Matio

What Matio does

MATIO, formerly Kids Kicking Cancer, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1999 and headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. It provides an evidence-based, non-pharmacological therapeutic martial arts program for children ages 3 through young adulthood who are living with pediatric illness, as well as their siblings, parents, and grandparents. The core offering is the MATIO Method, a proprietary martial arts-based therapeutic framework designed to manage stress, pain, and trauma while restoring confidence and building resilience. The program follows a three-stage model — Come as a patient, Learn as a student, Emerge as a teacher — designed to transition participants from recipients of care into mentors for newer enrollees.

The organization delivers its program through multiple modules: in-person sessions, virtual sessions, a Student Community, a Parent Community, Camp Programming, and a Medical Community program that engages healthcare providers for referrals. Programs are offered at no cost to families and are funded entirely through charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. There is no disclosed pricing model, no fee-for-service revenue, and no commercial product line. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed in available source materials.

MATIO operates domestically in the United States and extends its reach internationally through affiliated partner organizations in Canada, Israel, Italy, and South Africa, giving it a presence in four countries. The organization maintains a broad social media footprint across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and X, and has earned recognition from Charity Navigator and Candid. The organization recently rebranded from Kids Kicking Cancer to MATIO (Martial Arts Therapy. Inside & Out.) to align its identity with the proprietary therapeutic method rather than the disease-specific legacy name.

Name

Matio

Legal name

Kids Kicking Cancer

Website

https://heroescircle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MATIO (formerly Kids Kicking Cancer) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers an evidence-based martial arts therapy program free of charge to children with pediatric illness, their siblings, and families, operating in the United States and three additional countries through partner organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Southfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Gifts: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, MATIO is funded through charitable donations and gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The organization offers its therapeutic martial arts program at no cost to families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MATIO (formerly Kids Kicking Cancer) delivers an evidence-based, non-pharmacological therapeutic martial arts program for children ages 3 through young adulthood dealing with pediatric illness, including siblings. The MATIO Method combines martial arts techniques with a therapeutic framework to help children manage stress, pain, and trauma, and is offered in-person and virtually at no cost to families. The organization also runs community programs for parents, specialized camp programming, and partnerships with the medical community.

Product overview

MATIO (Martial Arts Therapy. Inside & Out.) is a non-profit organization offering an evidence-based therapeutic martial arts program for children with pediatric illness. Formerly known as Kids Kicking Cancer, the organization provides its core MATIO Method through both in-person and virtual delivery channels. The program serves children ages 3 through young adulthood, including siblings, at no cost to families. Key program components include the MATIO Method therapeutic approach, Student Community, Parent Community, Camp Programming, and Medical Community support. The program follows a three-stage commitment model: Come as a patient, Learn as a student, and Emerge as a teacher.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MATIO Method An evidence-based therapeutic martial arts approach that helps children manage stress, pain, and trauma associated with pediatric illness. The method emphasizes ownership, choice, and power in the healing process, restoring confidence and building resilience.
• In-Person Therapeutic Martial Arts Program Hands-on martial arts therapy sessions conducted at physical locations, designed for children with pediatric illness ages 3 through young adulthood, including siblings.
• Virtual Therapeutic Martial Arts Program Remote martial arts therapy sessions offered via video, making the program accessible to families who cannot attend in-person sessions.
• Camp Programming Specialized camp programs offering immersive therapeutic martial arts experiences for children with pediatric illness.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Kids Kicking Cancer CanadacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational partner organization operating the MATIO therapeutic martial arts program in Canada, extending the organization's geographic reach to serve children with pediatric illness internationally.
• Kids Kicking Cancer Israel (KKCI)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational partner organization operating the MATIO therapeutic martial arts program in Israel, serving as a key international expansion of the organization's mission.
• Kids Kicking Cancer Italy (KKC Italia)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational partner organization operating the MATIO therapeutic martial arts program in Italy, extending services to European families dealing with pediatric illness.
• Kids Kicking Cancer South AfricacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational partner organization operating the MATIO therapeutic martial arts program in South Africa, providing services to African families and children with pediatric illness.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Make-A-Wish Foundation: Non-profit granting wishes to children with critical illnesses. Comparable to MATIO in serving children with pediatric illness and providing emotional support to families, though Make-A-Wish focuses on experience-based wishes rather than ongoing therapy.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Non-profit funding childhood cancer research and family support programs. Comparable to MATIO in targeting children with cancer and supporting families through the illness journey via community-based services and fundraising.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: Non-profit providing programs (entertainment, gaming, distraction tools) for hospitalized children and their families. Comparable to MATIO as a mission-driven nonprofit delivering non-medical supportive services to children with serious illnesses through community-based programs.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities: Non-profit providing housing and supportive services for families of seriously ill children near hospitals. Comparable to MATIO in supporting the broader family system affected by pediatric illness through community-based programs.
• National Children's Cancer Society: Non-profit providing direct support to children with cancer and their families, including financial assistance and educational resources. Comparable to MATIO in serving children with cancer and their families through community-based support services.
• National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: Non-profit focused on pediatric cancer research and family support. Comparable to MATIO in serving children with pediatric cancer through complementary programs that address non-medical needs of patients and families.
• American Childhood Cancer Organization: Non-profit advocating for and supporting children with cancer and their families. Comparable to MATIO in serving the pediatric cancer community through education, awareness, and direct family support programs.
• CureSearch for Children's Cancer: Non-profit funding childhood cancer research and supporting affected families. Comparable to MATIO in addressing the pediatric cancer population, although CureSearch is more research-oriented and less focused on direct therapeutic programming.
• Children's Brain Tumor Foundation: Non-profit supporting children with brain tumors and their families. Comparable to MATIO in serving children with serious pediatric illness and providing family-centered community support alongside research funding.

Broad incumbents

• Livestrong Foundation: Non-profit providing cancer support services to patients and survivors. Comparable to MATIO in offering non-pharmacological, emotional support for cancer-affected populations, though operating at much broader scope and larger scale across all ages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kidskickcancer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OfficialMATIO
• Facebookfacebook.com/officialMATIO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/officialmatio
• Instagraminstagram.com/officialmatio
• TikToktiktok.com/@officialmatio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Matio