Tinkergarten offers a research-backed, outdoor play-based curriculum delivered by certified local leaders and enabled by a technology platform that connects families to in-person lessons. Its programs target children ages six months to eight years and aim to build social-emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. The company operates a tech-enabled network of nearly 2,000 leaders and runs classes in over 1,800 locations across all 50 U.S. states. Tinkergarten was founded in 2012 and emphasizes community-driven, real-world learning in local greenspaces. The company recently closed a $21M investment from WndrCo and will use capital and expertise to scale offerings and expand into more cities while building toward a trusted global brand. Tinkergarten operates a technology platform to find, vet, train and support leaders who run play-based outdoor learning classes for children ages 1–8. Its expert-designed curriculum enables kids to develop while enjoying engaging experiences in local green spaces; classes are led by trained, certified leaders who are often parents. The company plans to use the new funding to invest in its supporting technology to further enhance learning experiences for children and parents and to expand its business reach. Since 2016 Tinkergarten has grown from 100 leaders in 14 states to over 700 leaders in 48 US states. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Brian Fitzgerald and is based in Northampton, MA. Financially, Tinkergarten has raised $8.3m in total funding, including a $5.4m Series A. Tinkergarten offers outdoor early-childhood education through an expert-designed, play-based curriculum for children ages 1-8 delivered in local green spaces. Classes are led by trained, certified leaders—often parents—and emphasize independent exploration and developmental activities. As of the article, Tinkergarten runs classes in over 50 locations across 14 states, including the New York/Tri-state area, New England, California, and Texas. The company is enrolling families for Spring 2016 in major markets and expanding into additional locations such as Austin, Portland, Seattle, Maryland, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Led by co-founder and CEO Brian Fitzgerald, Tinkergarten intends to use the seed funds to expand to new communities nationally. The article reports a $1.6M seed financing to support that growth. Tinkergarten provides a technology platform that enables a distributed workforce of vetted class leaders to host outdoor, play-based learning sessions for children roughly 18 months to 8 years old. The company offers virtual training, background checks, and an online portal where teachers configure schedules, customize curriculum, communicate with parents via email/SMS, manage photo-sharing, and access materials. Classes emphasize hands-on, child-led problem solving using natural materials and are marketed largely to the “Mommy & Me” crowd. Tinkergarten charges per-session fees (typically $25–$30) and sells monthly offerings (about $100/month for a once-weekly class), keeping a 70% share of class fees while supplying platform support and materials. The startup says teachers can earn a few thousand dollars up to roughly $10,000 extra per year; it currently has about 30 class leaders in the New York metro area. The company is a team of five full-time employees based in Brooklyn and Northampton, Mass., has raised $500K in seed funding, and plans to expand its platform nationwide.

Total raised

$29M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Mar 2019