Robbo

What Robbo does

Robbo (legally ROBBO FINLAND Oy) is a Finnish educational technology company founded in 2015 that sells an integrated STEM/STEAM robotics and coding ecosystem for children aged roughly 5 to 18. The core technology stack is open-source Arduino-compatible hardware, most notably the ROBBO Robot kit with magnetic-mount sensors and the entry-level ROBBO Lab, paired with a proprietary visual programming environment called RobboScratch (adapted from MIT Scratch) and a pictographic RobboJunior language for pre-readers. The company layers a comprehensive Pedagogical Guide of 30+ tested exercises co-developed with the University of Helsinki and Innokas Network, a free E-course for Teachers, and add-on modules such as the Q-Fab 3D printer/CNC/laser tool, the Electronics Education Kit, and the Sensors for Lab expansion.

The business model is a hybrid of hardware sales (through robbo.world and Amazon), franchise licensing via two branded formats (ROBBO Club afterschool centers and ROBBO Class embedded-institution programs), and a freemium teacher training layer with a paid e-certificate. Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, with regional subsidiaries in Japan (Tokyo and Fukuoka) and China (Nanjing), Robbo reports a presence in 37+ countries and operates the International Scratch Olympiad across 40 countries, reaching 4,800+ applications in 2023. Notable customers include 25 Finnish schools (via the We Foundation donation), Caxton College (Spain), NIIT (Nigeria), Highlander Open School (Nigeria), and the City of Espoo; the company is governed by an international team with CEO Maria Hakkarainen (Finland), Ninomiya Yasuo (Japan), and Jessica Chen (China), and is founder-led by Pavel Frolov, with no disclosed institutional venture capital funding.

Name

Robbo

Legal name

ROBBO FINLAND Oy

Website

https://robbo.world

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Robbo is a Finnish EdTech company founded in 2015 that sells Arduino-based educational robotics kits, a proprietary RobboScratch visual programming environment, and a 30+ exercise STEM curriculum to K-12 schools, franchisees, and teachers across 37+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Robotics / STEM Education

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Software Publishers (5132), Computer Terminal and Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (334118)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)

akta.pro primary industry

Robotics Learning Platforms (EDAFANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused) (EDAMADAN), Math & STEM Learning Technology (incl. Coding/Robotics Platforms) (EDAJAMAG), Educational & Hobby Robotics Kits (Consumer) (CRACARAG)

Keywords

• Educational robotics
• STEM education kits
• Visual programming software
• Robotics curriculum
• EdTech hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Espoo

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Robotics Hardware Sales: Sale of ROBBO Robot kit, Lab, Sensors, Electronics education kit, Q-Fab, and Dancing robot products to schools, institutions, and consumers through direct website and Amazon marketplace.
2. Franchise Licensing: ROBBO Club (standalone afterschool centers) and ROBBO Class (institutional partnerships) franchise model generating recurring franchise fees from global network of 37+ country operations.
3. E-course for Teachers: Free online teacher training course in robotics programming (RobboScratch 3.0, Circuit Design, 3D Modeling) with optional paid e-certificate upon completion.
4. Educational Materials: Sale of Pedagogical Guide and supplementary teaching materials developed with University of Helsinki and Innokas Network.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Robbo sells open-source Arduino-based educational robotics hardware (Robot kit, Lab, sensors, Q-Fab 3D printer, Dancing Robot) and proprietary RobboScratch visual programming software, bundled with a Finnish-developed STREAM curriculum and teacher training. Distribution occurs through direct website sales, Amazon, school/institutional partnerships, and a global franchise network of ROBBO Club afterschool centers and ROBBO Class institutional programs in 37+ countries.

