Big Ideas Learning
Big Ideas Learning is a family-owned K-12 mathematics curriculum publisher (Erie, PA) that designs the Math & YOU suite for U.S. schools and districts, distributed primarily through National Geographic Learning | Cengage School.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersErie, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Big Ideas Learning does
Big Ideas Learning is a privately-held, family-owned K-12 mathematics curriculum publisher headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania, and operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Larson Texts, Inc. Founded in 2008 by Dr. Ron Larson—an award-winning mathematics textbook author whose titles have sold over 35 million copies in the U.S. since 1978—the company designs and publishes the Math & YOU curriculum suite, which spans kindergarten through high school (Math & YOU K-8 and Math & YOU: Concepts & Connections). The curriculum emphasizes deep conceptual understanding, mathematical fluency, real-world problem-solving, and investigative activities, and is grounded in a Research-to-Practice Framework that incorporates NCTM's Eight Effective Teaching Practices, John Hattie's high-impact teaching strategies, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
The company's core products are delivered as both print and digital instructional materials and are supported by personalized professional development, educator workshops, and practical teaching guides. Its technology layer is content-centric rather than platform-native; there is no public API, SDK, or app product, and digital functionality is delivered through curriculum portals rather than as a standalone learning platform. The Math & YOU K-12 series became the first to earn all-green ratings from EdReports across all three review gateways for both K-8 and high school programs in early 2026.
Big Ideas Learning's business model is a hybrid of one-time curriculum licenses for print and digital instructional materials and recurring digital platform licensing through district-wide adoptions. Distribution is dominated by its long-term strategic partnership with National Geographic Learning | Cengage School, expanded in January 2025, which serves as the primary channel for K-12 market reach; the company also sells directly to schools and districts via its website and pursues state-level textbook adoptions. Customer concentration sits with U.S. K-12 school districts and state education boards, with notable wins including California State Board of Education approval (November 2025) and the highest Oklahoma State Textbook Committee rating.
Big Ideas Learning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Ideas Learning
- Legal name
- Big Ideas Learning, LLC
- Website
- https://bigideaslearning.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Big Ideas Learning is a family-owned K-12 mathematics curriculum publisher (Erie, PA) that designs the Math & YOU suite for U.S. schools and districts, distributed primarily through National Geographic Learning | Cengage School.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Ideas Learning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Mathematics Curriculum
- NAICS
- All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction (611699)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mathematics Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital/Blended K–12 Courseware & Interactive Textbooks (EDAGAAAJ), Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD), K–12 Digital Curriculum & Interactive Lessons (EDAGAEAA)
Keywords
Where Big Ideas Learning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Erie
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Big Ideas Learning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- K-12 Mathematics Curriculum Sales: Big Ideas Learning generates revenue through the sale of K-12 mathematics instructional materials (print and digital) distributed primarily through its partnership with National Geographic Learning | Cengage School. Revenue is derived from school and district adoptions, state textbook approvals, and direct school purchases.
- Digital Learning Platform Licensing: The company offers digital curriculum components that may be licensed to schools and districts on a subscription or perpetual basis as part of comprehensive instructional material adoptions.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Big Ideas Learning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Ideas Learning designs and publishes research-backed K-12 mathematics curriculum under the Math & YOU brand, covering kindergarten through high school in both print and digital instructional formats. The curriculum emphasizes conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and real-world problem solving, and is sold to schools, districts, and state education authorities through its partnership with National Geographic Learning | Cengage School and direct sales channels.
Product overview
Big Ideas Learning is a K-12 mathematics curriculum provider offering the Math & YOU suite—a unified platform comprising Math & YOU K-8 for elementary and middle school grades, and Math & YOU: Concepts & Connections for high school. Together, the Math & YOU K-12 suite provides a research-backed, vertically aligned curriculum designed to build students' deep conceptual understanding, mathematical fluency, and meaningful problem-solving skills through real-world applications, investigative activities, and mathematical discourse. The curriculum is distributed in partnership with National Geographic Learning | Cengage School.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Math & YOU: K-12 mathematics curriculum designed to support deep conceptual understanding, encourage meaningful mathematical discourse, and help students build critical thinking skills through real-world applications and authentic data.
Products and services
- Math & YOU K-8 Elementary and middle school mathematics curriculum for grades K-8 that builds deep conceptual understanding, mathematical fluency, and problem-solving skills through real-world applications and investigative activities. Designed for K-8 schools and districts seeking standards-aligned instructional materials.
- Math & YOU: Concepts & Connections High school mathematics curriculum that encourages meaningful instructional connections, deepening conceptual understanding and highlighting the relevance of mathematics through real-world contexts, STEM applications, careers, and authentic data. Designed for high schools and districts seeking rigorous, standards-aligned secondary math materials.
- Math & YOU K-12 Suite Comprehensive research-backed K-12 mathematics curriculum platform providing a connected learning experience across all grade levels, supporting deep conceptual understanding, mathematical discourse, and critical thinking skills from kindergarten through high school. Combines Math & YOU K-8 and Math & YOU: Concepts & Connections into a vertically aligned suite for school and district adoption.
