Penda

What Penda does

Penda Learning (legal entity: Learning 2020, Inc.) is a cloud-based K-12 science intervention platform, headquartered in Stuart, Florida, that serves schools and districts across the United States for grades 3 through high school biology. The platform delivers 900+ hand-crafted, gamified science activities that are aligned to three major state frameworks (Next Generation Science Standards, Texas TEKS, and Florida SASS) and integrates 100+ PhET Interactive Simulations from the University of Colorado Boulder. The product surface is composed of a core platform (Assessment Suite, Report Builder, RTI/MTSS Tools) plus add-on modules including the Pacing Assistance Service (PAS), Activity Builder authoring tool, Vernier Connections hardware integration, and the Cosmos AI Instructional Assistant launched in April 2026. The platform is built on AWS infrastructure and is delivered through LTI 1.3 Advantage integrations with Canvas and Schoology, with single sign-on and auto-rostering via ClassLink and Clever.

Penda operates as a private, founder-led company (CEO Brad Baird) with 51-100 employees and no disclosed external funding or institutional ownership. Revenue is generated through subscription licensing sold via a direct sales motion targeting school and district administrators, with contract periods of 10-24 months, annual payment terms, and 45-day invoicing cycles. GTM combines sales-led district procurement with product-led onboarding (teacher- and student-level portals, Welcome/Onboarding Packs) and is supported by a multi-channel marketing program spanning content marketing, email campaigns via MailChimp, social media, conference presence (including the iSTEM-ED 2025 Conference in Thailand), and earned media (Time Magazine Top 250 EdTech Companies 2026, #14; 2025 CODiE Award for Best Gamification in a Learning Tool; 2026 CODiE finalist in two categories). Named customers include Hillsborough County Public Schools, Osceola County Public Schools, Allen ISD, Clay County School District, Sangre de Cristo School District, and Duval Charter Scholars Academy, indicating meaningful district-level penetration concentrated in Florida with expansion into Texas and Colorado. The company is FERPA- and COPPA-compliant, committed to WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility, and runs on AWS data centers compliant with ISO 27001.

Name

Penda

Legal name

Learning 2020, Inc.

Website

https://pendalearning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Penda Learning is a cloud-based K-12 science intervention platform serving grades 3-12 across U.S. school districts, offering 900+ gamified, standards-aligned activities (NGSS, TEKS, SASS), the Cosmos AI tutor, automated pacing, and integrated reporting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Educational Software

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA), Adaptive Learning & Personalized Instruction Software (EDAJAMAE), Interactive Practice & Skill-Building (Drills, Games, Mastery Practice) (EDAFACAC)

Keywords

• K-12 science curriculum
• Gamified learning platform
• Educational intervention software
• Standards-aligned content
• AI tutoring assistant

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuart

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. School/District Subscription Licensing: Subscription-based licensing model for schools and districts, with Contract Periods of 10-24 months and Renewal Periods of similar duration. Annual payment basis with 45-day payment terms from invoice receipt. Credits accepted for bulk purchase agreements when districts negotiate separate agreements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Penda Learning operates a cloud-based K-12 science intervention platform for grades 3 through high school, delivering 900+ standards-aligned gamified science activities aligned to NGSS, Texas TEKS, and Florida SASS standards. The platform combines phenomena-based interactive content with PhET simulations, an AI-powered Cosmos instructional assistant, automated grading, and RTI/MTSS-aligned reporting, sold on a subscription licensing basis to school districts and schools.

Product overview

Penda Learning is a cloud-based K-12 science intervention platform designed for grades 3 through biology. The platform operates as a unified system combining gamified science activities, AI-powered instruction, automated assignments, and comprehensive reporting. The core platform includes over 900 standards-aligned activities integrated with PhET interactive simulations, supported by the Assessment Suite, Report Builder, and RTI/MTSS tools. Key modules include Cosmos AI Instructional Assistant (add-on AI tutor), Pacing Assistance Service (automated assignment customization), Activity Builder (content authoring), and Vernier Connections (sensor integration). All content aligns to NGSS, Texas TEKS, and Florida SASS standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cosmos: AI-powered instructional assistant integrated into the K-12 science platform, designed to provide students with structured, in-the-moment academic support without giving away answers. Cosmos guides students through pre-set prompts to help them understand questions, explain concepts, offer hints, or suggest problem-solving strategies.

