International Catrobat Association

What International Catrobat Association does

The International Catrobat Association is an Austrian nonprofit association (Verein zur Förderung freier Software, ZVR 375638318) founded in 2010 at Graz University of Technology and headquartered at Herrengasse 3, 8010 Graz, Austria. The organization develops and distributes a free, open-source suite of mobile applications for visual block-based programming education, built around the proprietary Catrobat visual programming language — a Lego-style drag-and-drop brick framework that allows users to create games, animations, and applications on smartphones and tablets without prior coding knowledge. Its core portfolio includes Pocket Code (general-purpose visual programming), Pocket Paint (asset creation), Luna and Cat (character-based game development), Embroidery Designer (programmable textile design), Create @ School (curriculum-focused variant developed under the EU Horizon 2020 No One Left Behind project), and Phiro Code (robot control), with hardware extensions for Arduino, LEGO Mindstorms, Raspberry Pi, Phiro robots, micro:bit, embroidery machines, and cutting plotters. The organization operates with 51–100 staff and over 1,100 volunteer contributors, reaching millions of users across 180+ countries in 60+ languages.

Catrobat serves three primary segments: teenagers and young adults (ages 10–25) learning to code on personal smartphones; schools and educational institutions integrating Catrobat apps into STEM and computational-thinking curricula; and underserved populations including girls in developing regions, refugees, and youth without access to PCs or laptops. Distribution is exclusively through digital channels — Google Play, Apple App Store, and Huawei AppGallery — with additional reach via One Tablet per Child pre-installs, Google Play for Education, and Samsung/Huawei partnership events. The business model is non-commercial: all apps are 100% free with no paid tiers, subscriptions, or in-app purchases, and the organization does not disclose revenue. Operations are sustained by public grant funding (EU Horizon 2020, FFG), institutional collaboration with TU Graz, MIT, UC Berkeley, Stanford, and the University of Tokyo, and a product-led growth motion driven by educational programs, teacher recommendations, and community project sharing. The organization holds a registered trademark on "Catrobat" and has accumulated recognition including the Reimagine Education Gold Award (Wharton), Lovie Awards, IEEE Best Paper Award, and Austrian State Prize.

Name

International Catrobat Association

Legal name

International Catrobat Association – Verein zur Förderung freier Software

Website

https://catrobat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The International Catrobat Association is an Austrian nonprofit that develops free, open-source mobile apps for visual block-based programming education, serving teenagers, schools, and underserved populations across 180+ countries through its Pocket Code platform and related tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Software

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Game-Based CS & Computational Thinking Platforms (EDAFANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Game Development (Unity, Unreal, 2D/3D) (EDAMACAE), LEGO / Block-Based Robotics Programs (EDAMADAD)

Keywords

• Visual programming education
• Block-based coding apps
• Mobile learning software
• Computational thinking tools
• Open-source educational apps

Headquarters

HQ city

Graz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Free Mobile Applications: All Catrobat apps (Pocket Code, Pocket Paint, Luna and Cat, Embroidery Designer, Create@School, Phiro Code) are provided completely free of charge to users. The organization is a non-profit entity with no revenue generation from app distribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The International Catrobat Association develops and distributes a suite of free, open-source mobile applications (Pocket Code, Pocket Paint, Luna and Cat, Embroidery Designer, Create@School, Phiro Code) built on a proprietary visual Lego-style block programming framework. The apps enable teenagers and young adults to create games, animations, and applications directly on smartphones and tablets without prior coding knowledge, with extensions for hardware integration (Arduino, LEGO Mindstorms, Raspberry Pi, Phiro robots, cutting plotters, embroidery machines).

