Scanning Pens
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersSeend, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Scanning Pens firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scanning Pens
- Legal name
- Scanning Pens Inc
- Website
- https://scanningpens.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scanning Pens industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Assistive Reading Technology Hardware
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assistive Reading & Writing Tools (Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, OCR, Dyslexia Support) (EDAFAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AT for Reading, Writing & Learning (Literacy/Executive Function) Tools & Training (EDAKAIAC), Assistive Technology for LD (Reading/Writing Tools & Training) (EDAKAJAH)
Keywords
Where Scanning Pens is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seend, Wiltshire
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Scanning Pens business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: One-time purchase of reading pen devices. Individual units sold at set prices with quantity discounts available for bulk orders. Class packs (10-packs) offered at reduced per-unit pricing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C-Pen Reader 3 - Individual unit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C-Pen Reader 3 Class Pack (10 pens) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C-Pen Lingo 3 - Individual unit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C-Pen Reader 2 - Individual unit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C-Pen Reader 2 Class Pack (10 pens) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C-Pen Secure Reader 2 - Individual unit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | C-Pen Exam Reader 2 - Individual unit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | e-pens explore scanner - Individual unit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Case & Lanyard accessory |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Scanning Pens product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scanning Pens manufactures and sells handheld assistive reading pen devices that scan printed text with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and read it aloud via text-to-speech, supporting individuals with dyslexia, English Language Learners, special educational needs, and exam candidates. The portfolio includes the C-Pen Reader 2, C-Pen Reader 3, C-Pen Lingo 3, C-Pen Exam Reader 2, C-Pen Secure Reader 2, and the e-pens explore scanner, with multi-language translation across 40+ languages and exam-board approved secure configurations. Products are sold directly through the company website to individuals and via dedicated district sales to schools and institutions.
Product overview
Scanning Pens offers a portfolio of assistive reading technology devices designed to support individuals with dyslexia, English Language Learners (ELL), and those with reading challenges. The core product line includes C-Pen Reader 2, C-Pen Reader 3, C-Pen Lingo 3, C-Pen Exam Reader 2, C-Pen Secure Reader 2, and e-pens explore scanner. The products work through a scan-listen-understand approach using text-to-speech and OCR technology. Class Pack bundles (10-pen packs) are available for classroom deployment. Pricing ranges from $160 (e-pens explore scanner) to $380 (Reader 3, Lingo 3) for individual pens, with class packs from $3,450 to $3,700. The company is part of Empowering Tech Group and has been recognized with the Queen's Awards For Enterprise: International Trade 2021.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- C-Pen: Line of reading pens including Reader 3, Reader 2, Exam Reader 2, Secure Reader 2, and Lingo 3 - assistive technology devices for text-to-speech reading support
- e-pens
- Scanning Squad
- ReaderPen
Products and services
- C-Pen Reader 3 Flagship C-Pen reading pen with touchscreen navigation, new language module, and advanced accessibility features. Provides offline text-to-speech in 5 languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German) and online translation in 40+ languages, with practice mode, vocabulary development tools, and 8+ hours of battery life for students with dyslexia and reading challenges.
- C-Pen Lingo 3 Hybrid reading and translator pen designed for language learners, supporting 40+ world languages. Combines C-Pen reading functionality with built-in bilingual dictionaries, translators, and scanners, plus touchscreen navigation, practice mode, voice recognition, and dictation for students learning modern foreign languages and ELL learners.
- C-Pen Reader 2 Award-winning reading pen for dyslexia providing vocabulary support, text-to-speech, and scan-to-file library mode. Features voices in English, French, Italian, and Spanish with accent variations, voice memo recording, 8+ hours battery life, and built-in dictionaries for independent reading support.
- C-Pen Exam Reader 2 Exam-approved reading pen designed for secure test-taking environments with no storage and no Wi-Fi. Provides text-to-speech reading support as an alternative to a human reader for ELL students and special education students during timed examinations, approved by exam boards worldwide with a discreet, portable design.
- C-Pen Secure Reader 2 Reading pen with text-to-speech and data security features for workplace and high-security environments. Features no storage, no Wi-Fi, and no removable batteries to ensure confidential data protection, with English, French, and Spanish voices and built-in multilingual dictionaries, certified for correctional facilities.
- e-pens explore scanner Affordable reading and translation scanner pen for homework, travel, and business use. Features 60+ language translation, color touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, voice recorder, and the ability to scan both printed materials and digital screens (8-48pt font range), positioned for personal use rather than school classroom deployment.
- Case & Lanyard accessory Protective case and lanyard accessory compatible with the C-Pen Reader 2, C-Pen Exam Reader 2, and C-Pen Secure Reader 2, designed to keep the reading pen devices secure and portable for daily use.
