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.