Product overview

International Catrobat Association provides a suite of free, open-source mobile applications for visual block-based programming education. The core offering centers on the Catrobat visual programming language, a Lego-style framework that powers multiple apps including Pocket Code (general-purpose programming), Pocket Paint (graphics creation), Luna and Cat (character-based game development), Embroidery Designer (textile programming), Create @ School (education-focused), and Phiro Code (robot control). These apps work together as an interconnected ecosystem—Pocket Paint creates assets for Pocket Code, the Plot Extension enables cutting plotter integration, and plugins extend functionality to external hardware including Arduino, LEGO Mindstorms, Phiro robots, and Raspberry Pi. All apps share the same visual brick-based programming paradigm and community sharing infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pocket Code Primary visual block-based programming app for smartphones and tablets enabling users to develop games, animations, and applications by combining Lego-style programming bricks without prior coding knowledge; supports device sensors and extensibility via plugins for external hardware.
• Pocket Paint Mobile paint editor enabling users to create and edit graphics using geometric figures, stamps, brushes, and transparency; integrates with Pocket Code for character/background creation and functions as a standalone app saving PNG files.
• Luna and Cat Visual programming app for game and animation development featuring pre-built cute and scary characters as well as beautiful backgrounds, providing an intuitive environment for creating stories or games with built-in assets and community sharing.
• Embroidery Designer Visual programming app enabling users to design patterns for embroidery machines, allowing programmable embroidery on fabric items such as T-shirts, bags, pants, smartphone cases, and shoes without previous experience.
• Create@School Enhanced version of Pocket Code specifically adapted for the education domain, incorporating game design, game-based learning, project-based learning, and collaboration features for selected curricula areas; developed under the Horizon 2020 No One Left Behind project.
• Phiro Code Visual drag-and-drop programming application for creating, playing, sharing, and remixing programs to control Phiro robots wirelessly via Bluetooth; supports combination with wireless Arduino boards for extended functionality.
• Catrobat Programming Language Visual Lego-style block programming framework underlying all Catrobat apps, enabling users to design their own apps, games, and animations with brick categories for events, control, motion, sound, looks, pen, data, embroidery, and device functions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving 180+ countries with apps in 60+ languages
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• SamsungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Two major cooperation projects with Samsung including the #CodingForKids roadshow in a yellow school bus and Galaxy Game Jam space-themed programming competition.
• European Union Horizon 2020 - No One Left Behind (NOLB)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015European H2020 project 'No One Left Behind' aiming to ensure everyone has a chance for good education. Create@School app was developed as a result of this project.
• MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through 100&Change submission together with MIT App Inventor team, Snap! team at Berkeley, and Play Learn Foundation India to submit a joint proposal for global coding education initiatives.
• University of California BerkeleyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in 100&Change submission collaboration with Snap! team at Berkeley, MIT, and Play Learn Foundation India for global coding education initiatives.
• University of TokyocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the well-known universities collaborating with Catrobat to shape future generations and prepare them for the digital tomorrow.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the well-known universities collaborating with Catrobat to shape future generations and prepare them for the digital tomorrow.
• Graz University of Technology (TU Graz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe project has its origins at TU Graz, which provides an interdisciplinary and research-based environment. The Institute of Software Technology at TU Graz drives the project alongside the International Catrobat Association.
• bits4kidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in Fabulous Exploring project conducting Code'n'Cut workshops in primary schools, promoting coding education and creative skills.
• CoSA - Center of Science ActivitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Fabulous Exploring project hosting DIY and programming workshops for children and adolescents, combining craft and digital elements.
• Play Learn Foundation IndiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint submission with MIT App Inventor team and Snap! team at Berkeley for 100&Change initiative focusing on global coding education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tynker: Commercial block-based coding platform for kids with paid subscriptions and a school-distribution channel; competes with Catrobat's Pocket Code in the same K-12 visual coding segment, with a more aggressive monetization and curriculum model.
• Code.org: Large US-based non-profit promoting computer science education through free curricula and Hour of Code; competes for teacher adoption, donor funding, and policy mindshare in the same K-12 coding education category.
• MIT App Inventor: MIT-developed visual block-based platform for building mobile apps; the most direct peer to Catrobat, sharing the same mobile app-creation paradigm and target audience of beginners. Catrobat partners with the MIT App Inventor team on the 100&Change initiative.
• Snap! (UC Berkeley): Block-based programming language originally derived from Scratch, targeting more advanced learners and university-level CS education. Direct peer in visual programming category; Catrobat collaborates with the Snap! team on the 100&Change submission.
• Scratch (MIT Media Lab): Block-based visual programming environment for children and teens; the dominant PC/web-based peer in the same learning-to-code category. Catrobat partners with Snap!/Berkeley alongside Scratch's institutional ecosystem, competing for the same educational adoption slot.
• Code.org App Lab: Code.org's block-and-JS app creation environment for students; directly comparable as a free, classroom-focused app-building platform, though browser-based rather than mobile-native like Pocket Code.

Emerging players

• Kodular: Open-source visual app builder also forked from MIT App Inventor; competes in the mobile-app-creation category with a developer/educator community similar in spirit to Catrobat.
• Hopscotch: iPad-first visual programming app for kids to create games and animations; comparable mobile-first design but iOS-only and primarily US-distributed.
• Thunkable: Drag-and-drop mobile app builder descended from MIT App Inventor; comparable mobile-app-creation paradigm but positioned as a commercial/entrepreneurial tool rather than a youth-education platform.
• mBlock (Makeblock): Block-based Scratch-derived IDE tightly coupled to Makeblock's STEAM robotics hardware; overlaps with Catrobat's LEGO Mindstorms / Phiro / Arduino integrations but is hardware-vendor-aligned rather than hardware-agnostic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/Catrobat
• Facebookfacebook.com/Catrobat-100063848490010
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catrobat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 International Catrobat Association