9th planet productions
9th Planet Productions is a small Minnesota-based educational content company that creates video behavior modeling curricula teaching social skills to teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum, selling one-time video and course licenses to families, schools, and social skills groups.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersStillwater, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What 9th planet productions does
9th Planet Productions is a privately-held Minnesota-based educational content company that develops video behavior modeling curricula for teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum. Founded in 2011 by public interest lawyer and social coach Melva Radtke, the company produces short instructional videos (2-4 minutes each) organized into Video Skill Sets built around a recurring science-fiction narrative featuring "Tad Shy," an interplanetary explorer learning to navigate social situations with "neurotypicals" on Earth. Each Video Skill Set comprises six interlocking videos plus a User's Guide with shooting scripts and discussion questions, and is paired with an optional Video Behavior Modeling Course containing complete lesson plans that culminate in a student-produced capstone video.
The core technology is video behavior modeling — a pedagogical best practice for teaching social skills to autistic learners — delivered as discrete, license-bound digital and physical media products rather than as a software platform. The active product line is narrow: Conversation I, Conversation II, and Job Searching on the Spectrum (each $35-$65), with optional lesson-plan add-ons at $15. Delivery formats include QuickTime and MP4 downloads and CD-ROM discs by mail; companion lesson plans and user guides are delivered as PDFs. The catalog is protected by registered trademarks on "9th Planet" and "Tad Shy" and by copyright on the underlying video and course materials.
Revenue is generated entirely through one-time license sales through a direct-to-consumer website channel, with a parallel institutional purchase-order channel for schools and social-skills groups. Each license covers a single family, classroom, or social-skills group; products are explicitly excluded from lending-library use, capping per-customer volume. The team is small (1-10 employees), founder-centric, and family-structured, with multiple Radtke family members in creative and operational roles, supplemented by external advisors including a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. The company is integrated with the Minnesota autism-services ecosystem through founder affiliations with Autism Works and the Autism Society of Minnesota, but has no disclosed operations outside the United States, no institutional funding, and no AI/ML capabilities.
9th planet productions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 9th planet productions
- Legal name
- 9th Planet, LLC
- Website
- https://9thplanet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 9th Planet Productions is a small Minnesota-based educational content company that creates video behavior modeling curricula teaching social skills to teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum, selling one-time video and course licenses to families, schools, and social skills groups.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
9th planet productions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Special Education / Autism Social Skills Video Curriculum
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autism Assistive Technology & Learning Tools (Educational) (EDAKAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Autism Support Instructional Materials (Structured Teaching, Visual Supports) (EDAGAMAK), Interactive Multimedia Learning Content (Video, Audio, Interactive Lessons) (EDAFACAG), Short-Form Video for Education & Microlearning Platforms (MPACAHAK)
Keywords
Where 9th planet productions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stillwater
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
9th planet productions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Video Skill Sets: Individual video packages sold as downloads or physical discs. Each set includes six short videos teaching interlocking social skills plus a User's Guide.
- Video Behavior Modeling Courses: Complete ready-to-use lesson plans for social skills courses based on the videos, sold separately from video packages
- Institutional Licensing: Single user license per purchase for one family, classroom, or social skills group. Physical disc sales with purchase order support for schools.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Job Searching on the Spectrum - Complete Course |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Conversation I - Video Skill Set |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Conversation II - Video Skill Set |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
9th planet productions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
9th Planet Productions develops and sells social skills training videos for teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum, using a proprietary Video Behavior Modeling approach. Each video skill set features an original science fiction narrative character (Tad Shy) and is bundled with lesson plans, a capstone project, and a Users Guide, sold as direct digital downloads or physical discs to families and to schools via purchase order.
Product overview
9th Planet Productions is a single-product educational company offering video behavior modeling tools for teaching social skills to teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum. The core offering consists of Video Skill Sets—each containing six short (2-4 minute) videos featuring the recurring character Tad Shy in a science fiction narrative—and Video Behavior Modeling Courses with complete lesson plans. Available products include Job Searching on the Spectrum, Conversation I, and Conversation II (each with Users Guides), with lesson plans sold separately as add-ons. Products are delivered as digital downloads in QuickTime and MP4 formats, or on CD-ROM discs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Job Searching on the Spectrum
Quantifiable outcome
- Videos are provided in both QuickTime (Mac/PC) and mp4 formats for viewing on computers, tablets, and smartphones
Companies that use 9th planet productions
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
9th planet productions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
9th planet productions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Autism WorkscoreFounder Melva Radtke serves as a Social Coach for Autism Works, connecting the company to autism employment and social skills services.
