Shared_Studios
Shared Studios builds life-sized immersive video "Portals" used primarily by K-12 schools and universities to deliver curriculum-aligned global learning programs via subscription, with secondary use at global events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Shared_Studios does
Shared Studios is a Brooklyn-based private company founded in 2014 by Tommaso Trionfi and Amar Bakshi as an art, design, and technology collective. Its core technology, branded as "Portals," consists of life-sized, real-time immersive video installations — available in shipping-container, inflatable, and permanent LED-wall (Noro) formats — that enable geographically distributed participants to converse with full body language, direct eye contact, and no on-screen distractions. The platform connects a network of 15+ active Portals across 40+ countries, supported by 250+ trained facilitators and a library of 100+ curriculum-aligned education programs built on IB and UNESCO Global Citizenship frameworks.
The company monetizes primarily through subscription-based enterprise sales to educational institutions, sold in two tiers: Global Learning Lab (1–4 week short-term immersive experiences) and Global Classroom (year-long programs with permanent LED Wall installations). Pricing is quote-based and undisclosed. A secondary GTM motion is event-driven demand generation via flagship global activations — including the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Fan Zone, COP27 with IKEA Foundation/UN.Live, the 2019 Twitter #TweetUps campaign (40 Portals, 20,000 people, Twitter's most successful consumer campaign), and the Smithsonian 100th anniversary — which feed institutional awareness.
Named customers include Boston College (six labs since 2018, 2,000+ students), Chaminade High School (first permanent Global Classroom, 2024, ~600 student interactions/month across 24 courses), Wellington College in the UK (since 2022, 150+ sessions), Winnacunnet High School (since 2018, 200+ students/year), and Johns Hopkins University. The company operates from Brooklyn and San Francisco with 11–50 employees, appears to be founder-owned and bootstrapped (no disclosed funding rounds), and shares technical development with sister company Noro for permanent LED Portal walls.
Shared_Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shared_Studios
- Legal name
- Shared Studios
- Website
- https://sharedstudios.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Shared Studios builds life-sized immersive video "Portals" used primarily by K-12 schools and universities to deliver curriculum-aligned global learning programs via subscription, with secondary use at global events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shared_Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Immersive Global Learning
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Immersive Collaboration Classrooms (Multiuser VR, Social Learning Spaces) (EDAFAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual Classroom Platforms (Synchronous Teaching Environments) (EDAFABAA), Virtual/Blended Exchange (COIL) Partnerships (EDAIABAH), Breakout Rooms, Group Work & Collaborative Learning Spaces (EDAFABAG), Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM)
Keywords
Where Shared_Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Shared_Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Global Learning Lab: Short-term immersive experiences (1-4 weeks) ideal for piloting and focused programs. Container, Inflatable, or Custom Room Portal deployment with flexible short-term engagement.
- Global Classroom: Year-long sustained global learning programs with permanent LED Wall installation, connecting campus to global Portal network for ongoing curriculum integration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Global Learning Lab - Short-term (1-4 weeks) |
| Subscription | Annual | Global Classroom - Year-long/Annual |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Shared_Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shared Studios operates a global network of Portal installations — immersive, life-sized digital spaces that enable real-time, full-body video conversations between geographically distributed participants. The company primarily delivers curated education programs to K-12 schools and universities via two product formats: Global Learning Lab (1-4 week short-term engagements) and Global Classroom (year-long permanent installations).
Product overview
Shared Studios offers an integrated suite of immersive global learning products centered on its core Portal technology. Portals are life-sized, immersive video spaces that connect people across the globe as if in the same room. The product portfolio includes two delivery formats: Global Learning Lab (short-term 1-4 week experiences) and Global Classroom (year-long programs with permanent LED Wall installations via the Noro platform). Portal formats include Container, Inflatable, and Custom-Build options, allowing flexible deployment from event activations to permanent school installations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Portals: Immersive, interconnected digital spaces that connect people across the globe as intimately as if in the same room together. Available in container, inflatable, and custom LED wall formats.
- Global Learning Lab
- Global Classroom
- Noro Portals
Products and services
- Container Portal
- Inflatable Portal
- Noro LED Portal Wall Next-generation LED-wall-based Portal unit developed with sister company Noro, enabling life-sized immersive video conversations in a sleeker, fixed-installation format.
- Global Learning Lab Short-term subscription education program (1-4 weeks) that connects classrooms to globally distributed Portal locations for facilitator-led cross-cultural dialogue and curriculum-aligned learning experiences. Targeted at K-12 schools and universities.
- Global Classroom Year-long subscription education program featuring a permanent Portal installation at the customer institution, enabling ongoing cross-cultural dialogue, curriculum integration, and continuous immersive learning for K-12 schools and universities. First permanently installed at Chaminade High School in 2024.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% of students said Portal deepened their understanding of global issues
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Shared_Studios
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Shared_Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Shared_Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Doha DebatescoreLong-standing collaboration with Doha Debates to develop Majlis-style dialogue framework - a listening-first approach for conversations on complex issues. Used in education programs to lead with human stories and lived experiences.
- NorocoreSister company that co-developed next-generation LED Portal wall technology for more permanent connectivity between locations. Noro Portals available for permanent Global Classroom installations.
