math positioning for foundational learners.
- Scholastic Education: Scholastic's education division delivers early literacy content, books, and curriculum across U.S. schools and is an established incumbent whose endorsement of Alive Studios highlights it as a peer in school-distribution literacy channels.
- DreamBox Learning: DreamBox provides adaptive K-8 math solutions to schools and districts, directly comparable on the supplemental math side of Alive Studios' Math alive product offering.
Emerging players
- ABCya: ABCya offers gamified educational apps and content for PK-6 grade levels including literacy and math, making it a comparable emerging/established player serving overlapping early-elementary use cases.
- Roo Playing: Roo Playing is a smaller, emerging player focused on physical-to-digital play and early literacy tools for young learners, comparable as a niche emerging competitor in the multi-sensory early-childhood learning space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Alive Studios social profiles
Digital presenceAlive Studios compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Alive Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alive Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Alive Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alive Studios 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 Alive Studios
What does Alive Studios do?
Alive Studios develops and sells patented 3D augmented reality (AR) supplemental reading and math programs for Pre-K through 3rd Grade. Its zoo-themed kits (Letters alive, Math alive, Learning alive) use physical flashcards and books that trigger 3D animated animals on classroom screens without the need for glasses or internet, combining Science of Reading-aligned instruction with multi-sensory, brain-based engagement. The company also sells companion journals, AR storybooks, classroom rugs, mobile storage carts, an interactive zoo panel, a free mobile sticker app, and Professional Learning services to support implementation.
Is Alive Studios a public or private company?
Alive Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alive Studios founded?
Alive Studios was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alive Studios based?
Alive Studios is headquartered in Dacula, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alive Studios make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Product Licenses (One-Time Purchase) is the primary driver. The others are professional Learning Services and accessories and Consumables.
Who are Alive Studios's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Osmo, Marbotic and Hatch Early Learning. Broad incumbents are LeapFrog (VTech), Age of Learning (ABCmouse), Imagine Learning, Scholastic Education and DreamBox Learning. Emerging players are ABCya and Roo Playing.
Does Alive Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alive Studios.
What industry is Alive Studios in?
Alive Studios's product category is Early Childhood Education Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFACAG, Interactive Multimedia Learning Content (Video, Audio, Interactive Lessons). Its NAICS code is 33993 and its SIC code is 3944.