Activate Learning
Activate Learning is a private K-14 science curriculum provider delivering NGSS-aligned, investigation-centered programs through its proprietary digital platform. It serves K-12 school districts, state education departments, and college teacher preparation programs with curriculum, classroom kits, and professional learning services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersGreenwich, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Activate Learning does
Activate Learning (legally SASC, LLC) is a private K-14 science curriculum provider founded in 2011 and headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, with a business address at 7900 International Drive, Suite 300. The company develops and distributes investigation-centered, NGSS-aligned science curricula for elementary (Activate Learning PRIME), middle school (IQWST and OpenSciEd), high school (Active Chemistry, Active Physics, EarthComm, Engineering the Future, plus the Interactive Mathematics Program and Meaningful Math), and college-level teacher preparation (Next Gen PET, PET, PSET, Learning Physical Science, LSET). Curriculum is sold as print, e-Book, and classroom science kits, with delivery centralized on the proprietary Activate Learning Digital Platform (ALDP), a web-based system that supports 130+ languages, text-to-speech in 30+ languages, WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility (verified by WebAIM), and integration with Google Classroom, Schoology, and Canvas with grade passback. The platform syncs with 15+ SIS rostering systems (Clever, PowerSchool, Infinite Campus, Aeries, OneRoster, Skyward, and others) and is SOC 2 Type 2 audited annually.
The company makes money through three streams: one-time curriculum and kit sales, recurring annual digital platform licensing, and multi-year professional learning services (train-the-trainer, workshops, Community of Practice). The go-to-market is a consultative field sales motion targeting K-12 school districts and state departments of education, with the Delaware Department of Education cited as a state-level engagement; college programs are also distributed through RedShelf and institutional bookstores. Activate Learning has made two acquisitions to broaden its portfolio: Its About Time (August 2017) for science curriculum expansion, and Conceptua Math (April 2018) to add a K-12 mathematics line. Notable third-party validations include the 2026 ISTE Seal for the ALDP, an "All-Green" EdReports rating for OpenSciEd grades 6-8, and U.S. Department of Education "Exemplary" recognition for the Interactive Mathematics Program and Meaningful Math.
The company's AI footprint is narrow: an AI-assisted scoring and feedback feature for student constructed responses, with responses anonymized before processing. Leadership comprises CEO Eric Johnson and Chief Product Officer David Robertshaw, and the broader team is staffed by former teachers and administrators. Ownership is private with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds in the source data, and the company appears independently operated.
Activate Learning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Activate Learning
- Legal name
- SASC, LLC
- Website
- https://activatelearning.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Activate Learning is a private K-14 science curriculum provider delivering NGSS-aligned, investigation-centered programs through its proprietary digital platform. It serves K-12 school districts, state education departments, and college teacher preparation programs with curriculum, classroom kits, and professional learning services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Activate Learning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Science Curriculum
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Math & Science Interactive Learning Platforms (STEM Core) (EDAFANAH), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
Keywords
Where Activate Learning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greenwich
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Activate Learning 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
- Curriculum Sales: Sale of K-12 science curriculum programs including print materials, e-Books, and classroom science kits. Programs include Activate Learning PRIME (elementary), IQWST and OpenSciEd (middle school), Active Chemistry, Active Physics, EarthComm, Engineering the Future (high school), and college programs including Next Gen PET, Physics & Everyday Thinking, and Life Science & Everyday Thinking.
- Digital Platform Licensing: Annual licensing of the Activate Learning Digital Platform to educational institutions for curriculum delivery, interactive assessments, and learning management. Platform access provided through educational institution contracts.
- Professional Learning Services: Professional learning programs including implementation support, train-the-trainer programming, workshops, Community of Practice (CoP) for districts, and ongoing support for curriculum adoption. Includes 1:1 support, live workshops, and virtual training sessions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | K-12 Science Curriculum Programs |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Next Gen PET Individual Units |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Professional Learning Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Activate Learning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Activate Learning develops and distributes investigation-centered K-12 and college science curricula (PRIME, IQWST, OpenSciEd, Active Chemistry, Active Physics, EarthComm, Engineering the Future), mathematics programs (IMP, Meaningful Math), and college-level physics and life science programs. Curricula are delivered via the proprietary Activate Learning Digital Platform (ALDP) and accompanied by physical science kits, e-book applications, professional learning services for educators, and the Activate Learning Insight assessment engine.