- IKEA FoundationflagshipFunding partner for UN.Live initiative that placed 25 Portals across six continents connecting communities on front lines of climate change. Included participation at COP27.
- UN.LiveflagshipPartnership to create world's largest conversation on climate with 25 Portals across six continents. Hosted 3,000+ conversations, millions of online engagements, culminating at COP27.
- MIT Media LabcorePartner for UN.Live initiative where insights from climate conversations became living archive of empathy in action.
- CorticocorePartner for UN.Live initiative focused on building human-centered insights and local news ecosystem connections.
- Gaza Sky GeekscoreInnovation hub partner in Johns Hopkins humanitarian design hackathon, connecting students across borders for collaborative public health solution design.
- Yale Universitycore2020 partnership with Johns Hopkins for qualitative research project on policing and public safety perspectives across US, Kenya, Nigeria, and Brazil.
- Twitter/Xflagship#TweetUps 2019 campaign - 40 Portals in iconic worldwide sites over 10 days connecting 20,000 people. Became most successful consumer-facing campaign in Twitter's history.
- FIFAflagship2022 World Cup Qatar partnership for 'Football Unites the World' campaign. Custom Portal in Fan Zone enabled thousands to connect with football fans in 25 Portals worldwide.
- Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Artflagship10-day activation for museum's 100th anniversary exploring Asia's role in global arts community and Asian Diaspora influences.
- Bedrock DetroitminorPartnership for Detroit in Dialogue during Month of Design. Portal designed by local artists connected thousands of Detroiters with global Portal communities.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Shared_Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nearpod: Nearpod offers interactive lessons and virtual field trips for K-12, including VR/AR experiences. Broader EdTech incumbent with adjacent immersive and curriculum-aligned capabilities.
- Zoom for Education: Zoom is the leading video-conferencing tool used in K-12 and university classrooms globally. It is the most common alternative to Shared Studios' Portal-based interactions and a baseline against which the value of immersive connection must justify premium pricing.
- Microsoft Teams for Education: Microsoft Teams is the dominant enterprise video-conferencing platform adopted broadly in K-12 and higher education. While not a feature peer on immersion, it is the default substitute buyers compare against and could close the experiential gap over time.
Direct peers
- PenPal Schools: PenPal Schools connects K-12 classrooms globally through curated cross-cultural projects and video exchanges. It is the closest direct peer to Shared Studios in the virtual global classroom space, though delivered via standard video conferencing rather than immersive Portal hardware.
- Empatico: Empatico (a Kind Foundation initiative) facilitates live video exchanges between K-12 classrooms in different countries to build empathy and cross-cultural understanding. Directly comparable mission and target customer to Shared Studios' Global Classroom offering.
- iEARN (International Education and Resource Network): iEARN enables K-12 and university students worldwide to collaborate on projects across cultures using online tools. Closely aligned with Shared Studios' cross-border curriculum-integrated learning model, though through asynchronous collaboration rather than live immersive video.
- Global Nomads Group: Global Nomads Group runs virtual exchange programs connecting youth across borders through video conferencing and curriculum. Comparable in mission and target audience to Shared Studios' education programming.
- Level Up Village: Level Up Village partners K-12 schools in the US with schools abroad for STEAM-focused global collaboration projects. Comparable target customer and global-learning use case to Shared Studios, though primarily project-based rather than live immersive dialogue.
- TakingITGlobal: TakingITGlobal provides virtual exchange and global citizenship programs for youth, often partnering with schools and foundations. Shares Shared Studios' emphasis on cross-cultural dialogue and global awareness outcomes.
Emerging players
- Labster: Labster provides immersive VR lab simulations for higher education and K-12 STEM. Comparable in deploying immersive technology to improve learning outcomes, though focused on simulation rather than live cross-cultural dialogue.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Shared_Studios social profiles
Digital presenceShared_Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shared_Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Shared_Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shared_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 Shared_Studios
What does Shared_Studios do?
Shared Studios operates a global network of Portal installations — immersive, life-sized digital spaces that enable real-time, full-body video conversations between geographically distributed participants. The company primarily delivers curated education programs to K-12 schools and universities via two product formats: Global Learning Lab (1-4 week short-term engagements) and Global Classroom (year-long permanent installations).
Is Shared_Studios a public or private company?
Shared_Studios is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Shared_Studios founded?
Shared_Studios was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Shared_Studios based?
Shared_Studios is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Shared_Studios make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Global Learning Lab is the primary driver. The others are global Classroom.
Who are Shared_Studios's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nearpod, Zoom for Education and Microsoft Teams for Education. Direct peers are PenPal Schools, Empatico, iEARN (International Education and Resource Network), Global Nomads Group, Level Up Village and TakingITGlobal. Labster is listed as an emerging player.
Does Shared_Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shared_Studios.
What industry is Shared_Studios in?
Shared_Studios's product category is Immersive Global Learning. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAJAK, Immersive Collaboration Classrooms (Multiuser VR, Social Learning Spaces), with a secondary code of EDAFABAA, Virtual Classroom Platforms (Synchronous Teaching Environments). Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7373.