Sirius Thinking
Sirius Thinking, Ltd. is a New York-based, founder-led children's educational entertainment company founded in 1996 that develops Emmy-winning television series, web-based tutoring software, and curriculum-integrated media for K-3 literacy and social-emotional learning, distributed primarily through PBS, the Success for All Foundation, and U.S. Department of Education grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Sirius Thinking does
Sirius Thinking, Ltd. is a privately held, founder-led children's educational entertainment company founded in 1996 in New York City. The company applies a "multiple media" strategy spanning television, interactive software for computers, tablets, and mobile devices, animated and live-action video, music, spoken-word audio, and print, with a specialty in combining evidence-based educational content with animated and puppet characters. Its portfolio includes the Emmy-winning PBS literacy series Between the Lions, the PBS music series Lomax: The Hound of Music, the web-based Tutoring with the Lightning Squad program (co-developed with the Success for All Foundation and Sesame Workshop), Reading Between the Lions: Reading Roots 5th Edition, the Sirius Thinking Animated Dictionary with over 500 vocabulary videos, the Game Changers web-based literacy games, and the New INSIGHTS social-emotional learning program. Additional offerings include Interactive Math Storybooks from Speakaboos and Learning Apps from Teachley and Tiggly, plus a music catalog featuring songs from Between the Lions and Sesame Street.
Underlying technology is content-driven rather than platform-native, centered on curriculum-integrated media production, web-based tutoring software that enables a paraprofessional to serve up to six struggling readers with built-in assessments and prescribed next-step recommendations, and an innovative web-based Learning Portal that organizes video, games, and eBooks into playlists for teachers, parents, and students. Products have been validated through randomized studies at Johns Hopkins, University of Kansas, Harvard, Mississippi State, and the University of Pennsylvania, reporting outcomes such as a 2x growth rate for tutored students and a 32% mastery improvement in first-grade literacy skills after seven weeks of intervention.
Sirius Thinking monetizes through a mix of licensing and royalty arrangements and professional services. Revenue streams include U.S. Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research awards and Institute of Education Sciences grants, co-production licensing relationships with PBS, WGBH Boston, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and Connecticut Public Television for television series distribution, software licensing to schools via the Success for All Foundation network, and content collaboration services (music creation, audio production, sound design, character casting) for educational app companies and interactive eBook publishers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the company operates primarily through institutional channels — public broadcasting, schools, districts, and educational foundations — rather than direct consumer sales. Primary customer segments are children ages 4-7, K-3 educators and Title I schools, and families engaging with home-based literacy content.
Sirius Thinking firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sirius Thinking
- Legal name
- Sirius Thinking, Ltd.
- Website
- https://siriusthinking.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sirius Thinking, Ltd. is a New York-based, founder-led children's educational entertainment company founded in 1996 that develops Emmy-winning television series, web-based tutoring software, and curriculum-integrated media for K-3 literacy and social-emotional learning, distributed primarily through PBS, the Success for All Foundation, and U.S. Department of Education grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sirius Thinking industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Language Learning & Literacy Channels (MPABAKAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK), Interactive Learning Games & Gamified Courseware (EDAGALAL), Family Co-Viewing Educational Channels (MPABAKAL), Edutainment & Learning-Through-Play Channels (MPABAKAE)
Keywords
Where Sirius Thinking is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sirius Thinking business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Grants and SBIR Awards: Funding from U.S. Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research awards and Institute of Education Sciences grants to develop educational products.
- Broadcast and Production Partnerships: Co-production relationships with PBS, WGBH Boston, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and Connecticut Public Television for television series distribution.
- Educational Software Licensing: Licensing of tutoring software and educational programs to Success for All Foundation schools and other educational institutions.
- Content Collaborations: Music creation, audio production, and creative direction services for educational app companies and interactive eBook publishers.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sirius Thinking product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sirius Thinking creates and produces mission-driven children's educational entertainment using a 'multiple media' strategy spanning television, interactive software, animated and live-action video, music, spoken-word audio, and print. The company's specialty is developing projects that combine evidence-based educational content, particularly in early literacy and social-emotional learning, with appealing animated and puppet characters. Core products include Emmy Award-winning PBS literacy series (Between the Lions, Lomax: The Hound of Music), web-based tutoring software (Tutoring with the Lightning Squad), classroom curricula (Reading Between the Lions: Reading Roots, 5th Edition; Game Changers), and the Animated Dictionary of 500+ videos.
Product overview
Sirius Thinking is an educational entertainment company specializing in mission-driven children's content using a 'multiple media' strategy. The company operates as a portfolio of distinct products rather than a unified platform. Core offerings include Between the Lions (Emmy-winning PBS literacy TV series), Lomax: The Hound of Music (PBS music education series), Tutoring with the Lightning Squad (web-based literacy tutoring), Reading Between the Lions: Reading Roots (first grade classroom program), The Sirius Thinking Animated Dictionary (500+ animated vocabulary videos), Game Changers (web-based literacy games), and New INSIGHTS (social-emotional learning). Additional products include Interactive Math Storybooks from Speakaboos and Learning Apps from Teachley and Tiggly. Music content includes songs from Between the Lions and Sesame Street.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Tutored students' rate of growth was twice that of untutored students
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sirius Thinking
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Sirius Thinking technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Sirius Thinking partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WGBH BostoncoreCo-production partner for Between the Lions, one of the most successful PBS literacy education series. WGBH Boston is a major public television station and co-producer of educational content.
