What Scratch Foundation does

Scratch Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the Scratch creative coding platform — the world's largest creative learning community for children, originally developed at the MIT Media Lab in 2007 and transferred to the independent foundation in 2019. Its core product is a block-based visual programming environment that lets children snap together drag-and-drop code blocks (covering motion, looks, sound, events, control, sensing, operators, variables, and custom blocks) to build interactive stories, games, and animations without any syntax. The platform is supported by an extensive asset library, a moderated global online community with remixing capabilities, and a suite of complementary products: ScratchJr (ages 5-7, icon-based blocks co-created with Boston College's DevTech Research Group), PBS Kids ScratchJr, OctoStudio (mobile coding for ages 7-12+), Scratch Lab (experimental features including AI-powered Face Sensing and Video Sprites), the new Mia & Codie Dock-n-Blocks Set (ages 3-7, launched Dec 2025), and an in-development AI Creative Learning Assistant. Distribution spans the web (scratch.mit.edu), desktop apps (Windows, macOS, ChromeOS), mobile (iOS, Android, Amazon), and partner channels including PBS, AT&T's Achievery, Amazon Future Engineer, and Kahoot!. The platform serves 200M+ lifetime users, 3M monthly active users, 20M new users annually, and 1.8M new monthly registrations, with over 1 billion projects created and availability in 80 languages.

The foundation's business model is non-commercial: the platform is 100% free to all users, and the organization sustains operations through a diversified mix of philanthropic grants, corporate partnerships, brand licensing, and merchandise. Major disclosed funders include the LEGO Foundation ($7.8M grant in 2025), Siegel Family Endowment ($5M+ catalytic tier), Google.org, Fastly, AWS (Visionary tier $2.5M-$4.999M), Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Endless, Little Blue Bridge Foundation, and Patrick J McGovern Foundation; corporate partners include AT&T ($250K contribution, Nov 2025), Amazon Future Engineer, and PBS. The foundation's "100 Million More" campaign has secured nearly $21M in philanthropic support, and revenue is supplemented by Scratch brand licensing (commercial and non-commercial licenses to educational organizations and for-profit companies) and merchandise sales through shop.scratchfoundation.org. The foundation is governed by a board including Mitchel Resnick (MIT), David Siegel (Two Sigma, Vice Chair), Ursula Burns, Sam Lerer (StockX), and Christina Miller (Spin Master), with day-to-day leadership under CEO Champika Fernando.

Name

Scratch Foundation

Legal name

Scratch Foundation

Website

https://scratchfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Scratch Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the world's largest free creative coding platform for children ages 5-16, serving over 200 million users across 80 languages and ranking as the #1 coding language in K-8 schools globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Coding Education Platform

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM & Coding Readiness for Early Learners (EDACANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Standalone Creator Course Platforms (Branded Schools) (MPACALAB)

Keywords

• Creative coding platform
• Block-based programming
• Children's coding education
• K-8 computer science
• Online learning community

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Support: Primary revenue stream from individual and institutional donors. The platform is free for all users, maintained entirely through donations from families, individuals, and organizations. Major funders include Siegel Family Endowment ($5M+), LEGO Foundation ($7.8M grant mentioned), Google, AWS, and others.
2. Licensing Agreements: Revenue from licensing the Scratch brand, name, characters, platform, and code to for-profit companies developing products and to educational/nonprofit organizations. Commercial license agreements for companies selling products using Scratch IP.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Partnership contributions from corporations including AT&T ($250,000 contribution), The Achievery, Amazon Future Engineer, and others. These include both financial contributions and in-kind support.
4. Scratch Shop Merchandise: Sale of Scratch merchandise including the Mia & Codie Dock-n-Blocks Set and other products through the Scratch Shop (shop.scratchfoundation.org).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Scratch Foundation operates the Scratch platform, a free block-based visual programming environment where children ages 8-16 create interactive stories, games, and animations by snapping together drag-and-drop coding blocks, and share them in a global, expert-moderated online community. The foundation complements the core Scratch platform with ScratchJr (ages 5-7), OctoStudio by MIT (mobile coding for ages 7-12+), Scratch Lab experimental AI features, a Learning Library of educational resources, Scratch brand licensing, and Scratch-branded physical merchandise.

