Educational Development Corporation

What Educational Development Corporation does

Educational Development Corporation (NASDAQ: EDUC) is a US-domiciled, Oklahoma-incorporated publicly traded children's publishing and educational products company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company builds its business around a portfolio of wholly-owned and exclusively distributed content and product brands — Kane Miller Books (international, award-winning children's literature, owned since 1984), Learning Wrap-Ups (educational manipulatives with patented self-correcting features, since 1982), and SmartLab Toys (STEAM-based toys and games for ages 6-14, since 2004) — plus an exclusive US multi-level marketing distribution license for Usborne Publishing Limited's children's books, a two-time industry-recognized Children's Publisher of the Year.

EDC operates two reporting segments that define its go-to-market and revenue mechanics. The PaperPie home-business division sells direct-to-consumer through a distributed network of Independent Brand Partners who transact via in-home parties, social media, book fairs, schools, and public libraries, supported by a PaperPie.com e-commerce storefront and a Faire Direct wholesale marketplace listing for independent retailers. The retail division markets wholesale to bookstores (including major national chains), toy stores, specialty stores, and museums across the United States, with supplemental digital channels including an online retail catalog.

The company's underlying technology stack is primarily physical-product and publishing-focused rather than software-focused: proprietary content libraries, patented self-correcting manipulative designs in the Learning Wrap-Ups line, and relationship/commission-driven MLM channel infrastructure. There is no disclosed AI/ML, software platform, or API offering. Revenue is generated through two distinct mechanics — recurring/commission-driven D2C sales via Independent Brand Partners and transactional wholesale sales to retail accounts — though no specific pricing, unit economics, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed in the available source data.

Name

Educational Development Corporation

Legal name

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, INC.

Website

https://edcpub.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Educational Development Corporation is a publicly traded US children's publishing and educational products company that owns Kane Miller Books, Learning Wrap-Ups, and SmartLab Toys, and exclusively distributes Usborne Publishing in the US, selling through MLM Brand Partners and a retail division to bookstores, schools, and families nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Other Publishers (51319), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Blankbooks, Looseleaf Binders & Bookbindg & Relatd Work (2780)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Activity & Workbook Publishing (MPAJAFAG), Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO), Children’s Books & Educational Readers Retail (CRALAAAD)

Keywords

• Children's book publishing
• Educational toys wholesale
• MLM direct sales
• Learning manipulatives
• STEAM educational products

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. PaperPie (Home Business Division): Direct-to-consumer sales of children's books and educational materials through Independent Brand Partners who sell via parties, social media, book fairs, schools, and public libraries.
2. Retail Division: B2B sales of books and educational products to bookstores, toy stores, specialty stores, and museums throughout the country.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Educational Development Corporation publishes and distributes children's books and educational products. The company owns and exclusively publishes Kane Miller Books (international children's literature), Learning Wrap-Ups (educational manipulatives), and SmartLab Toys (STEAM-based toys), and holds exclusive U.S. distribution rights for Usborne Publishing Limited children's books. Products are sold through two segments: PaperPie (D2C via Independent Brand Partners) and a retail division serving bookstores, toy stores, specialty stores, and museums.

Product overview

Educational Development Corporation (EDC) operates as a children's publishing company with a portfolio of owned and distributed brands. The company owns Kane Miller Books (award-winning international children's books since 1984), Learning Wrap-Ups (hands-on educational manipulatives since 1982), and SmartLab Toys (STEAM-based educational toys since 2004). EDC also serves as the exclusive United States MLM distributor of Usborne Publishing Limited children's books. The company sells through two business segments: PaperPie (direct-to-consumer home business division) and a retail division serving bookstores, toy stores, and specialty stores nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PaperPie: Home business division selling direct to consumer through Independent Brand Partners, offering books and educational materials through parties, social media, book fairs, schools, and public libraries
• Kane Miller Books
• Learning Wrap-Ups
• SmartLab Toys
• Usborne Books

