Brain Play
Brain Play is a New Zealand STEM education provider delivering after-school classes, 1:1 lessons, holiday programmes, and in-school curriculum focused on robotics, coding, 3D printing, and electronics for primary-aged children and neurodivergent learners across Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, and Hamilton.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Brain Play does
Brain Play is a privately held New Zealand-based STEM education provider founded in 2021 that delivers hands-on robotics, coding, 3D printing/design, electronics, and science programmes to school-age children (predominantly Years 1-8, i.e. ages 5-12) plus community participants aged 5-105. The company operates a portfolio of five distinct formats: weekly after-school classes held at partner primary schools in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, and Hamilton; 1:1 private lessons (online via Zoom or in-person) with customised projects for homeschooled, gifted, and neurodivergent or high-needs students; school holiday programmes and pop-up events at libraries, art centres, and community venues; in-school digital technology curriculum delivery during school hours; and free or low-cost community STEM events. Delivery relies on third-party platforms rather than proprietary technology: Aimyone for after-school scheduling, Eventbrite for events and holidays, Zoom for online sessions, and Makers Empire for 3D design.
Brain Play firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brain Play
- Legal name
- Brain Play
- Website
- https://brainplay.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brain Play is a New Zealand STEM education provider delivering after-school classes, 1:1 lessons, holiday programmes, and in-school curriculum focused on robotics, coding, 3D printing, and electronics for primary-aged children and neurodivergent learners across Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, and Hamilton.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brain Play industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's STEM Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM & Coding Readiness for Early Learners (EDACANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL), STEM Teacher Tools, Curriculum & Lesson Planning Platforms (EDAFANAK)
Keywords
Where Brain Play is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
Brain Play business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- After-School Classes: Weekly STEM classes held at schools and community centres. Families book sessions through a booking portal and pay per session or via weekly payments. Equipment provided.
- Holiday Programmes: School holiday workshops run in partnership with other providers or in-house. Half-day and full-day options available. Booked through external providers or Eventbrite.
- 1:1 Private Sessions: Personalised STEM tutoring available online or in-person (with travel costs). Can be funded through disability funding (carer support, individualised funding) or direct payment.
- In-School Programmes: Brain Play delivers digital technology curriculum to schools during the day. Schools pay per student. Can work with full classrooms or focus groups.
- Community Events: Free community events (STEM Stop-ins, library workshops) often delivered in partnership with councils, libraries, and community organisations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | After-school classes: $34 - $39 per session |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Holiday programmes: $48 - $60 (half day), $68 - $95 (full day) |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Community events: most often free |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 1:1 Private sessions: from $102.50 (online) + GST, in-person with travel costs |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | In-school programmes: from $7.50 per student |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Brain Play product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brain Play delivers hands-on STEM education to children and schools through after-school classes, 1:1 private lessons, school holiday workshops, in-school curriculum delivery, and free community pop-up events. Programmes cover coding, robotics, 3D printing and design, electronics, science experiments, and Minecraft Education Edition, with a specialisation in personalised and neurodivergent-friendly instruction across four major New Zealand cities and online nationwide.
Product overview
Brain Play is a New Zealand-based STEM education provider offering a portfolio of programmes for children and families. The core offering consists of After-School Classes held at schools across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Hamilton; 1:1 Private Lessons for personalised and neurodivergent-focused instruction; Holiday Programmes with pop-up events and workshops; and School Programmes delivering digital technology curriculum directly to classrooms. Additional offerings include Community Events for groups and organisations. The company operates on a mixed model using third-party booking platforms (Aimyone, Eventbrite) and offers both in-person and online delivery options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- After-School Classes Weekly STEM classes held at schools and community centres across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Hamilton for school-age children. Curriculum covers coding, robotics, 3D printing, electronics, science, and Minecraft Education Edition, with rotating topics each term and all equipment provided.
- 1:1 Private Lessons Personalised one-on-one STEM tutoring delivered online or in-person (at home, school, or community space) for homeschooled, gifted, neurodivergent, and high-needs students. Topics are fully customised to the child's interests, including unique projects such as stop-motion filmmaking, electronics repair, and 3D-designed board games.
- Holiday Programmes School holiday workshops and pop-up events offering half-day and full-day hands-on STEM activities including robotics, 3D design, coding, and science experiments across Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch. Delivered in-house or in partnership with sKids and other school holiday programme operators and booked via Eventbrite or partner sites.
- In-School Programmes In-school digital technology curriculum delivery to New Zealand primary and intermediate students (years 1–8) during school hours. Brain Play tutors work with full classrooms or smaller focus groups of 8–16 students to deliver coding, robotics, and other STEM topics aligned with the New Zealand curriculum, with schools contacted directly to book.
- Community Events Pop-up STEM events for community groups, scout groups, church groups, homeschool groups, and families, hosted at libraries, art centres, and community venues. Events cater for ages 5–105 and groups of 8–80+ attendees, and are typically free or low-cost.