Product overview

Scratch Foundation operates a suite of creative coding products centered on the Scratch platform. The core offering is Scratch (ages 8-13+), a block-based visual programming platform with online community and offline apps, complemented by ScratchJr (ages 5-7) for pre-readers and OctoStudio by MIT for mobile coding (ages 7-12+). Scratch Lab hosts experimental AI features like Face Sensing. Partner products include PBS Kids ScratchJr and the Mia & Codie Dock-n-Blocks physical product. An upcoming Creative Learning Assistant (AI-powered) is in development. Supporting infrastructure includes the Learning Library of educational resources and brand licensing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scratch Free block-based visual programming platform for kids ages 8-13+ that enables creation of interactive stories, games, and animations through a drag-and-drop coding interface. Includes pre-drawn assets, sound library, and a global moderated online community.
• ScratchJr Free early coding app for children ages 5-7 using icon-based visual blocks that enables creation of interactive stories, animations, and games without requiring reading ability. Co-created with Boston College's DevTech Research Group.
• Scratch Lab Sandbox environment for testing experimental Scratch features including Face Sensing, Video Sprites, and Animated Text. Invites community feedback on new creative possibilities.
• PBS Kids ScratchJr Specialized ScratchJr app featuring PBS KIDS characters for interactive storytelling and game creation. Available free on iPad, Android, and Amazon tablets.
• OctoStudio by MIT Free mobile coding app by MIT Media Lab creators of Scratch. For ages 7-12+. Enables creation of animations and games on mobile devices using device motion (shake, jump, tilt) and camera/microphone inputs.
• Mia & Codie Dock-n-Blocks Set Educational product for children ages 3-7 combining physical and digital play to explore coding concepts. Launched via sponsorship of PBS show Mia & Codie.
• Scratch App (Offline)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 million young people inspired to create
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AT&TcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 November 2025AT&T contributed $250,000 to the Scratch Foundation to enhance digital learning access for educators through workshops and online content reaching nearly 2 million educators. The collaboration promotes equitable computer science education and digital literacy by integrating AT&T's media content and providing resources for teachers, aligning with AT&T's efforts to bridge the digital divide.
• The Achievery (AT&T)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Achievery, AT&T's learning platform, provides free beginner and intermediate creative coding lesson plans developed by Scratch. The partnership includes custom registration codes and resources distributed to educators, caregivers, and learners to support creative coding education.
• Amazon Future EngineercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Future Engineer partnership brings career exploration content to Scratch, including AWS Data Center Tours, Amazon Music: Careers Behind the Beats, and Careers Behind the Camera with Amazon MGM Studios. Content is aligned to CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and NGSS, available free on Kahoot! for classroom use.
• PBSflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerScratch announced sponsorship of PBS's 'Mia & Codie' TV show and launched the Mia & Codie Dock-n-Blocks Set - an educational product for children ages 3-7 combining physical and digital play to explore coding concepts. This represents Scratch's expansion into early childhood coding education through broadcast media.
• NoggincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Noggin brought new character sprites and background assets to Scratch, including content from Nogginville interactive app. Joint create-along events and featured studios celebrate the partnership, with Noggin's Head of Games participating in live Scratch events.
• OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for the 2025 Curiosity Convening, bringing together cross-disciplinary experts in neuroscience, AI, developmental psychology, and educational design. OECD contributes its 'Learning in the Digital World' framework to the convening.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Stanford Professors Bruce McCandliss and Nick Haber for the 2025 Curiosity Convening. Stanford contributes expertise in neuroscience, AI, and developmental psychology to explore curiosity-driven learning approaches.
• Dust AstronautsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeen-founded nonprofit using Scratch to teach coding to refugees in Jordan's Za'atari camp. Dust Astronauts was featured on Scratch blog and invited to join the 2024-2025 Scratch Education Collaborative cohort. Partnership with MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten group.
• MercyCorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization collaborating with Dust Astronauts in Za'atari refugee camp to understand challenges facing students and implement coding education programs.
• MIT Media Lab Lifelong KindergartenflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal home of Scratch development. Professor Mitchel Resnick and team developed Scratch at MIT Media Lab in 2007. In 2019, Scratch transferred from MIT to the independent Scratch Foundation. Ongoing collaboration continues with Lifelong Kindergarten research group.
• PBS KIDScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPBS KIDS ScratchJr app enables children to create interactive stories and games featuring favorite PBS KIDS characters using programming blocks. App available free on iPad, Android, and Amazon tablets.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Bitsbox: Subscription-based coding education service for kids offering monthly coding projects. Targets similar age demographic with text-based JavaScript programming approach.
• LEGO Education: LEGO's educational division offering STEM and coding products (including LEGO Education SPIKE). Major Scratch partner through LEGO Foundation grants but also adjacent competitor in hands-on coding education.
• Codecademy: Online coding education platform primarily targeting older learners and adults. Adjacent competitor for older Scratch users transitioning to text-based programming.
• Lightbot: Puzzle-based coding education app for children teaching programming concepts through gameplay. Targets similar K-8 age demographic with complementary gamified approach.

Broad incumbents

• CS First (Google): Google's free computer science curriculum for grades 4-8 using Scratch-based lessons. Backed by massive Google resources, competes for educator adoption.
• Khan Academy: Large-scale free educational platform offering computer programming courses alongside broader K-12 subjects. Competes for educator adoption and student learning time.

Direct peers

• Code.org: Nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in K-12 schools. Offers free coding curricula (including Hour of Code) directly competing with Scratch's K-8 coding education mission.
• Hopscotch: iOS-based block coding platform for kids ages 10-16 to create games and apps. Mobile-first direct competitor to Scratch with similar creative coding philosophy.
• Tynker: Commercial coding platform for kids offering block-based and text-based programming courses. Directly competes with Scratch in K-8 coding education with a paid subscription model.

Regional players

• MIT App Inventor: MIT-developed visual programming platform for creating mobile apps. Shares MIT heritage with Scratch and targets slightly older learners transitioning to more complex projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scratch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ScratchTeam
• Facebookfacebook.com/scratchteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scratchfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/scratchteam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

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 Scratch Foundation