Sparkler
Sparkler Learning is a Delaware nonprofit that provides a mobile app and provider dashboard for early childhood developmental screening (ASQ), play activities, and coaching for families with children prenatal to age 5, funded through B2B2C partnerships with state and local government agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Sparkler does
Sparkler Learning, Inc. is a Delaware not-for-profit corporation that operates a mobile application (iOS and Android) and an associated web-based provider dashboard focused on early childhood development for families with children from the prenatal stage through age five. The mobile app delivers licensed Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2) embedded from Brookes Publishing — endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics — alongside approximately 2,000 off-screen play activities curated by early childhood educators and aligned to the Early Learning Outcomes Framework, a digital growth scrapbook, two-way messaging with coaches, and offline functionality. The web dashboard gives organizational partners the ability to monitor family engagement, conduct screening follow-ups, send and receive translated messages, and download reports. The platform is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, and Arabic.
Sparkler operates a B2B2C model in which sponsoring partner organizations — primarily state and local government agencies (CT Office of Early Childhood, Ohio Department of Children & Youth, San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, Help Me Grow Utah, Help Me Grow Kenosha/Wisconsin) plus pediatric practices, schools, daycares, and social service agencies — pay for subscriptions that make the app free to the families they serve. Pricing for partners is custom and not publicly disclosed; the app is free to families. Supporting media properties include the award-winning Little Kids, Big Hearts podcast (Signal Awards Silver 2024, Webby honoree 2024), the Tune Up podcast, the Big Heart World site, Camp Sparkler (a seasonal 10-week virtual summer camp), and a Prenatal Sparkler offering. The organization holds iKeepSafe, FERPA, HIPAA, COPPA, and CCPA certifications plus state-specific student data privacy compliance in Connecticut and Ohio. Founded by Kristen Kane, Sparkler maintains offices in New York and lists 101-250 employees.
Sparkler firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sparkler
- Legal name
- Sparkler Learning, Inc.
- Website
- https://playsparkler.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Sparkler Learning is a Delaware nonprofit that provides a mobile app and provider dashboard for early childhood developmental screening (ASQ), play activities, and coaching for families with children prenatal to age 5, funded through B2B2C partnerships with state and local government agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sparkler industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood Development Software
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Child Care Services (62441), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides) (EDACAJAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Parent–Child Play & Interaction Programs (EDACALAF), Kids & Family Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAG)
Keywords
Where Sparkler is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sparkler business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sponsoring Partner Subscriptions: Organizations (governments, schools, nonprofits, healthcare organizations) pay for Sparkler licenses/subscriptions to make the platform free for families they serve. This is the primary revenue model where sponsoring partners fund the cost so families receive the service at no charge.
- Provider Dashboard Access: Providers pay for access to the web-based dashboard to engage with families, access reports, and use messaging features. The dashboard enables providers to monitor engagement, conduct screening follow-ups, and support families.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free for Families |
| Subscription | Annual | Provider/Partner Pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sparkler product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sparkler delivers a mobile application that enables families with young children (ages 0-5) to complete developmental screenings, track milestones, and access age-appropriate learning activities. The app is paired with a provider-facing dashboard that allows sponsoring partner organizations to enroll families, monitor engagement, and view aggregated developmental data on the children and families they serve.
Product overview
Sparkler offers a dual-platform product system: a mobile app for families and a web-based dashboard for provider organizations. The mobile app enables parents and caregivers to monitor children's development through Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2), access approximately 2,000 off-screen play activities created by early childhood educators, track growth in a digital scrapbook, and connect with expert coaches. The companion web-based dashboard allows partner organizations (schools, daycares, healthcare providers, social service agencies) to monitor family engagement, send two-way messages, and download screening reports. Supporting content includes the Little Kids, Big Hearts and Tune Up podcasts, the Prenatal Sparkler prenatal program, and seasonal Camp Sparkler virtual camp programs. The platform is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, and Arabic.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Little Kids, Big Hearts Podcast: A social-emotional learning podcast for children that helps parents and educators introduce big topics in social and emotional learning. Hosted by early childhood educator Todd Loyd.
- Tune Up Podcast
Products and services
- Sparkler mobile app Mobile application for families with children ages 0-5 that combines developmental screening, milestone tracking, and age-appropriate learning activities; access is provided free to families through sponsoring partner organizations.
- Sparkler provider dashboard Provider-facing dashboard used by sponsoring partner organizations to enroll families, monitor engagement, and view aggregated developmental data on the children and families they serve.
Quantifiable outcome
- 21 different Ages & Stages Questionnaires available for children birth through age 5
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sparkler
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sparkler technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Sparkler partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CT Office of Early ChildhoodcoreCT Office of Early Childhood provides Sparkler free to all programs serving children 5 and under and to all families with children prenatal to age 5 in Connecticut. Sparkler is at the heart of the state's Help Me Grow work. Families access with code CT and support from 211 Child Development.
- Ohio Department of Children & Youth / Help Me Grow OhiocoreOhio's Help Me Grow program and Ohio Department of Children & Youth provide Sparkler free to families. Providers use Sparkler's dashboard to engage families, monitor trends, and download data. Contact: [email protected].
- San Francisco Department of Early ChildhoodcoreSF Department of Early Childhood and Support for Families provide Sparkler free to SF families with children 0-5. Available in English, Spanish, Chinese, French, and Arabic. Includes developmental playgroups with National Center for Families Learning.