Product overview

ROBBO offers an integrated educational robotics ecosystem centered on its core products: ROBBO Lab (entry-level educational robot for teaching programming and microelectronics) and ROBBO Robot kit (comprehensive robot construction kit with magnetic-mount sensors). These are supplemented by add-on modules including ROBBO Sensors for Lab (for STEAM projects), ROBBO Electronics Education Kit (Arduino-based circuit training), ROBBO Q-Fab (multifunctional 3D printer/CNC/laser engraver), and ROBBO Dancing Robot (interactive companion robot). The ecosystem is supported by RobboScratch visual programming software, comprehensive Pedagogical Guide with 30+ exercises, and free E-course for Teachers covering programming, circuit design, and 3D modeling. ROBBO Club Simulator provides business simulation for franchisees, and the company organizes the International Scratch Olympiad competition globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ROBBO Club: ROBBO's franchise robotics afterschool centers offering coding and robotics education for children
• ROBBO Class
• RobboScratch 3.0
• ROBBO Academy Future Skills
• ROBBO Club Simulator

Products and services

• ROBBO Lab Entry-level educational robot for teaching programming, microelectronics, and circuitry through visual programming languages (RobboScratch and Processing) without prior programming knowledge. Designed for K-12 students and educational institutions.
• ROBBO Robot kit Comprehensive robot construction kit with five magnetic-mount sensors and LED light. Enables students to build and program multiple robot configurations for teaching mobile robotics, physics, and programming. Targets K-12 schools, institutions, and home consumers.
• ROBBO Sensors for Lab Expansion sensor set for ROBBO Lab that enables STEAM projects, including a temperature sensor (-40 to +125°C) and crocodile clips for voltage measurement (0.1 to 5V). For STEM classrooms and advanced ROBBO Lab users.
• ROBBO Electronics Education Kit Set of 100 electronic components connected via solderless breadboard to an Arduino microcontroller for 40+ training projects teaching electronics basics, including LED programming, Ohm's Law, and smart home projects. For schools and electronics learners.
• ROBBO Q-Fab Multifunctional portable prototyping machine capable of 3D printing, CNC carving, and laser engraving, designed for manufacturing components in educational settings. For STEM classrooms and maker spaces.
• ROBBO Dancing Robot Interactive robot that walks, dances, makes sounds, and avoids obstacles; its body is 3D-printed and internal electronics connect without soldering, integrated with RobboScratch 3. Targets younger students and STEM engagement.
• RobboScratch Proprietary visual programming language based on MIT Scratch, adapted for programming ROBBO educational robots including Robot kit and Lab. Available as RobboScratch2 and RobboScratch3 versions. For students and teachers using ROBBO hardware.
• Pedagogical Guide Comprehensive educational tool with instructions, exercise cards, and ideas developed with Finnish teachers and University of Helsinki Innokas Network, containing over 30 tested exercises for teaching programming and robotics. For teachers and educational institutions.
• E-course for Teachers Free online teacher training course covering programming with RobboScratch 3.0, circuit design on Arduino IDE, and 3D modeling in Tinkercad and FreeCAD, with optional paid e-certificate upon completion. For teachers and educators globally.
• ROBBO Club Simulator Online business game simulating real ROBBO Club operation, helping potential franchisees understand business circumstances, opportunities, and obstacles of running a robotics afterschool center. Available in English for international partners. For prospective ROBBO Club franchisees.
• International Scratch Olympiad Annual international creative programming competition for children organized by Robbo, held across 40+ countries with national selection stages and awards ceremonies. For students, teachers, and partner schools worldwide.
• ROBBO Club / ROBBO Class Franchise Program Licensed franchise model for afterschool robotics centers (ROBBO Club) and in-school robotics programs (ROBBO Class), providing equipment, curriculum, teacher training, and the ROBBO Club Simulator for franchisees. For entrepreneurs and educational institutions globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 countries with 4800+ applications in Scratch Olympiad 2023, up from 35 countries and 2,479 applications in 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Aalto University, FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hosting visits for international delegations (Thai colleagues) showcasing robotics labs and European university facilities. Part of collaboration and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• NIIT, Port Harcourt, NigeriacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023ROBBO Class established at NIIT for robotics courses, serving as practical session base for University of Port Harcourt and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. NIIT has footprint across 40 nations.
• Highlander Open School, Lagos, NigeriacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023ROBBO Class providing robotics education for children aged 5-14 years including coding, IoT, mobile robotics, circuit design, and 3D technologies.
• City of Espoo, FinlandcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Hobby activity program under Youth Act providing free robotics education through ROBBO CLUB for students grades 3-10. Municipality procures services from ROBBO as qualified supplier in media and digital hobby services category.
• Tsunagaru EdutechminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 May 2021E-agreement for promoting and distributing each other's educational solutions. Focus on new markets in Chile, Spain, and South American Region. Tsunagaru specializes in digital transformation and learning services.
• We Foundation (Me-säätiö)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2016Partnership between Supercell founders' We Foundation and ROBBO for Koodausta kouluihin! (Coding to Schools) project. Donated 250 robot sets to 25 Finnish schools with teacher training. Project designed to support after-school clubs and provide equal learning opportunities for children.
• University of Helsinki / Innokas NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative development of Pedagogical Guide with over 30 exercises tested with Finnish teachers and students. Innokas Network coordinates national robotics tournaments and provides ongoing curriculum development support. 174 pupils and 9 teachers participated in design-based research project.
• Focus Academy, ThailandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEngineering centers partnership model in schools, colleges, and universities for nurturing future robotics engineers. Proposed collaboration with Thai Government for enhanced engineering education.
• WorlddidacminorOthersGolden membership in global trade association for educational resources industry. Provides access to trade missions, market information, voting rights, and Council membership eligibility.
• The London School of Mathematics and ProgrammingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHoliday robotics camp cooperation for children aged 6-12 years in London. Four intensive days with curriculum designed for young learners unlocking programming and robotics world.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Education: The dominant incumbent in educational robotics and STEAM learning, offering kits like SPIKE Prime and WeDo 2.0 used widely in K-12 classrooms globally. Directly competes with ROBBO for school procurement and curriculum integration, but operates at vastly larger scale and with broader product portfolio.
• Arduino Education: The open-source microcontroller platform underlying ROBBO's hardware, now offering its own K-12 STEAM kits (Arduino CTC, Engineering Kit). Adjacent incumbent that could either compete with or enable ROBBO depending on its product direction.

