Calliope
Calliope gGmbH is a Berlin-based non-profit that develops the Calliope mini microcontroller and accompanying software ecosystem to teach programming and digital literacy to children in German primary and secondary schools, with growing international reach.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Calliope does
Calliope gGmbH is a Berlin-based non-profit educational technology company (gemeinnützige GmbH) founded in 2016 that develops and distributes the Calliope mini, a microcontroller board designed to teach programming and digital literacy to children in German primary and secondary schools. The company targets children aged 6–16 through dedicated hardware and curriculum-aligned teaching materials, operating primarily in the DACH region with expanding international presence in Spain, the UK, and Latin America.
The core product is the Calliope mini board, available in V1, V2, and V3 versions, featuring an LED matrix, onboard sensors, Bluetooth connectivity, and Grove connector ports for modular expansion. The programming environment is built on a multi-editor architecture: the MakeCode editor (developed by Microsoft Research and adapted for Calliope), a proprietary Scratch-based Calliope mini Blocks editor, a Python/MicroPython editor, and the Mind+ editor. The hardware ecosystem extends through add-on modules including Grove sensors, a CO2 sensor (SCD40), MotionKit, Servoboard Box, Jacdac interface sets, GameKit, Climate Action Kit, and Boson Start-Kit. Programming is supported across desktop browsers, iOS/Android mobile apps, and Swift Playgrounds on Apple devices.
Revenue is generated exclusively through hardware sales via the company's online shop (webshop.calliope.cc), offering individual units, StartBox starter kits, and Klassensätze (class sets) designed for classroom adoption. The go-to-market motion is community-led, leveraging the Calliope Experts teacher certification program, Code Your School adoption initiative, free curriculum-aligned teaching materials, and institutional backing from BMWi (German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy). Distribution is supplemented through retail outlets and the company's multilingual website (DE/EN/ES).
Calliope firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Calliope
- Legal name
- Calliope gGmbH
- Website
- https://calliope.cc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Calliope gGmbH is a Berlin-based non-profit that develops the Calliope mini microcontroller and accompanying software ecosystem to teach programming and digital literacy to children in German primary and secondary schools, with growing international reach.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Calliope industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Technology Hardware
- NAICS
- Small Electrical Appliance Manufacturing (33521)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Learning Device Ecosystems & 1:1 Program Solutions (Devices, MDM, Charging) (EDAJAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- IoT, Sensors & Embedded Systems (Arduino/Raspberry Pi) Programs (EDAMADAI)
Keywords
Where Calliope is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Calliope business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of Calliope mini microcontrollers and related hardware including sensors, motor kits, and expansion modules through the online shop.
- Class Sets: Classroom bundles of Calliope mini devices sold to schools for educational use.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Calliope product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Calliope designs, develops, and distributes the Calliope mini — a small educational microcontroller that introduces children (primary and secondary school age) to programming and digital literacy through hands-on projects. The company sells the microcontroller hardware in individual units, starter kits (StartBox), and class sets (Klassensätze), complemented by a suite of programming editors (MakeCode, Scratch-based blocks, Python/MicroPython, Mind+), mobile apps, and a modular Grove/Jacdac extension ecosystem including sensors and kits.
Product overview
Calliope is an educational technology company offering the Calliope mini microcontroller as its core product, designed to provide children an age-appropriate and creative introduction to digital technologies and programming. The product portfolio centers on the Calliope mini (available in V3, V2, and V1 versions), sold as individual units, StartBox starter kits, or Klassensätze (class sets) for school use. Programming is enabled through multiple editors including MakeCode (Microsoft), Calliope mini Blocks (Scratch-based), Python/MicroPython, and Mind+. The platform is extended through a comprehensive ecosystem of add-on modules including Grove sensors, CO2 sensor (SCD40), MotionKit, Servoboard, Jacdac interface, GameKit, Climate Action Kit, and Boson Start-Kit. Educational support is provided through workbooks (Arbeitsheft series), the Calliope Campus platform, Calliope Makerspace with 3D printing/laser cutter resources, and teacher training programs (Fortbildungen). Mobile apps for iOS and Android enable wireless programming via Bluetooth, while Swift Playgrounds integration supports Mac/iPad development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Calliope mini: A small microcontroller designed for children's educational programming and digital literacy.
- Calliope mini StartBox
- Calliope mini Klassensätze
- Calliope Campus
- KidsLab
Products and services
- Calliope mini A small microcontroller board (V1/V2/V3) designed for children's digital education, enabling creative programming learning through block-based and text-based coding environments with LED matrix, buttons, sensors, and Grove connectors.
- Calliope mini StartBox Starter package containing the Calliope mini and accessories for learning programming, prototyping, and implementing own ideas, sold directly to consumers through the Calliope online shop.
- Calliope mini Klassensätze (Class Sets) Class sets specifically developed for classroom use in schools, containing multiple Calliope mini units sold to educational institutions.
- MakeCode Editor (Calliope edition) Browser-based block and text programming editor (Microsoft MakeCode) customized for the Calliope mini, supporting V3/V2/V1 versions with WebUSB and HEX file transfer.
- Calliope mini Blocks (Scratch) Scratch-based visual programming editor enabling Scratch language control of the Calliope mini and vice versa, accessible via browser or iPad.
- Python Editor (MicroPython) MicroPython-based text editor for programming the Calliope mini with Python via the browser.
- Calliope mini Mobile App (iOS/Android) Native iOS and Android applications enabling wireless programming of the Calliope mini via Bluetooth from smartphone or tablet.
