Magic Link

What Magic Link does

Magic Link Limited is a UK-based, founder-owned education company founded in 2014 by Speech & Language Therapist Lee Dein, focused exclusively on structured handwriting instruction for children and teenagers aged 5–18. The company sells a video-based curriculum built around a proprietary Magic Link® font — protected by UK Registered Design 4039325 and US Patent D761900 — that eliminates traditional cursive 'lead-in' strokes in favour of a simple connecting dash. The core product comprises a 30-step cursive programme (7 hours of video) and a 15-step non-joined programme (4 hours of video), each paired with colour-coded PDF worksheets and delivered through the company's own web-based learning platform.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer sales of online courses (£84.99 per level or £199 for the full cursive programme) serve home users globally. A UK network of 30+ certified independent teachers — including QTS-qualified teachers, SENDCos, occupational therapists, and dyslexia specialists — delivers face-to-face small-group lessons at independently set prices of approximately £35–£40 per session, with teachers acting as channel partners. Direct B2B sales of annual school licences (£670–£1,270+VAT per school for unlimited pupils, tiered by Early Years, Non-Joined, Cursive Primary, and Cursive Secondary) supply UK primary and secondary schools, supplemented by INSET teacher training and school handwriting clubs. A secondary teenager-focused Bronze & Silver Skills programme aligned to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award extends the addressable age range into GCSE/A-level preparation. Affiliate revenue from an Amazon Associate arrangement on approved stationery is a small ancillary stream.

The company is incorporated in England and Wales, headquartered at Pyramid House, 954 High Road, London N12 9RT, and operates with 11–50 employees. It is entirely founder-owned with no disclosed external investment, funding rounds, acquisitions, or parent entity. Marketing relies on the company website, an active blog, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn), YouTube demonstrations, and earned media coverage in The Telegraph and The Good Schools Guide. The company prominently displays 600+ verified 5-star Trustpilot reviews on its homepage. Credibility rests on founder Lee Dein's HCPC registration and RCSLT/ASLTIP/PATOSS memberships.

Name

Magic Link

Legal name

Magic Link Limited

Website

https://magiclinkhandwriting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Magic Link Limited is a UK founder-owned edtech company that sells a patented, video-based handwriting programme for children aged 5–18, delivered via direct e-commerce, UK school licences, and a network of certified independent teachers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handwriting Education Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Dysgraphia/Writing & Handwriting Support Tutoring (EDANAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Writing & Spelling Intervention (Dysgraphia Support) (EDAKAJAE), Writing & Composition Intervention (Handwriting, Spelling, Written Expression) (EDAKADAC), Parent & Caregiver Training for LD/Dyslexia Support (EDAKAJAJ)

Keywords

• Handwriting instruction
• Cursive writing courses
• Special educational needs
• Online education programmes
• SEN tutoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Online Course Sales (Home Users): Individual parents and consumers purchase online handwriting courses directly through the company's e-commerce store. Courses are sold as tiered level packs (Level 1, 2, 3 cursive or full programme) or non-joined programme, with 6-month or 12-month access licences. Revenue is generated from one-time course purchases by individual households globally.
2. School Licences: Schools purchase annual licences to access the Magic Link programme for all pupils. Pricing is per school (unlimited pupils) and tiered by age group: Early Years, Non-Joined, Cursive (primary), and Cursive (secondary). The licence is valid for 12 months from the Effective Date and covers one unique school URN.
3. Teacher-Led Lessons: Certified independent Magic Link teachers across the UK sell and deliver face-to-face or online small-group handwriting lessons to families. Teachers set their own session pricing (approximately £35–£40 per session) and independently manage enrolment. Magic Link earns from the teacher certification model and brand affiliation.
4. Stationery & Workbooks: Magic Link sells recommended triangular pencils, pens, and paper through Amazon UK (as an Amazon Associate) and via links on the company's website. Revenue is generated through affiliate commissions on qualifying purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Magic Link sells structured, video-based handwriting courses built around a proprietary Magic Link® font (UK Registered Design 4039325, US Patent D761900) for children aged 5–18, including those with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, ADHD, autism and other SEN conditions. The core commercial offerings are time-limited online home-use course subscriptions sold direct-to-consumer, annual unlimited-pupil school licences sold to UK primary and secondary schools, INSET teacher training, and a UK network of certified independent teachers delivering face-to-face group lessons. Supporting revenue comes from affiliate commissions on recommended stationery sold via Amazon UK.