Direct peers

• VEX Robotics: Educational robotics platform used in K-12 schools and competition robotics (VEX IQ, VEX V5). Competes head-to-head with ROBBO for school adoptions and operates a similar competition-led ecosystem (VEX Robotics Competition), though with stronger North American presence.
• Wonder Workshop: U.S.-based educational robotics company behind Dash, Dot, and Cue robots used in K-5 STEM classrooms. Direct competitor in primary school coding/robotics curriculum with visual programming environments comparable to RobboScratch.
• Makeblock: Chinese-headquartered educational robotics company (mBot, Codey Rocky, mCreate) with broad K-12 school distribution in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Strongly comparable to ROBBO on Arduino-based open hardware and visual block programming, with much larger manufacturing scale.
• Sphero: Educational robotics company (now including littleBits) offering programmable robots (Sphero BOLT, Indi, littleBits STEAM Kits) used in K-12 classrooms. Competes with ROBBO in primary/secondary STEM curriculum and teacher training.
• Ozobot: Educational robotics company offering Bit and Evo robots with block-based and color-code programming for K-12 STEM. Comparable in targeting primary/secondary schools with compact, classroom-friendly robotics kits.
• Micro:bit Educational Foundation: Non-profit distributing the BBC micro:bit microcontroller for STEM education globally, with broad adoption in UK and European primary/secondary schools. Competes with ROBBO at the hardware + curriculum layer in K-12 programming education.

Emerging players

• Hummingbird Robotics: Carnegie Mellon spinoff offering robotics kits for K-12 STEAM education with visual programming (Snap!, BirdBlox). Smaller-scale direct competitor to ROBBO in primary/secondary school robotics curriculum.
• KUBO Robotics: Danish educational robotics company offering tagTile-based programmable robots for K-5 coding curricula. Comparable to ROBBO in its Scandinavian heritage, primary-school focus, and screen-free/block-based programming approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ROBBO_EdTech
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjkh5xz6SQUH9ehCP0Ck8Fw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ROBBO.WORLD
• Instagraminstagram.com/robbo.world

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Robbo