Tynker builds gamified coding apps and curricula for children, integrating with toys and devices so coding connects to real-world projects. In three years the company has reached millions of students at tens of thousands of schools and expanded onto home computers and tablets. It has partnerships with makers such as Mattel and Parrot to tie physical devices into its lessons. The company operates a freemium model that has converted parents and schools to subscribers. Tynker reported being cash positive in 2015 after raising just over $3M in angel funding in 2013. Future plans described by management include international expansion and substantial investment in developers, sales, marketing and support, plus localization and integration with partner student information systems. Tynker provides a web-based, visual programming platform and game-like lessons that teach coding concepts to children for both in-class and at-home use. The platform uses JavaScript, HTML5 and block-based visual programming inspired by Scratch to teach sequencing, repetition, conditional logic, debugging and algorithmic thinking. Tynker’s content is free for schools while parents can purchase lessons for $30–$50; the company has also launched an iPad app with story-based puzzles and in-app purchases priced at $1.99 and $2.99 and plans to add additional paid “adventures.” To support early growth, the company raised $3.25 million in seed funding last year from venture firms and angel investors. The product has been adopted by over 8,000 schools and has helped more than six million kids begin programming. Tynker was founded in 2012 and is based in Silicon Valley.

Total raised

$10M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

May 2016