Products and services

• Kane Miller Books Award-winning international children's books published by EDC since 1984, covering fiction, fantasy, science, and educational content for children.
• Learning Wrap-Ups Hands-on educational manipulatives for mastering math and reading skills, featuring patented self-correcting designs that engage multiple learning senses; popular in schools and with homeschooling families.
• SmartLab Toys STEAM-based educational toys and games for children ages 6-14, featuring hands-on experiments, interactive activities, and science content packaged with kid-friendly illustrated booklets.
• Usborne Publishing Books Children's books from Usborne Publishing Limited, exclusively distributed in the United States through EDC's PaperPie MLM channel; includes activity books, science and history encyclopedias, and bedtime stories.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Usborne Publishing LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEDC is the exclusive United States MLM distributor of Usborne Publishing Limited children's books. Usborne has been named Children's Publisher of the Year twice and has been making compelling books for children for over 50 years.
• Kane Miller BookscoreOthersEDC owns and is the exclusive publisher of Kane Miller Books since 1984. Kane Miller specializes in award-winning children's books from around the world.
• Learning Wrap-UpscoreOthersEDC owns Learning Wrap-Ups, maker of educational manipulatives since 1982. Products feature patented self-correcting features and are popular in schools worldwide and with homeschooling families.
• SmartLab ToyscoreOthersEDC owns SmartLab Toys, maker of STEAM-based toys and games since 2004. Products inspire imagination through hands-on experiments and creative learning.
• Faire DirectminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEDC maintains a presence on Faire Direct, a wholesale marketplace where independent retailers can purchase EDC publishing products directly.
• PaperPie Brand PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent Brand Partners who sell EDC products (books and educational materials) through parties, social media, book fairs, schools, and public libraries nationwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Usborne Publishing: EDC's exclusive US content partner; comparable as a globally-recognized children's book publisher with multi-decade catalog history and multiple Children's Publisher of the Year awards, though operating internationally rather than through a US MLM channel.
• HarperCollins Children's Books: Broad incumbent with a major children's imprint competing across the same educational, picture book, and middle grade categories as EDC, with materially greater marketing and author-acquisition resources.
• Penguin Random House Children's: Broad incumbent publisher of children's books including picture books, middle grade, and YA. Operates at much larger scale but directly competes for shelf space, educator attention, and consumer mindshare across the same children's categories as EDC.

Direct peers

• Highlights for Children: Direct peer as a long-tenured children's books and educational products publisher selling through subscription, retail, and direct channels—comparable to EDC in audience, content type (children's activity/educational books), and multi-channel go-to-market.
• Scholastic Corporation: Direct peer as a children's book publisher and distributor that operates book fairs, school-based channels, and direct-to-consumer sales—closely mirroring EDC's PaperPie schools-and-libraries go-to-market and retail bookstore presence.
• School Specialty: Distributor of educational supplies, curriculum products, and classroom learning materials to schools—directly comparable to EDC's school and library channels, especially for Learning Wrap-Ups and SmartLab classroom placements.
• Candlewick Press: Independent children's book publisher with similar trade and educational positioning, comparable to EDC in catalog focus on illustrated and educational children's titles distributed through retail and direct channels.
• Barefoot Books: Direct peer as an independent children's book publisher that historically combined illustrated children's titles with consultant-style direct sales channels—closely comparable to EDC's mix of educational book publishing and home-party/consultant distribution.

Emerging players

• LeapFrog (VTech): Comparable as a designer and marketer of educational learning products for children focused on literacy and numeracy skills—overlapping with EDC's Learning Wrap-Ups and SmartLab categories in the educational learning-toys space.
• Melissa & Doug: Comparable in the children's educational toys and manipulatives category; overlaps with SmartLab Toys' STEAM and hands-on learning positioning and shares EDC's toy-store and specialty retail distribution footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/271194800088570
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/educational-development-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Educational Development Corporation