LittleBits lays off employees as it shifts focus toward education

New York City open-source maker startup LittleBits began to lay off staff last month, TechCrunch has learned. The loss of jobs comes as the company looks to shift more focus toward the K-12 market. Education-specific offerings have been lucrative for the company in its eight-year existence, but recent products have found the company embracing licensed […]

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The ultimate guide to gifting STEM toys: tons of ideas for little builders

The holiday season is here again, touting all sorts of kids’ toys that pledge to pack ‘STEM smarts’ in the box, not just the usual battery-based fun. Educational playthings are nothing new, of course. But, in recent years, long time toymakers and a flurry of new market entrants have piggybacked on the popularity of smartphones […]

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LittleBits intros three kits to explore music, space and more

LittleBits has been keeping busy. The New York based educational hardware startup recently announced a new Avengers-themed kit and its first acquisition. This morning, it’s back with three new kits, just in time for the back to school season. As its name implies, the Base Inventor Kit is a sort of entry level set here, […]

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LittleBits acquires kids educational community DIY.co

LittleBits is making its first acquisition. The New York-based educational hardware company has agreed to acquire DIY.co, an educational social network for kids. Co-founded in 2011 by Vimeo’s Zach Klein, the San Francisco-based software startup is behind the DIY.org online community and jam.com, a subscription-based STEAM educational platform. “Over the years we’ve explored dozens of […]

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LittleBits enlists the Avengers for its latest kit

Being a part of the Disney Accelerator is the gift that keeps on giving, apparently. After introducing R2-D2-hacking Droid Inventor Kit last year, LittleBits is back with a new kit featuring The Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Iron Man is the real star of this one, with kids building a wearable “gauntlet” featuring an LED matrix panel […]

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Pearson is adding LittleBits kits to its STEM curriculum

 Brooklyn-based startup LittleBits has worked hard to shake the “tech toy” label. While the company’s done a good job getting its kid-friendly engineering kits into the hands of schools, a new partnership with Pearson will certainly add an extra bit of legitimacy to the company’s methods. The education publishing giant announced this week that it’s… Read More

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How littleBits grew from side project to Star Wars

 Like many of the most compelling startups, littleBits began life as a side-hustle — no expectations, no early push for venture capital. Just a bit of tinkering to pass the time. Ayah Bdeir was a recent MIT grad with a fellowship at New York City architecture design firm I-Beam when the seeds of the company first sprouted. Read More

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