- Autism Society of MinnesotacoreFounder Melva Radtke created Job Skillz courses for the Autism Society of Minnesota, integrating 9th Planet video content with state autism services.
- Radtke Education Law, LLCminorFounder Melva Radtke's law practice specializing in education law for students with disabilities.
- AnimationTech LLCcoreDavid Radtke's animation company responsible for creating and bringing to life the robot character Bob in 9th Planet videos.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
9th planet productions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Behavior Imaging Solutions: Behavior Imaging Solutions provides video-based behavior analysis and remote assessment tools used in autism intervention. Comparable in using video as a core medium for autism assessment and instruction, though more clinical/assessment-focused than instructional.
- PrAACtical AAC / Visual Aids for Autism: Visual Aids for Autism and adjacent AAC/visual support publishers serve the same autism education niche with printable and digital visual supports. Relevant as a thematic neighbor in the special-needs instructional materials market, though more focused on visual supports than video.
Direct peers
- Everyday Speech: Everyday Speech provides a subscription-based platform of social-emotional learning videos, games, and lesson plans used by SLPs, special educators, and parents serving students with autism. It overlaps with 9th Planet in target customer and social skills video curriculum.
- Stages Learning Materials: Stages Learning produces picture-based and language development tools (e.g., Language Builder, Matchbox) widely used in autism and special education classrooms. Comparable as a publisher of autism-targeted instructional materials sold to schools and families.
- Think Social Publishing (Social Thinking): Social Thinking publishes the Social Thinking curriculum and a wide range of social skills teaching materials for individuals with social learning challenges including autism. Comparable in subject matter and institutional buyer (schools, therapists), but broader in scope.
- Model Me Kids: Model Me Kids produces video modeling DVDs and digital tools for teaching social skills to children with autism and other developmental differences. It is the closest direct competitor in video-based social skills modeling for the autism market.
- LessonPix: LessonPix offers customizable picture exchange, visual schedules, and printable learning materials for special education and autism classrooms. Compares as a small, specialized publisher selling instructional materials to the same school and family buyer.
- Do2Learn: Do2Learn produces picture cards, songs, games, and instructional materials targeting students with autism and special needs. Comparable niche publisher of autism-focused instructional materials sold directly to families, teachers, and therapists.
Broad incumbents
- Tobii Dynavox (Boardmaker): Tobii Dynavox's Boardmaker product line offers symbol-based instructional and AAC materials widely used in autism and special education. Comparable as a larger, established incumbent providing autism-focused instructional content to schools and therapists.
- Rethink Ed: Rethink Ed provides a comprehensive special education platform with video modeling, behavior tracking, and professional development for districts serving students with autism and disabilities. It is a broader incumbent in the same autism/social skills instructional space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
9th planet productions social profiles
Digital presence9th planet productions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
9th planet productions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
9th planet productions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
9th planet productions 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 9th planet productions
What does 9th planet productions do?
9th Planet Productions develops and sells social skills training videos for teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum, using a proprietary Video Behavior Modeling approach. Each video skill set features an original science fiction narrative character (Tad Shy) and is bundled with lesson plans, a capstone project, and a Users Guide, sold as direct digital downloads or physical discs to families and to schools via purchase order.
Is 9th planet productions a public or private company?
9th planet productions is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 9th planet productions founded?
9th planet productions was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 9th planet productions based?
9th planet productions is headquartered in Stillwater, United States, in the North America region.
How does 9th planet productions make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Video Skill Sets are the primary driver. The others are video Behavior Modeling Courses and institutional Licensing.
Who are 9th planet productions's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Behavior Imaging Solutions and PrAACtical AAC / Visual Aids for Autism. Direct peers are Everyday Speech, Stages Learning Materials, Think Social Publishing (Social Thinking), Model Me Kids, LessonPix and Do2Learn. Broad incumbents are Tobii Dynavox (Boardmaker) and Rethink Ed.
Does 9th planet productions have an API?
No public API is recorded for 9th planet productions.
What industry is 9th planet productions in?
9th planet productions's product category is Special Education / Autism Social Skills Video Curriculum. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKAKAM, Autism Assistive Technology & Learning Tools (Educational), with a secondary code of EDAGAMAK, Autism Support Instructional Materials (Structured Teaching, Visual Supports). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 7812.