- Help Me Grow UtahcoreHelp Me Grow Utah provides Sparkler free to Utah families with children 6 and under and families expecting new babies. Available in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Access code: UT.
- Help Me Grow Kenosha (Wisconsin)minorHelp Me Grow Kenosha provides Sparkler mobile app to Wisconsin families in their region.
- 211 Child Development (Connecticut)core211 Child Development provides expert support and referrals for Connecticut families using Sparkler. Families can connect with care coordinators through the app for questions and support.
- Support for Families (San Francisco)coreSupport for Families provides care coordinators who offer coaching and support to SF families through Sparkler. Free coaching from child development professionals available.
- Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. (ASQ Publisher)coreSparkler licenses the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) from Brookes Publishing. ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2 screening data is transmitted to Brookes' ASQ Online database for scoring. ASQ endorsed by American Academy of Pediatrics.
- Kids ListenminorLittle Kids, Big Hearts podcast is a proud member of Kids Listen, a network of independent podcasts for kids.
- National Center for Families LearningminorSF Department of Early Childhood selected Sparkler + National Center for Families Learning to provide developmental playgroups to families with children 0-3 in San Francisco with mild to moderate developmental concerns. Free playgroups available in English, Spanish, and Chinese starting fall 2024.
- American Academy of PediatricsminorThe Ages & Stages Questionnaires which Sparkler integrates are endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics for developmental screening.
- CDC Learn the Signs Act EarlyminorSparkler offers adaptations of CDC's Learn the Signs Act Early milestones to help families monitor children's development.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sparkler competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- PBS Kids: PBS Kids is the public-media children's brand offering free educational games, videos, and a parent resources hub. It competes for the same parent attention and provides a free, well-distributed alternative that anchors the same early-childhood category Sparkler serves.
- Sesame Workshop: Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit behind Sesame Street and a range of early-childhood initiatives (including Sesame Street in Communities). Its mission alignment, evidence-based content, and trusted brand make it the closest broad incumbent peer to Sparkler in early-childhood family engagement.
Direct peers
- BabySparks: BabySparks delivers a developmental activities program for 0-24-month-olds with milestone tracking and a provider/B2B channel. It is directly comparable to Sparkler's prenatal-to-5 play activity + monitoring model.
- Vroom: Vroom (backed by the Bezos Day One Fund) provides free, science-based early-childhood brain-building activities and tips for parents of 0-5-year-olds. It is the closest mission-aligned peer to Sparkler, both delivering parent-facing content grounded in developmental science without consumer fees.
- Footsteps2Brilliance: Footsteps2Brilliance provides a literacy-focused early-childhood app for ages 0-6, widely adopted through state and district partnerships. Like Sparkler, its core GTM is selling into school districts and state early-childhood programs.
- Khan Academy Kids: Khan Academy Kids is a free, award-winning educational app for ages 2-8 covering reading, math, and social-emotional learning. Its free, well-funded, and broad distribution makes it the most credible direct competitor to Sparkler in the parent-of-young-children segment.
- Kinedu: Kinedu provides a baby and toddler development app with daily activities, milestone tracking, and expert guidance for ages 0-4. It mirrors Sparkler's combination of age-graded play activities and developmental progress tracking with coaching.
- Marco Polo Learning: Marco Polo is a video-based early-childhood curriculum platform used by childcare providers, often with a family-engagement app component. Its provider-facing channel and parent-engagement overlay overlap substantially with Sparkler's dashboard + family app model.
- HOMER (Early Learning Company): HOMER offers a subscription early-learning app for ages 2-8 with reading, math, and creative thinking activities. It competes for the same parent-of-young-children wallet and partners with schools/libraries, similar to Sparkler's organizational channel.
Emerging players
- Brightwheel: Brightwheel is a leading childcare and early-learning management platform for preschools and daycares, with built-in parent communication and observation tools. While primarily a provider administration product, its parent-engagement layer overlaps with Sparkler's dashboard-plus-app GTM into the same institutional buyers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sparkler social profiles
Digital presenceSparkler compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Sparkler financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sparkler leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Sparkler funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sparkler 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 Sparkler
What does Sparkler do?
Sparkler delivers a mobile application that enables families with young children (ages 0-5) to complete developmental screenings, track milestones, and access age-appropriate learning activities. The app is paired with a provider-facing dashboard that allows sponsoring partner organizations to enroll families, monitor engagement, and view aggregated developmental data on the children and families they serve.
Is Sparkler a public or private company?
Sparkler is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sparkler founded?
Sparkler was founded in 2001. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Sparkler based?
Sparkler is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sparkler make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Sponsoring Partner Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are provider Dashboard Access.
Who are Sparkler's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are PBS Kids and Sesame Workshop. Direct peers are BabySparks, Vroom, Footsteps2Brilliance, Khan Academy Kids, Kinedu, Marco Polo Learning and HOMER (Early Learning Company). Brightwheel is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sparkler have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sparkler.
What industry is Sparkler in?
Sparkler's product category is Early Childhood Development Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAJAL, Family Engagement & Take-Home Learning Materials (Home Packs, Parent Guides), with a secondary code of EDACALAF, Parent–Child Play & Interaction Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8351.