Product overview
Activate Learning is an education technology company offering a platform-plus-curriculum architecture centered on the Activate Learning Digital Platform, which delivers NGSS-aligned science curriculum through web and e-Book applications. The product portfolio includes K-12 science curricula (Activate Learning Prime for elementary, IQWST and OpenSciEd for middle school, Active Chemistry, Active Physics, EarthComm, and Engineering the Future for high school), high school mathematics programs (Interactive Mathematics Program and Meaningful Math), and college-level science curricula for teacher preparation (Next Generation PET, Physics & Everyday Thinking, Physical Science & Everyday Thinking, Learning Physical Science, and Life Science & Everyday Thinking). Supporting offerings include classroom science kits, professional learning services, and supplemental assessment tools (Activate Learning Insight). The platform integrates with major LMS systems (Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas) and SIS rostering systems (Clever, PowerSchool, Infinite Campus, and others) for seamless school district deployment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Activate Learning Digital Platform (ALDP)
- Activate Learning Prime (PRIME)
- OpenSciEd
- IQWST (Investigating and Questioning our World through Science and Technology)
- Active Chemistry
- Active Physics
- Active Physical Science
- EarthComm
- Engineering the Future
- Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP)
- Meaningful Math
- Next Generation Physics & Everyday Thinking (Next Gen PET)
- Physics & Everyday Thinking (PET)
- Physical Science & Everyday Thinking (PSET)
- Learning Physical Science (LSP)
- Life Science & Everyday Thinking (LSET)
- Science Kits
- Professional Learning Services
- Activate Learning Insight
- E-Book Application
Quantifiable outcome
- Teachers report saving significant prep time with easy-to-access digital platform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Activate Learning
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Activate Learning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
AI capability2 records
Feature7 records
Activate Learning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Activate Learning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Savvas Learning Company: Major K-12 publisher (formerly Pearson K-12) offering NGSS-aligned science curricula (e.g., Elevate Science), digital platforms, and professional learning. Directly comparable to Activate Learning in targeting school districts with comprehensive science programs and integrated LMS workflows.
- McGraw-Hill Education: Large-scale K-12 publisher with Inspire Science curriculum and a digital learning platform. Competes head-to-head with Activate Learning in NGSS-aligned middle and high school science and shares the same district-procurement GTM.
- Amplify: K-12 digital curriculum provider with Amplify Science (a derivative of UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science program). Closely comparable in NGSS-aligned, phenomena-driven science curriculum delivered via a digital platform.
- Carolina Biological Supply Company: Long-established supplier of science kits and curriculum for K-12 classrooms, with hands-on investigation programs that overlap directly with Activate Learning's kit-and-curriculum model.
- Lab-Aids: Developer of NGSS-aligned science kits and curricula including the SEPUP program. A smaller, science-focused publisher with a similar kit-plus-curriculum model and K-12 district GTM.
- Discovery Education: Provider of K-12 digital science content, streaming media, and a learning platform. Comparable in the digital-delivery and professional learning layers, though broader across subjects.
Broad incumbents
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH): Major K-12 publisher across ELA, math, and science with HMH Science Dimensions. Overlaps with Activate Learning in middle and high school science but offers a far broader subject portfolio.
- Cengage Group: Large educational content and technology company with K-12 and higher-ed science offerings, including National Geographic Learning. Comparable in curriculum-and-platform delivery but operates across a much wider portfolio.
Emerging players
- PASCO Scientific: Specialist in probeware, data loggers, and science teaching equipment with growing curriculum software (SPARKvue). Comparable in the inquiry-centered science and kits/equipment layer, though more hardware-led.
Others
- OpenSciEd: Non-profit developing open-source NGSS-aligned middle school science curricula (Activate Learning offers a 'Certified Version'). Not a direct competitor — more of a partner/upstream open-source project — but a relevant comparable for understanding the underlying curriculum Activate Learning commercializes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Activate Learning social profiles
Digital presenceActivate Learning compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Activate Learning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Activate Learning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Activate Learning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Activate Learning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Activate Learning
What does Activate Learning do?
Activate Learning develops and distributes investigation-centered K-12 and college science curricula (PRIME, IQWST, OpenSciEd, Active Chemistry, Active Physics, EarthComm, Engineering the Future), mathematics programs (IMP, Meaningful Math), and college-level physics and life science programs. Curricula are delivered via the proprietary Activate Learning Digital Platform (ALDP) and accompanied by physical science kits, e-book applications, professional learning services for educators, and the Activate Learning Insight assessment engine.
Is Activate Learning a public or private company?
Activate Learning is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Activate Learning founded?
Activate Learning was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Activate Learning based?
Activate Learning is headquartered in Greenwich, United States, in the North America region.
How does Activate Learning make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Curriculum Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Platform Licensing and professional Learning Services.
Who are Activate Learning's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Savvas Learning Company, McGraw-Hill Education, Amplify, Carolina Biological Supply Company, Lab-Aids and Discovery Education. Broad incumbents are Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) and Cengage Group. PASCO Scientific is listed as an emerging player. OpenSciEd is listed as an others.
Does Activate Learning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Activate Learning.
What industry is Activate Learning in?
Activate Learning's product category is K-12 Science Curriculum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFACAA, Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units), with a secondary code of EDAFANAH, Math & Science Interactive Learning Platforms (STEM Core). Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 8200.