- Mississippi Public BroadcastingcoreCo-production partner in association with WGBH Boston and Sirius Thinking for Between the Lions.
- Success for All FoundationcoreLong-term collaboration partner on Tutoring with the Lightning Squad, Reading Between the Lions: Reading Roots 5th Edition, and Game Changers. Success for All Foundation provides network of schools using Reading Roots model.
- Sesame WorkshopcoreCollaboration on Tutoring with the Lightning Squad using characters from Sesame Workshop's popular literacy education television program The Electric Company.
- FlickerLabcoreTechnology and animation company founded by Harold Moss that collaborated on New INSIGHTS, Game Changers, Interactive Math Storybooks, and the Learning Portal web delivery system.
- Columbia Teachers CollegecoreAcademic partnership on Interactive Math Storybooks project with cognitive development psychologist Herbert Ginsburg, Ph.D., leading the effort.
- Connecticut Public TelevisioncoreCo-production partner with Sirius Thinking for Lomax: The Hound of Music PBS children's series.
- First BookcoreNon-profit partner planning to make Game Changers program available to its membership through the First Book Marketplace, targeting Title I schools.
- TeachleyminorEducational app company collaborated with Sirius on Addimal Adventure (Apple Design Award winner) providing character casting, sound design, audio direction and production.
- TigglyminorEducational app company combined classic toys with digital devices in products like Tiggly Shapes, Tiggly Math, and Tiggly Words. Sirius provided character casting, sound design, and audio direction.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sirius Thinking competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sesame Workshop: Sesame Workshop is the leading nonprofit children's educational entertainment organization behind Sesame Street. It is a direct peer in mission-driven children's edutainment, and Sirius Thinking collaborates with Sesame Workshop on Tutoring with the Lightning Squad using Electric Company characters.
- WGBH (now GBH): GBH (formerly WGBH Boston) is a major public broadcaster and co-producer of Between the Lions and Reading Roots 5th Edition with Sirius Thinking. It operates as a peer in PBS children's literacy content production and curriculum-integrated educational programming.
- Success for All Foundation: Success for All Foundation operates the Reading Roots school model and partners with Sirius Thinking on Lightning Squad, Reading Roots 5th Edition, and Game Changers. It is a direct peer in K-3 literacy intervention products distributed through school networks.
- Speakaboos: Speakaboos is an interactive eBook and educational literacy platform that co-developed Interactive Math Storybooks with Sirius Thinking. It is a direct peer in early-literacy digital content delivery to schools and families.
- Teachley: Teachley is an educational app company that collaborated with Sirius Thinking on Addimal Adventure (Apple Design Award winner). It is a direct peer in evidence-based elementary math and literacy apps distributed via app stores.
- FlickerLab: FlickerLab is an animation and interactive technology company that co-developed the Learning Portal, New INSIGHTS, Game Changers, and Interactive Math Storybooks with Sirius Thinking. It is a direct peer in producing web-delivered, animated educational content for early learners.
Broad incumbents
- PBS Kids: PBS Kids is the dominant US public broadcaster of children's educational content and Sirius Thinking's broadcast distributor for Between the Lions and Lomax. It is a broad incumbent in curriculum-aligned children's media and the primary reach channel for Sirius Thinking's TV properties.
- Jim Henson Productions: Jim Henson Productions is a major children's entertainment creator and a talent source for Sirius Thinking's team. It is a broad incumbent in puppetry-driven children's edutainment and a partial peer in the IP and production ecosystem Sirius Thinking operates in.
Emerging players
- First Book: First Book is a nonprofit that distributes educational resources to Title I schools via the First Book Marketplace, including Sirius Thinking's Game Changers. It is an emerging-style peer in Title I distribution that overlaps with Sirius Thinking's K-3 customer segment.
- Tiggly: Tiggly combines classic toys with digital devices in early-literacy and math apps (Tiggly Shapes, Tiggly Math, Tiggly Words) and has collaborated with Sirius Thinking on audio production. It is an emerging peer in the early-childhood educational app category.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sirius Thinking social profiles
Digital presenceSirius Thinking financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sirius Thinking leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sirius Thinking funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sirius Thinking 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 Sirius Thinking
What does Sirius Thinking do?
Sirius Thinking creates and produces mission-driven children's educational entertainment using a 'multiple media' strategy spanning television, interactive software, animated and live-action video, music, spoken-word audio, and print. The company's specialty is developing projects that combine evidence-based educational content, particularly in early literacy and social-emotional learning, with appealing animated and puppet characters. Core products include Emmy Award-winning PBS literacy series (Between the Lions, Lomax: The Hound of Music), web-based tutoring software (Tutoring with the Lightning Squad), classroom curricula (Reading Between the Lions: Reading Roots, 5th Edition; Game Changers), and the Animated Dictionary of 500+ videos.
Is Sirius Thinking a public or private company?
Sirius Thinking is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Sirius Thinking founded?
Sirius Thinking was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sirius Thinking based?
Sirius Thinking is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sirius Thinking make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Grants and SBIR Awards are the primary driver. The others are broadcast and Production Partnerships, educational Software Licensing and content Collaborations.
Who are Sirius Thinking's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sesame Workshop, WGBH (now GBH), Success for All Foundation, Speakaboos, Teachley and FlickerLab. Broad incumbents are PBS Kids and Jim Henson Productions. Emerging players are First Book and Tiggly.
Does Sirius Thinking have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sirius Thinking.
What industry is Sirius Thinking in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABAKAG, Language Learning & Literacy Channels, with a secondary code of EDAGALAK, Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 4833.