Products and services

• Penda Learning Platform A cloud-based K-12 science intervention platform for grades 3 through biology, featuring gamified activities, PhET interactive simulations, automated assignments, and comprehensive reporting aligned to NGSS, Texas TEKS, and Florida SASS standards. Sold to school districts and schools.
• Cosmos AI Instructional Assistant AI-powered instructional assistant integrated into the K-12 science platform that guides students through pre-set prompts to understand questions, explain concepts, offer hints, and suggest problem-solving strategies, while giving teachers visibility into where students need help.
• Pacing Assistance Service (PAS) Customization service that aligns Penda's gamified science activities and assessments to district-specific scope and sequence documents, then auto-assigns them to students to reduce teacher workload.
• Vernier Connections Integration with Vernier Science Education hardware and sensors that enables real-world data collection and analysis within Penda's science activities for enhanced hands-on learning experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20.7% increase in science knowledge
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability6 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vernier Science EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2025Vernier Connections Powered by Penda - a strategic partnership announced March 24, 2025, integrating Vernier Science Education's lab sensors and data-collection technology with Penda's digital science platform for enhanced hands-on science learning experiences.
• Successful Practices NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2020Professional development partnership providing educators with online teaching skills training combined with Penda Learning's digital science platform.
• Schlechty CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2020Partnership with Schlechty Center providing guidance for creating and implementing quality distance learning, referenced in Penda's pandemic-era educational content.
• PhET Interactive Simulations (University of Colorado Boulder)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration of 100+ PhET virtual simulations into the Penda platform, enabling students to explore and interact with scientific concepts through virtual lab experiences.
• Canvas LMS (Instructure)coreTechnology or IntegrationLTI 1.3 Advantage integration allowing seamless access to Penda Science within Canvas LMS ecosystem without leaving the Canvas environment.
• Schoology LMS (PowerSchool)coreTechnology or IntegrationLTI 1.3 Advantage integration enabling Penda Science to be accessed seamlessly within Schoology LMS environment.
• ClassLinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationClassLink single sign-on and auto-data rostering integration enabling district-wide provisioning through existing ClassLink infrastructure.
• ClevercoreTechnology or IntegrationClever Instant Login and auto-data rostering integration enabling district-wide provisioning through existing Clever infrastructure.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BrainPOP: BrainPOP delivers K-12 digital curriculum across multiple subjects including science, with gamified animated content. Directly comparable to Penda as a standards-aligned K-12 digital content platform serving similar district buyers, though BrainPOP covers more subjects beyond science.
• Discovery Education: Discovery Education provides K-12 digital instructional content including a strong science portfolio, sold via district subscriptions with LMS integration. Comparable to Penda in buyer, delivery model, and science emphasis, but covers a broader subject range.
• Amplify: Amplify offers full K-12 curricula including Amplify Science, sold via district multi-year contracts with PD and assessment components. Direct peer given Penda's standards-aligned science curriculum, assessment suite, and district sales motion.
• Generation Genius: Generation Genius is a K-8 science education platform using video, activities, and NGSS-aligned content, sold to schools and districts. Highly comparable to Penda in subject focus (science), grade range, standards alignment, and district subscription GTM.
• Mystery Science: Mystery Science (now part of TPT) provides NGSS-aligned K-5 science lessons via short video-based phenomena and discussion prompts. Comparable to Penda as a standards-aligned, phenomena-based K-12 science curriculum focused on engagement and accessibility.

Emerging players

• Newsela: Newsela offers leveled instructional content including science, with AI features and formative assessment. Partially comparable to Penda given Penda's reading-comprehension scaffolding in science, though Newsela's primary positioning is literacy across subjects.
• Nearpod: Nearpod provides K-12 interactive lessons, videos, and assessments with real-time formative data, with LMS integration comparable to Penda's LTI 1.3 Advantage stack. Adjacent rather than direct given Nearpod's cross-subject positioning vs Penda's science depth.

Broad incumbents

• IXL Learning: IXL Learning is a broad K-12 incumbent covering math, ELA, science, and social studies with adaptive practice, assessments, and district analytics. Comparable as a K-12 instructional content platform with subscription district GTM, but operates at much larger scale across many subjects.
• Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning is a large K-12 EdTech incumbent with curriculum, assessment, and intervention products across multiple subjects. Comparable to Penda as a K-12 instructional content and intervention vendor selling to districts, though with significantly broader product portfolio.

Others

• Kahoot!: Kahoot! is a gamified learning platform widely used in K-12 classrooms including for science review. Comparable to Penda on the gamification dimension (which won Penda the 2025 CODiE for Best Gamification), but Kahoot is an authoring/assessment tool rather than a deep curriculum provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PendaLearning
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUzRkdTr6LMuOBnP_PpZr3Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/pendalearning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penda-learning
• Instagraminstagram.com/pendalearning

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Penda