AMERIKIDS USA

What AMERIKIDS USA does

AMERIKIDS USA is a New York-based multimedia entertainment company founded in 1990 by Lynn Rogoff that produces AI-enhanced content for children, families, and educational audiences across films, games, chatbots, theatrical productions, and podcasts. Its flagship product, Bird Woman: Sacajawea, is described as the first feature-length motion picture created entirely by artificial intelligence, combining AI-generated visuals (MidJourney), AI video synthesis (Runway), and AI-powered facial animation (D-ID) with human voice acting recorded remotely. Building on this pipeline, the company launched in 2024 a portfolio of AI chatbots that let users converse with animated historical figures from the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Sacajawea, Lewis, Clark, York, Charbonneau, Chief Cameahwait) in English and Spanish, funded by a 2024 NYIT Emerging Technology Grant.

The company also sells and licenses adjacent entertainment properties: the Endanger freemium VR/mobile/PC game about endangered species (36 species across six continents), the historically award-winning Pony Express Rider video game originally published by McGraw-Hill Home Interactive at a $1.5 million development budget, ongoing theatrical productions directed by founder Lynn Rogoff, the Emmy-winning documentary No Maps on My Taps, and a Bird Woman audio drama podcast distributed on Spotify and Apple. Distribution spans Familytime.tv streaming, mobile app stores, VR platforms, podcast networks, academic conferences, and a network of film festivals where Bird Woman has won 8+ awards including the Heritage Historical Impact Award, Remi Award, and Native Women in Film & TV Festival selection.

The business model mixes several revenue streams with no public pricing: subscription streaming distribution on Familytime.tv, freemium in-app purchases in the Endanger game, one-time licensing of legacy titles (e.g., the McGraw-Hill Pony Express Rider deal), professional services for theatrical productions, and research grant funding via NYIT. Customers are split between end-consumers (K-12 students and families), educational institutions (NYIT, City Tech, Lecturus.org partnerships), and distribution partners (Familytime.tv, Questar Entertainment, D-ID), with internal headcount of 11-50 led by founder-CEO Lynn Rogoff, VP of Business Affairs Mark Tabashnick, and CTO Monica Gonzalez.

Name

AMERIKIDS USA

Legal name

Amerikds USA

Website

https://amerikids.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMERIKIDS USA is a New York multimedia studio that produces AI-animated films, interactive historical chatbots, and educational games targeting K-12 students, families, and educators, anchored by founder Lynn Rogoff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Educational Media & Entertainment

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

AI-Powered Language Tutors, Chatbots & Speaking Practice Tools (EDAFAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK), Simulation & Scenario-Based Learning Authoring (EDAFAHAD), Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC), Generative AI & LLM Solutions Services (RAG, Agents, Copilots) (BPAEAHAG)

Keywords

• Educational entertainment
• AI-animated filmmaking
• Interactive learning chatbots
• Children's media production
• Historical gaming content

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Streaming Series and Film Production: Bird Woman: Sacajawea streaming on Familytime.tv; production services for documentary and children's television content; feature-length AI-animated films
2. Endanger Game - Freemium Model: First freemium 'Green Universe' game where players buy characters food, shelter, new modules, and rewards; targets youth and families worldwide with environmental conservation messaging
3. Pony Express Rider Game Licensing: Originally published by McGraw-Hill Home Interactive for $1.5 million; historical education game about Civil War era and Pony Express
4. Theatrical Productions: Writing and directing theatrical productions including award-winning plays and musicals; productions like Love, Ben Love, Emma staged at White Barn Theatre
5. AI Educational Research Grants: 2024 NYIT Emerging Technology Grant for researching how AI can improve education with interactive historical figure chatbots

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AMERIKIDS USA is a multimedia entertainment company that creates AI-enhanced educational content for children and families. Its core offerings include the AI-animated streaming series Bird Woman: Sacajawea, interactive AI historical chatbots for figures from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, educational video games including Endanger (3D VR/mobile/PC) and Pony Express Rider, theatrical productions, and a Bird Woman podcast. The company combines generative AI tools (MidJourney, Runway, D-ID) with human storytelling to produce edutainment content distributed across streaming, mobile, VR, podcast, and theatrical channels.

Product overview

AMERIKIDS USA is a multimedia entertainment company offering a portfolio of products centered on AI-enhanced storytelling and educational content. The core flagship is the Bird Woman: Sacajawea film series, a multi-episode streaming series created using generative AI (MidJourney, Runway, D-ID) combined with human voice acting and direction. Complementing the film are AI-powered historical chatbots (Sacajawea, Lewis, Clark, York, Charbonneau, Chief Cameahwait) that enable interactive conversations with animated historical figures. The company also produces educational video games including the Pony Express Rider game (published by McGraw-Hill) and the Endanger VR/mobile game series focused on endangered species conservation. Theatrical productions directed by founder Lynn Rogoff include award-winning plays like 'Love, Ben Love, Emma' and documentaries such as 'No Maps on My Taps' (Emmy-winning). The Bird Woman podcast provides an audio drama version of Sacajawea's story across multiple streaming platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Endanger: First freemium Green Universe game focused on finding and saving endangered species worldwide and their habitats.
• Bird Woman