- CO2 Sensor (SCD40) SCD40-based environmental sensor that connects via Grove port to transform the Calliope mini into a CO2 traffic light, measuring CO2 levels, temperature, and humidity.
- MotionKit Motion sensing extension kit for the Calliope mini with accelerometer and gyroscope capabilities for movement-based projects.
- Servoboard Box Servo motor control extension enabling precise motor control projects with the Calliope mini.
- Climate Action Kit Environmental measurement extension kit supporting climate action educational projects with the Calliope mini.
- GameKit Gaming extension kit for creating game projects with the Calliope mini.
- Boson Start-Kit DFRobots Boson sensor and actuator kit providing extended project capabilities compatible with the Calliope mini.
- Calliope Arbeitsheft (Workbook) Educational workbook with exercises and projects for learning Calliope mini programming basics, available as a downloadable resource.
- Calliope Arbeitsheft 2 Second workbook in the Arbeitsheft series focusing on games and movement programming projects with the Calliope mini.
- Calliope Fortbildungen (Teacher Training) Professional development and training programs for teachers and educators on integrating the Calliope mini into classroom instruction, including the Calliope Experts certification track.
Companies that use Calliope
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Calliope technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration17 records
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Calliope partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Microsoft ResearchcoreMicrosoft Research developed and maintains the MakeCode editor which Calliope uses and customizes for its mini microcontroller. Calliope mini Blocks and Calliope mini Python Editor are Calliope-created or Calliope-adapted editors optimized for the device.
- BMWi (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy)coreThe Calliope initiative is backed by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as a national digital education program to promote programming and digital literacy in schools.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Calliope competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Makeblock: Educational robotics and microcontroller platform (mBot, Codey Rocky, HaloCode) sold into K-12 schools globally. It targets the same teachers and STEM curriculum applications as Calliope mini with similar block-based programming (mBlock/Scratch-based) and hardware add-ons.
- BBC micro:bit: UK-origin educational microcontroller explicitly designed for K-12 classroom adoption, backed by the BBC and UK government. It is the most direct international competitor to Calliope mini, targeting the same teachers, age range, and STEM curriculum use cases with a similar form factor and programming approach.
- LEGO Education: Educational STEM kits (SPIKE Prime, Mindstorms) combining building and programming for K-12 classrooms. It competes with Calliope for the same school STEM budgets, offers a comparable price point per classroom, and pairs with block-based programming environments.
- Scratch Foundation: MIT-developed block-based programming platform that is integrated with Calliope mini (Calliope mini Blocks is a Scratch-based editor). It serves the same K-12 teachers and students, and competes as a software-only alternative for coding curriculum time.
- Arduino Education: Open-source microcontroller platform with a dedicated K-12 education division (Arduino CTC kits). It targets the same STEM classroom use cases as Calliope mini, with comparable block-based and text-based programming support, and competes for the same school budgets.
- Ozobot: Small educational robot teaching coding through color-line programming and block-based editors (Ozobot Blockly). It competes with Calliope for K-12 STEM budgets and entry-level coding curriculum in primary classrooms.
Others
- DFRobot: Open-source hardware supplier and maker of the Boson kit that Calliope integrates with via the Mind+ editor. It is a partner and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, providing complementary hardware in Calliope's STEM classroom offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Raspberry Pi Foundation: Broader educational computing platform with global reach and large content ecosystem. It overlaps with Calliope in digital literacy goals for schools but addresses a wider scope (full single-board computer vs. microcontroller-only), making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct product substitute.
- Texas Instruments (TI-Innovator Hub): Incumbent in school STEM with calculators and the TI-Innovator Hub for coding and electronics in math/science classrooms. It competes for the same school STEM budgets as Calliope, leveraging TI's deep, decades-long relationships with math and science teachers.
Emerging players
- Tynker: Online coding education platform for kids with self-paced courses and classroom tools. It is complementary but overlapping with Calliope's coding curriculum, particularly for the older end of Calliope's age range where Tynker's web-based courses compete for instructional time.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Calliope social profiles
Digital presenceCalliope compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance15 records
Calliope financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Calliope leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Calliope funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Calliope 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 Calliope
What does Calliope do?
Calliope designs, develops, and distributes the Calliope mini — a small educational microcontroller that introduces children (primary and secondary school age) to programming and digital literacy through hands-on projects. The company sells the microcontroller hardware in individual units, starter kits (StartBox), and class sets (Klassensätze), complemented by a suite of programming editors (MakeCode, Scratch-based blocks, Python/MicroPython, Mind+), mobile apps, and a modular Grove/Jacdac extension ecosystem including sensors and kits.
Is Calliope a public or private company?
Calliope is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Calliope founded?
Calliope was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Calliope based?
Calliope is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Calliope make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are class Sets.
Who are Calliope's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Makeblock, BBC micro:bit, LEGO Education, Scratch Foundation, Arduino Education and Ozobot. DFRobot is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Raspberry Pi Foundation and Texas Instruments (TI-Innovator Hub). Tynker is listed as an emerging player.
Does Calliope have an API?
No public API is recorded for Calliope.
What industry is Calliope in?
Calliope's product category is Educational Technology Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAL, Learning Device Ecosystems & 1:1 Program Solutions (Devices, MDM, Charging), with a secondary code of EDAMADAI, IoT, Sensors & Embedded Systems (Arduino/Raspberry Pi) Programs. Its NAICS code is 33521 and its SIC code is 7372.