KIRKBI Acquires BrainPOP Edtech Platform

  • By Kate Lucariello
  • 10/19/22

KIRKBI, the family holding and investment company of the LEGO brand, has made its first investment into digital learning by acquiring total ownership of BrainPOP, the digital education company whose key product is short animated films that help students learn with simple and clear concepts to encourage cognitive development and life skills.

KIRKBI said the company has an ambitious 10-year-goal to invest in “high-growth companies within digital play and digital learning that complement the existing LEGO-branded entities.” BrainPOP is used in over two-thirds of K–12 schools in the United States and reaches around 25,000 students annually, the company said. While coming under the governance of KIRKBI, BrainPOP will continue to operate independently and develop new products, such as BrainPOP Science for middle school classes, its first subject-specific offering. With further investment from KIRKBI, BrainPOP will also aim to increase its presence in the direct-to-consumer market, the company said in a release.

Brain POP was founded in 1999 by former pediatrician and immunologist Avraham Kadar, M.D., who will remain on the board of directors and act as a senior advisor to KIRKBI. Scott Kirkpatrick continues as BrainPOP’s CEO and will join the board. The LEGO brand is 90 years old, said Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Chair, LEGO Brand Group, and is “all about enabling the development of all children through playful learning…. BrainPOP will continue to deliver amazing online educational experiences, renowned for pedagogical rigor and product and operational excellence.”

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

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