Product overview

Magic Link offers a structured online handwriting education platform for children aged 5-18 years, consisting of three core programmes: the Cursive (Joined-Up) Course for ages 6-18 with 30 teaching steps, the Non-Joined (Print) Course for ages 5-6 with 15 steps, and an Alphabet/Nursery Course for pre-school children. The programmes are delivered through video lessons with printable PDF worksheets using a proprietary Magic Link® font designed without lead-in strokes. Beyond individual home use, Magic Link sells school licences (Early Years, Primary, and Secondary tiers) on 12-month terms, provides INSET teacher training, and maintains a UK-wide network of certified face-to-face teachers. Teenagers can also work towards Bronze and Silver Skills awards through the programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Magic Link Handwriting Programme — Cursive (Joined-Up) Course An online video-based handwriting course for ages 6–18 covering 30 unique teaching steps (7 hours of video instruction) using the proprietary Magic Link® font without lead-in strokes, paired with colour-coded PDF worksheets and a Certificate of Achievement. Sold directly to parents for at-home use; complete in 4–12 weeks at home with daily practice.
• Magic Link Handwriting Programme — Non-Joined (Print) Course An online video-based handwriting course for ages 5–6 covering 15 unique teaching steps (4 hours of video instruction) using the Magic Link® font, paired with PDF worksheets, designed as a precursor to the cursive course. Sold directly to parents for at-home use.
• Magic Link School Licence An annual school licence (one unique school URN) providing unlimited pupils access to the Magic Link programme for 12 months. Tiered for Early Years (£970+VAT), Non-Joined (£670+VAT), Cursive Primary (£970+VAT), and Cursive Secondary (£1,270+VAT). Sold direct to UK primary and secondary schools for whole-school handwriting consistency.
• INSET Training In-service teacher training delivered by certified Magic Link teachers to UK schools adopting the programme, equipping staff with the skills and confidence to deliver the handwriting method consistently across the school. Sold as an add-on to the annual school licence.
• Bronze & Silver Handwriting Skills (Teenagers) A handwriting skills programme for teenagers (11–18+) supporting exam performance for GCSEs, A-levels, and essays, structured to count towards the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Bronze or Silver Skills Section.
• Magic Link Certified Teacher Network A network of independently operating Magic Link-certified teachers across the UK (London, Manchester, Brighton, Cardiff and more) delivering face-to-face or online group lessons (typically 10–12 sessions) to families. Teachers set their own session pricing (approximately £35–£40 per session) and include qualified teachers (QTS), SENDCos, MRCSLT speech and language therapists, dyslexia specialists and occupational therapists.
• Magic Link Approved Stationery Triangular-shaped pencils and pens recommended for the correct grip needed for the Magic Link programme, surfaced to users via Amazon UK affiliate links on the company website under the Amazon Associate programme; revenue is generated through affiliate commissions on qualifying purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4–12 weeks to complete the 30-step cursive programme at home with daily practice
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Letter-join: UK-based handwriting resource and EdTech tool sold via annual school subscriptions for whole-class access to cursive and pre-cursive teaching materials. Directly comparable in geography, customer (UK schools), and licence-based GTM to Magic Link's school programme.
• Handwriting Without Tears: US-based handwriting instruction programme for Pre-K through 5th grade, sold directly to schools and parents via workbooks, digital lessons, and teacher training. The most direct global competitor to Magic Link, with comparable SEN-inclusion positioning and a similar school-licence and home-use product structure.

Emerging players

• Crick Software: UK-based education software developer specialising in literacy and writing-support tools (Clicker, DocsPlus) widely used by schools for pupils with SEN including dyslexia and dysgraphia. Comparable as a UK SEN-writing solution provider to schools, overlapping on the same end-user need (handwriting/writing difficulties) but positioned as assistive technology rather than a handwriting course.
• Donna Young: Independent US-based educational printables site offering free and low-cost handwriting practice sheets and curricula for homeschooling families. Comparable as a parent-direct handwriting resource, overlapping on the home-school channel, though much lower priced and non-SEN-specialised.
• StartWrite: US-based handwriting worksheet generator software sold to teachers and parents for creating custom handwriting practice sheets. Comparable as a handwriting-instruction tool for parents and schools, with overlapping curriculum positioning, though format is software-output rather than video-driven.

Broad incumbents

• Explore Learning: UK-based tuition centre chain providing after-school English and maths tutoring to children including those with SEN needs. Comparable in operating model (small-group sessions, UK schools-and-parents channels, SEN emphasis) and as an adjacent alternative for families seeking supplementary educational support.
• Twinkl: UK-headquartered digital educational resources platform offering downloadable and subscription-based teacher resources across all subjects, including handwriting packs. Comparable as a UK school-subscription competitor with overlapping parent and school reach, though Twinkl is broader and not SEN-specialised.
• Kip McGrath: Globally franchised tutoring centre network focused on English and maths remediation for primary and secondary pupils. Comparable as a global tutoring franchise with SEN screening and remediation services, serving similar parents and school-aged children as Magic Link.
• Oxford Owl: UK-based free educational resource platform from Oxford University Press offering handwriting and literacy activities to parents and teachers of primary-age children. Comparable as a UK parent- and teacher-facing handwriting/literacy resource, though free and broader in scope than Magic Link's paid program.

Regional players

• Dyslexia Action: UK-based specialist charity and training provider offering assessments, teacher training, and tutoring for dyslexia and literacy difficulties. Comparable as a UK SEN literacy/learning difficulty service with overlapping parent and school audiences, though broader than handwriting alone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeeDein
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=HkYa8ADH8J4
• Facebookfacebook.com/magiclinkhandwriting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/magiclinkhandwriting
• Instagraminstagram.com/magiclinkhandwriting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Magic Link