What NBA Math Hoops does

NBA Math Hoops is a free, basketball-themed math education program operated by Learn Fresh Education Co., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (EIN: 45-1059457). Designed for students in grades 4-8, the program combines a physical board game, a free iOS/Android mobile app, a web-based digital game with classroom league infrastructure, and a 10-lesson curriculum aligned with Common Core State Standards and 21st Century Learning Skills. Gameplay requires students to act as fantasy basketball coach and general manager, drafting real NBA and WNBA players and using real-time player statistics to score points through math problems. The program targets racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps in math, declining proficiency since 1990, and math anxiety, with implementation across in-school, out-of-school (Boys & Girls Clubs of America, YMCA, City Year), and home learning environments.

The core platform is a Learning Fresh-operated stack consisting of the mobile app (iOS/Android), a web-based digital game with classroom league features, an LFCA educator portal, and a physical board game manufactured with Hasbro support. Real-time NBA and WNBA player statistics are integrated into the game, and opposing team difficulty is linked to current league standings. Curriculum delivery is supported by virtual and in-person educator training camps, a sportsmanship contract system that builds social-emotional learning, and a competitive layer of regional tournaments hosted at NBA arenas plus an annual three-day Global Championship in NYC. Since inception, the program reports 1,431,641 Math Champions served and 12,249 educators trained, with 27 NBA and WNBA pro team partners and program activity in the United States, South Africa, and Australia.

The organization is structured as a donation- and sponsorship-funded nonprofit. The program is provided at no cost to schools, educators, or students. Revenue streams include individual donations (with support for donor-advised funds at Fidelity Charitable, Greater Kansas City CF, and Schwab Charitable Trust, plus stock gifts and employer matching), corporate sponsorships with branding and employee engagement components, and the Learn Fresh Champions online fundraising platform. Founding partners are NBA Cares, Hasbro, Getty Images, and Big Picture Learning. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging educator training camps as primary onboarding, channel partners (BGCA, YMCA, City Year, NBA/WNBA teams) for distribution into out-of-school-time and regional markets, and product-led growth through the free mobile app and digital game for self-serve adoption. Headcount is 1-10 employees, with company-listed city Denver and Learn Fresh headquarters in Philadelphia at 51 N 3rd St, #240.

Name

NBA Math Hoops

Legal name

Learn Fresh Education Co.

Website

https://nbamathhoops.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NBA Math Hoops is a free, basketball-themed math education program operated by Learn Fresh Education Co., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, serving grades 4-8 students and educators through a board game, mobile app, digital game, and 10-lesson curriculum supported by NBA/WNBA team partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Math Education

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Math Enrichment Curriculum, Workbooks & Question Banks (EDAMAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

School-Based Math Clubs & League Programs (EDAMAEAI)

Keywords

• K-8 math education
• STEM learning games
• Educational technology
• Gamified classroom curriculum
• Nonprofit education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (EIN: 45-1059457), Learn Fresh accepts donations from individuals. The program is free for schools and students, funded by charitable contributions. Donation methods include checks, Donor-Advised Funds (Fidelity Charitable, Greater Kansas City CF, Schwab Charitable Trust), gifts of stock, and matching gifts through employer programs.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships offer branding opportunities, student sponsorships, employee volunteering at events, and employee tournaments. Sponsors engage with the program to inspire students and engage community.
3. Learn Fresh Champions Fundraising: Online personalized fundraising platform allowing supporters to raise funds throughout the year, host community fundraising events, or collect donations for special occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NBA Math Hoops is a free educational program that teaches fundamental math skills to students in grades 4-8 through a basketball-themed physical board game, a free iOS/Android mobile app, a web-based digital game, and a 10-lesson curriculum aligned with Common Core State Standards. Students act as coaches drafting real NBA and WNBA players and solve math problems using real-life professional athlete statistics. The program is delivered in in-school, out-of-school, and home learning environments and is funded by charitable donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