Quantifiable outcome
- STEM skills development including coding, robotics, 3D printing competencies
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Brain Play
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Brain Play technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Brain Play partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology)coreCommunity partner organisation. Brain Play collaborates with MOTAT to deliver STEM education programmes and events.
- StardomecoreCommunity partner for STEM education events and programmes.
- Girlguiding NZminorPartnership to deliver STEM programmes to Girlguiding NZ members.
- Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children)coreGovernment partner for delivering STEM education to children in care. Brain Play works with focus students engaged with Oranga Tamariki services.
- Ministry of EducationcoreGovernment partner supporting digital technology education delivery in schools.
- Auckland CouncilcoreMajor partner delivering community STEM events at council libraries and community centres. Provides venues and promotion.
- BarnardoscoreSocial service partner for delivering STEM education to children engaged with Barnardos programmes, particularly those with high and complex needs.
- High and Complex Needs (Oranga Tamariki)coreGovernment support service for children with high and complex needs. Brain Play provides personalised STEM education to students engaged with this service.
- Northern Health SchoolminorEducation partner for delivering STEM content to students in health-related educational settings.
- Autism New ZealandcoreAdvocacy partner supporting neurodivergent students accessing Brain Play's specialised STEM programmes.
- Te Kura (The Correspondence School)minorPartner for delivering STEM education to distance learners enrolled with Te Kura.
- Lake House Art CentreminorCommunity venue partner for hosting STEM workshops and events.
- Kumeu Arts CentreminorCommunity venue partner for hosting STEM workshops and events.
- Mairangi Art CentreminorCommunity venue partner for hosting STEM workshops and events.
- Ambury Park CentreminorCommunity partner venue for hosting STEM programmes.
- Meraki MontessoriminorEducation partner school for delivering STEM curriculum.
- TAP LabminorCreative technology partner for collaborative programmes.
- Big Buddy New ZealandminorMentoring organisation partner for connecting children with STEM role models.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Brain Play competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Wonder Workshop: US-based provider of educational robotics (Dash, Dot) and accompanying curriculum used widely in primary schools. Comparable as an enabler of robotics STEM education in the same years 1-8 segment Brain Play serves.
- Tynker: US-based coding learning platform for children with curriculum, content library, and school partnerships. Comparable in subject matter (coding for kids) but operates as a software platform rather than an in-person service.
- Sphero: Educational robotics and STEM kit provider (SPRK+, BOLT, Indi) used in primary schools and after-school programmes. Comparable as a robotics curriculum supplier competing for the same NZ school and family budgets.
- KiwiCo: US-based STEM and maker subscription service for children covering robotics, coding, and engineering. Comparable in subject matter and child enrichment positioning, though subscription-shipped rather than in-person delivered.
Broad incumbents
- Code.org: US-based nonprofit delivering free computer science curriculum to schools globally, including New Zealand. Broad incumbent setting curriculum expectations and competing for school time and budget against providers like Brain Play.
Direct peers
- OMG Tech: New Zealand STEM and digital technology education provider running workshops, holiday programmes, and school delivery. Direct competitor for NZ families and schools seeking enrichment STEM content.
- Code Avengers: New Zealand-based coding education platform serving schools and individuals with structured curriculum. Direct competitor to Brain Play's in-school and after-school coding programmes, operating in the same NZ schools channel.
- Engineering for Kids: International STEM enrichment franchise offering after-school classes, holiday camps, and in-school programmes covering engineering, coding, and robotics. Closely comparable delivery model to Brain Play's multi-channel mix.
- Mind Lab (New Zealand): New Zealand digital technologies and STEM education provider offering teacher training, student programmes, and in-school delivery. Comparable in curriculum focus and NZ school channel, though more centred on educator professional development.
Others
- Makers Empire: 3D design and printing learning platform used in primary schools globally. Listed as a Brain Play technology partner (technology/integration type), making it a complementary ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Brain Play social profiles
Digital presenceBrain Play financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brain Play leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Brain Play funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brain Play 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 Brain Play
What does Brain Play do?
Brain Play delivers hands-on STEM education to children and schools through after-school classes, 1:1 private lessons, school holiday workshops, in-school curriculum delivery, and free community pop-up events. Programmes cover coding, robotics, 3D printing and design, electronics, science experiments, and Minecraft Education Edition, with a specialisation in personalised and neurodivergent-friendly instruction across four major New Zealand cities and online nationwide.
Is Brain Play a public or private company?
Brain Play is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Brain Play founded?
Brain Play was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brain Play based?
Brain Play is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Brain Play make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. After-School Classes are the primary driver. The others are holiday Programmes, 1:1 Private Sessions, in-School Programmes and community Events.
Who are Brain Play's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Wonder Workshop, Tynker, Sphero and KiwiCo. Code.org is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are OMG Tech, Code Avengers, Engineering for Kids and Mind Lab (New Zealand). Makers Empire is listed as an others.
Does Brain Play have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brain Play.
What industry is Brain Play in?
Brain Play's product category is Children's STEM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACANAF, STEM & Coding Readiness for Early Learners, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAL, STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics). Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 8200.