Quantifiable outcome
- 93% of students showed enhanced comprehension in 3+ categories after using reading pens
- +12 more outcomes
Companies that use Scanning Pens
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments12 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Scanning Pens technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
Scanning Pens partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Empowering Tech GroupcoreScanning Pens is part of the Empowering Tech Group, a community of passionate education and technology organizations united in supporting the neurodivergent community and helping people of all ages read and achieve. The group includes Squid (powered by Squid) and represents the parent company structure.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Scanning Pens competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Speechify: Speechify is a consumer and education-focused TTS app with OCR scanning of text and images, used by students with reading differences and ADHD. Software-based alternative to C-Pen, particularly relevant for the same dyslexia/reading support use case on smartphones and tablets.
- Natural Reader: Natural Reader is a TTS software platform with OCR scanning, used in education and by individuals with reading difficulties. Comparable in core OCR + TTS capability and target users, though delivered as desktop/mobile software rather than dedicated hardware.
Others
- Learning Ally: Learning Ally provides human-narrated audiobooks and reading support services to students with dyslexia and other reading deficits, often funded through school district budgets. Adjacent rather than direct competition, but competes for the same assistive reading/reading-disability budget pool.
- Bookshare (Benetech): Bookshare is the largest accessible ebook library for people with reading barriers (dyslexia, blindness, physical disabilities), often integrated with assistive reading software. Competes indirectly for the same school district accessibility budgets and addresses the same student population.
- Squid (Empowering Tech Group sister brand): Squid is a sister brand within the Empowering Tech Group that produces paper-based digital writing/drawing hardware for education. Same parent ecosystem and overlapping school district customers; provides cross-sell potential and signals Empowering Tech Group's broader assistive EdTech strategy.
Direct peers
- Wizcom Technologies: Wizcom is the historical pioneer of handheld scanning reading pens (ReadingPen, Quicktionary). Closest direct competitor in the dedicated reading-pen form factor, selling into education and consumer markets with similar OCR + dictionary functionality.
- OrCam Technologies: OrCam makes MyEye, a wearable AI-assisted reading device for people with dyslexia, vision impairment, and reading difficulties. Direct competitor to C-Pen in the assistive reading device category, targeting similar users (students, adults, low-vision users) with on-device OCR and TTS.
- Kurzweil Education: Kurzweil 3000 is a long-standing assistive reading and writing platform for students with learning disabilities, offering OCR scanning, TTS, and study tools. Closely comparable in target user (students with LD/dyslexia) and core function (scan + read aloud), though delivered as software.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft (Immersive Reader): Immersive Reader is a free, built-in TTS and reading support tool embedded across Microsoft 365, Edge, Teams, and OneNote. Competes with C-Pen at the feature level for schools already standardized on Microsoft, often as a free substitute for dedicated assistive reading hardware.
- Texthelp (Read&Write): Texthelp's Read&Write is a widely deployed literacy support software suite for K-12 and higher ed, offering text-to-speech, OCR, vocabulary, and study skills tools. Competes with C-Pen for assistive reading budgets but delivers via software on existing devices rather than dedicated hardware.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Scanning Pens social profiles
Digital presenceScanning Pens compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Scanning Pens financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scanning Pens leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Scanning Pens funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scanning Pens 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 Scanning Pens
What does Scanning Pens do?
Scanning Pens manufactures and sells handheld assistive reading pen devices that scan printed text with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and read it aloud via text-to-speech, supporting individuals with dyslexia, English Language Learners, special educational needs, and exam candidates. The portfolio includes the C-Pen Reader 2, C-Pen Reader 3, C-Pen Lingo 3, C-Pen Exam Reader 2, C-Pen Secure Reader 2, and the e-pens explore scanner, with multi-language translation across 40+ languages and exam-board approved secure configurations. Products are sold directly through the company website to individuals and via dedicated district sales to schools and institutions.
Is Scanning Pens a public or private company?
Scanning Pens is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Scanning Pens founded?
Scanning Pens was founded in 2003. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Scanning Pens based?
Scanning Pens is headquartered in Seend, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Scanning Pens make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Sales.
Who are Scanning Pens's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Speechify and Natural Reader. Others are Learning Ally, Bookshare (Benetech) and Squid (Empowering Tech Group sister brand). Direct peers are Wizcom Technologies, OrCam Technologies and Kurzweil Education. Broad incumbents are Microsoft (Immersive Reader) and Texthelp (Read&Write).
Does Scanning Pens have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scanning Pens.
What industry is Scanning Pens in?
Scanning Pens's product category is Assistive Reading Technology Hardware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAKAA, Assistive Reading & Writing Tools (Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, OCR, Dyslexia Support), with a secondary code of EDAKAIAC, AT for Reading, Writing & Learning (Literacy/Executive Function) Tools & Training.