NBA Math Hoops is a unified educational program delivered by Learn Fresh that combines physical and digital learning tools for math education targeted at students in grades 4-8. The core product portfolio includes: (1) the physical NBA Math Hoops Board Game, a fantasy basketball-themed game where students draft real NBA/WNBA players and solve math problems using real statistics; (2) the NBA Math Hoops Mobile App, a free iOS/Android application offering a virtual version of the board game with real-time stats and classroom competition modes; (3) the NBA Math Hoops Digital Game, a web-based version with expanded athlete rosters and educator classroom league features; and (4) the NBA Math Hoops Curriculum, a 10-lesson program aligned to Common Core standards. These products are supported by Educator Training Camps, the LFCA Educator Portal for program support, and competitive events including Regional Tournaments and the annual Global Championship. The program is designed for implementation in in-school, out-of-school, and home learning environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 29% gains in math fluency of basic operations among participating students
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered founding partner, national partner and regional partner.

• NBA Caresfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBA Cares is a founding partner of NBA Math Hoops, providing the foundational licensing relationship that enables use of NBA branding, team partnerships, and athlete associations for the educational program.
• Hasbrofounding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHasbro is a founding partner of NBA Math Hoops, contributing to the development of the board game component and providing manufacturing support for the physical game.
• Getty Imagesfounding partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerGetty Images is a founding partner providing visual assets and photography support for NBA Math Hoops marketing and program materials.
• Big Picture Learningfounding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBig Picture Learning is a founding partner contributing educational expertise and school network connections to the NBA Math Hoops program design and implementation.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Americanational partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNBA Math Hoops is an approved math curriculum of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, enabling distribution through BGCA's national network of out-of-school-time programs.
• City Yearnational partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNBA Math Hoops is an approved math curriculum of City Year, integrating with their AmeriCorps tutor and mentor network in schools across the country.
• YMCAnational partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNBA Math Hoops is an approved math curriculum of the YMCA, enabling distribution through YMCAs nationwide for out-of-school-time programming.
• The Huddleregional partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Huddle is a Melbourne-based implementation partner for Australia, coordinating educator training and program implementation for Australian schools.
• NBA and WNBA Team Partnersregional partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner27 NBA and WNBA professional sports teams partner with Learn Fresh to host Regional Tournaments and engage with students in their markets. Teams provide venues (including NBA arenas) and personnel for community events.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Prodigy Education: Game-based math learning platform for grades 1-8 used in classrooms and at home; directly comparable as an engaging, game-driven math product targeting the same grade band.
• Legends of Learning: Game-based learning platform delivering curriculum-aligned math and science games for classrooms; comparable in using gameplay as the core math-engagement mechanism.
• DreamBox Learning: Adaptive K-8 math learning platform adopted by schools; comparable as a math edtech solution targeting the same student segment, though commercial and subscription-based.
• Zearn: Nonprofit digital math curriculum for K-8 focused on equity and closing achievement gaps; closely comparable in mission, funding model, and math curriculum focus.
• ST Math (MIND Education): Nonprofit-rooted, game-based visual math program for K-8 widely used in schools and out-of-school programs; directly comparable in mission, audience (underserved students), and gamified math-learning model.
• First in Math: Online math fluency and practice program with competitive/league elements for grades 1-8; comparable gamified, competition-driven math engagement approach.

Emerging players

• Skillastics: Provider of activity-based, sports-themed educational and physical-activity programs for schools and out-of-school time; comparable in blending sports/play with academic and OST programming.

Broad incumbents

• Khan Academy: Large nonprofit offering free math and academic instruction funded by donations and sponsors; comparable nonprofit free-access model but far broader subject scope.
• BrainPOP: Established educational media company offering animated, engaging math and STEM content for K-12 classrooms; overlapping audience and engagement focus but broader and subscription-based.

Regional players

• 3P Learning (Mathletics): Provider of gamified math programs (Mathletics) with strong presence in Australia and global markets; comparable game-based math model overlapping NBA Math Hoops' Australia expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nbamathhoops
• Facebookfacebook.com/172462506197101
• Instagraminstagram.com/learn_fresh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 NBA Math Hoops