Education  August 23, 2019

Sphero buys New York education startup

BOULDER  — Sphero Inc. has purchased New York City-based startup littleBits Electronics Inc. as it continues to shift away from toys and into education.

In a statement Friday, Sphero said the acquisition makes it the largest company in its segment of the education technology industry, with more than 140 patents.

Sphero did not disclose the sale price.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Business Cares: March 2024

WomenGive, a program of United Way of Larimer County, was started in Larimer County in 2006 as an opportunity for women in our community to come together to help other women.

littleBits makes coding kits and modular snap-on kits to teach children basic circuitry while they make models of remote-controlled cars or electric guitars. It raised $62.3 million in venture funding since it was founded eight years ago, according to startup database Crunchbase.

Sphero raised $26.8 million in a funding round last month. In a statement at the time, the company said it would use the money to finance acquisitions and other investments.

“Sphero and littleBits are on a mission to make hands-on learning fun and memorable,” Paul Berberian, Sphero’s CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Together, we’re able to make an even greater impact by delivering the best possible solution — whether it is programming a robot to solve a maze or building an electronic music synthesizer. There are infinite learning possibilities — and they’re all fun.”

BOULDER  — Sphero Inc. has purchased New York City-based startup littleBits Electronics Inc. as it continues to shift away from toys and into education.

In a statement Friday, Sphero said the acquisition makes it the largest company in its segment of the education technology industry, with more than 140 patents.

Sphero did not disclose the sale price.

littleBits makes coding kits and modular snap-on kits to teach children basic circuitry while they make models of remote-controlled cars or electric guitars. It raised $62.3 million in venture funding since it was founded eight years ago, according to startup database Crunchbase.

Sphero raised $26.8 million

Christopher Wood
Christopher Wood is editor and publisher of BizWest, a regional business journal covering Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties. Wood co-founded the Northern Colorado Business Report in 1995 and served as publisher of the Boulder County Business Report until the two publications were merged to form BizWest in 2014. From 1990 to 1995, Wood served as reporter and managing editor of the Denver Business Journal. He is a Marine Corps veteran and a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder. He has won numerous awards from the Colorado Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Alliance of Area Business Publishers.
Sign up for BizWest Daily Alerts