Companies that use Big Ideas Learning
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Big Ideas Learning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Big Ideas Learning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Geographic Learning | Cengage SchoolcoreCengage Group's National Geographic Learning (NGL) announced an expansion of its long-term partnership with Big Ideas Learning in January 2025. The partnership aims to grow and enhance K-12 math offerings, address math learning loss, and improve educational outcomes amid declining test scores and international rankings. National Geographic Learning | Cengage School serves as the primary distribution channel for Big Ideas Learning's K-12 mathematics content, leveraging its established sales infrastructure and market reach. The partnership positions the combined entity to offer comprehensive mathematics solutions from elementary through college-level courses.
- DidaxminorDidax is listed as a partner on the Big Ideas Learning website (didax.com/bigideas), suggesting a secondary distribution or reseller relationship for educational materials. The exact nature and scope of this partnership is not detailed in the available source material.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Ideas Learning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carnegie Learning: Carnegie Learning provides K-12 mathematics curriculum and adaptive learning software (MATHia, MATHstream, Middle School Math Solution). It is a direct peer focused exclusively on math instruction with research-backed pedagogy, very comparable in target market and product scope to Big Ideas Learning's Math & YOU suite.
- Savvas Learning Company: Savvas Learning Company (formerly Pearson K-12) publishes enVision Mathematics, a leading K-12 math curriculum adopted widely across U.S. districts. Savvas is a direct peer competing for the same state adoption processes and district RFPs that Big Ideas Learning targets.
- Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning publishes Illustrative Mathematics and Imagine IM, K-12 math curricula with strong research grounding and EdReports recognition. It competes head-to-head with Math & YOU in state adoption reviews and district purchasing decisions.
- Curriculum Associates: Curriculum Associates publishes i-Ready Mathematics, a widely adopted K-8 math diagnostic and instructional program. It is a direct peer competing for math-focused district and state adoptions, particularly in supplemental and intervention contexts.
- CPM Educational Program: CPM Educational Program publishes Core Connections and other problem-based K-12 mathematics curricula. It is a direct peer with comparable curriculum philosophy, target customers (K-12 schools and districts), and math-only focus.
Broad incumbents
- McGraw-Hill Education: McGraw-Hill Education is a large incumbent publisher offering Reveal Math and Glencoe Math for K-12, alongside broader K-12 content. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Big Ideas Learning in math while also offering bundled ELA, science, and social studies solutions.
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: HMH publishes Into Math and other K-12 mathematics programs as part of a broad K-12 portfolio. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Big Ideas Learning for math adoptions and bundles math with other subjects for district-wide deals.
Emerging players
- Kendall Hunt: Kendall Hunt publishes K-12 mathematics programs including Illustrative Mathematics 6–8 and other curriculum titles. It is an emerging player in the K-12 math adoption market, competing for state-level adoptions similar to Big Ideas Learning.
- Zearn: Zearn provides a free, widely-used digital K-6 mathematics curriculum aligned with Eureka Math. As an emerging digital-first player, it represents both a competitor in digital math delivery and a potential partner/free-tier alternative that BIL must compete against for district mindshare.
Others
- National Geographic Learning | Cengage School: National Geographic Learning | Cengage School is Big Ideas Learning's primary distribution partner but also publishes its own K-12 mathematics programs. It is an ecosystem partner and adjacent publisher — comparable in market segment but serving a different role as BIL's go-to-market channel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Big Ideas Learning social profiles
Digital presenceBig Ideas Learning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Ideas Learning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Big Ideas Learning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Ideas Learning 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 Big Ideas Learning
What does Big Ideas Learning do?
Big Ideas Learning designs and publishes research-backed K-12 mathematics curriculum under the Math & YOU brand, covering kindergarten through high school in both print and digital instructional formats. The curriculum emphasizes conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and real-world problem solving, and is sold to schools, districts, and state education authorities through its partnership with National Geographic Learning | Cengage School and direct sales channels.
Is Big Ideas Learning a public or private company?
Big Ideas Learning is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Big Ideas Learning founded?
Big Ideas Learning was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big Ideas Learning based?
Big Ideas Learning is headquartered in Erie, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big Ideas Learning make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. K-12 Mathematics Curriculum Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital Learning Platform Licensing.
Who are Big Ideas Learning's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carnegie Learning, Savvas Learning Company, Imagine Learning, Curriculum Associates and CPM Educational Program. Broad incumbents are McGraw-Hill Education and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Emerging players are Kendall Hunt and Zearn. National Geographic Learning | Cengage School is listed as an others.
Does Big Ideas Learning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Ideas Learning.
What industry is Big Ideas Learning in?
Big Ideas Learning's product category is K-12 Mathematics Curriculum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAFAG, Mathematics Instruction (School-Delivered), with a secondary code of EDAGAAAJ, Digital/Blended K–12 Courseware & Interactive Textbooks. Its NAICS code is 611699 and its SIC code is 2731.