Products and services

• Bird Woman: Sacajawea Streaming Series A magical realism multi-episode streaming series that tells the story of Sacajawea and the Lewis and Clark Expedition from her perspective. It is positioned as the first feature-length motion picture created solely by artificial intelligence, combining AI-generated visuals (MidJourney, Runway) with human voice acting and D-ID facial animation. Targeted at families and educational audiences seeking culturally authentic historical entertainment.
• AI Historical Chatbots (Sacajawea, Lewis, Clark, York, Charbonneau, Chief Cameahwait) AI-powered conversational chatbots that let audiences interact with animated characters from the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Supports multilingual interaction in English and Spanish, personalizes learning through adaptive Q&A, and fosters cultural awareness and historical empathy. Targeted at students, families, and educators.
• Endanger Video Game Series First freemium 'Green Universe' game where players find and save endangered species worldwide and their habitats. Available as a 3D VR/mobile/PC interactive game for youth and families, featuring 36+ species across all six continents and in-app purchases for food, shelter, modules, and rewards.
• Pony Express Rider Video Game Historical educational video game set in 1861 where players deliver mail as a Pony Express rider while outwitting Confederate spies. Originally developed for $1.5 million and published by McGraw-Hill Home Interactive; received Crystal Communicator Award, Bessie Award, Family Channel Seal of Quality, and National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.
• Theatrical Productions Award-winning theatrical plays and musicals directed by Lynn Rogoff, including 'Love, Ben Love, Emma' (nationally staged at White Barn Theatre), 'A Streetcar Named Desire', 'The In Crowd', and 'Ex Miss Copper Queen'. Productions are staged at regional venues and serve as both creative output and live entertainment for audiences.
• Bird Woman Podcast A nine-episode magical realism audio drama podcast depicting Sacajawea's hero's journey, distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Targeted at listeners interested in AI-enhanced historical storytelling and audio drama.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 major film festival awards for Bird Woman: Sacajawea including Heritage Historical Impact Award, SFX Animated Film Award, Remi Award, and Best Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Award
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and supporting.

• Lecturus.orgstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Internship partnership for closing the digital divide. Lecturus interns collaborate with Amerikids on implementing AI-driven educational tools using D-ID platform, gaining hands-on experience in cutting-edge technology.
• NYIT (New York Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Awarded 2024 NYIT Emerging Technology Grant to Amerikids for AI-powered chatbots research. NYIT's The Hive Center collaborates on Endanger VR game research. Amerikids CEO Lynn Rogoff is a professor at NYIT.
• McGraw-Hill Home InteractivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMcGraw-Hill published and released the Pony Express Rider game as the flagship product to launch their new Home Interactive division. The $1.5 million game was developed by Amerikids and distributed through McGraw-Hill's retail channels.
• Questar EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced Bird Woman Sacajawea feature-length AI film with Amerikids Productions, combining Questar's entertainment expertise with Amerikids' AI filmmaking capabilities.
• Familytime.tvcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming platform distribution partner for Bird Woman: Sacajawea content, making the AI-animated film available to families on their family-friendly streaming service.
• D-IDcoreTechnology or IntegrationAI technology partner providing facial animation software (D-ID Studio) enabling creation of expressive animated characters by integrating professional actors' performances into AI-generated visuals for Bird Woman.
• City Tech (NYC College of Technology)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTO Monica Gonzalez leads internship program with City Tech students in Computer System Technology, providing talent pipeline for web and app development projects.
• Open Source Virtual Reality CompanysupportingTechnology or IntegrationAwarded prestigious package of hardware, software and support for VR research on Endanger! game series, enabling immersive 3D VR experiences for environmental education.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Duolingo: AI-powered language learning platform using conversational chatbots and gamification; comparable to Amerikids' multilingual AI chatbot technology for English/Spanish historical figure interactions.
• BrainPOP: Educational content platform for K-12 students with interactive videos, quizzes, and now AI features — directly comparable to Amerikids' AI chatbot and streaming educational content targeting the same segment.
• Character.AI: Conversational AI platform enabling users to chat with AI personas; technically analogous to Amerikids' historical figure chatbots powered by D-ID.

Emerging players

• Lessonbee: EdTech platform using interactive content for K-12 health and cultural education; comparable AI-driven interactive content targeting similar school districts.
• Kahoot!: Game-based learning platform used in K-12 classrooms; comparable gamified approach to Amerikids' Endanger game series and educational engagement model.
• Kurzgesagt: Educational animation studio producing premium video content on science and history; comparable as a digitally-native educational content brand with strong streaming presence.
• Tynker: Educational technology platform for kids with interactive games and creative tools; shares the K-12 edutainment distribution model with Amerikids.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Kids: Major children's educational content brand focused on animals, cultures, and exploration; parallels Amerikids' Bird Woman and Endanger conservation content categories.
• Sesame Workshop: Operator of Sesame Street and other children's educational properties; founder Lynn Rogoff's prior employer and a benchmark for premium educational entertainment at scale.
• PBS Kids: Major children's educational media brand producing shows, games, and digital content; overlaps with Amerikids on streaming educational programming for K-12 audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaagTGaaxzPkOA1CPV9N-Ag
• Facebookfacebook.com/Amerikids.BirdWoman
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/lynn-rogoff-a023934
• Instagraminstagram.com/amerikids_usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 AMERIKIDS USA