Lazoo Worldwide
Lazoo Worldwide is a company.
Active
Updated: ·
Financial History
Total Raised
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Valuation
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Leadership Team
Key people at Lazoo Worldwide.
Lazoo Worldwide is a company.
Key people at Lazoo Worldwide.
Key people at Lazoo Worldwide.
Lazoo Worldwide is a New York City-based media production, broadcasting, and advertising company specializing in children's multimedia content, with reported annual revenue of $218,000 and 5 employees.[2] It developed a global brand featuring award-winning educational apps like *Squiggles*—a digital coloring book for young children—animated TV shows, and interactive retail products inspired by Japanese children's books, generating over $10 million in gross revenue historically through apps with millions of downloads, merchandise across 300 SKUs, and in-store experiences in US and Japanese locations.[1][5][6] The company serves parents, educators, and children aged 2+, solving the need for engaging, simple tools that build social competencies, creativity, and early learning via storytelling and interactive play, with apps that topped iTunes Education charts before a PBS acquisition.[1]
Lazoo Worldwide emerged from an internationally best-selling series of Japanese children's books, expanding into a multimedia brand with apps, animation, and products.[1][5] Justin Heimberg, co-founder and Chief Content Officer, played a pivotal role in scaling it, creating content that powered two animated TV shows, a suite of apps, and retail environments.[1] Early traction came via *Squiggles*, the flagship app designed as a "living, breathing coloring book" accessible to toddlers yet appealing to older kids, which broke into iTunes top ten and led to millions of downloads; this momentum extended to physical retail setups in Toys "R" Us (TRU) stores in the US and Japan, boosting engagement and sales toward the $10+ million revenue mark before app sales to PBS.[1]
Lazoo Worldwide rode the early 2010s mobile edutainment wave, capitalizing on iOS app stores and tablet proliferation to deliver accessible children's learning tools amid rising demand for screen-based early education.[1] Timing aligned with parental shifts toward "guilt-free" digital play, especially post-iPad launch, when edutainment apps exploded; market forces like PBS's interest in quality content favored its PBS acquisition, amplifying reach in public broadcasting.[1] It influenced the ecosystem by pioneering hybrid physical-digital retail (e.g., interactive TRU setups), blending e-commerce with experiential marketing, and setting a model for IP-driven kids' media that competitors like Toca Boca later emulated, while contributing to social-emotional learning trends in child tech.[1][6]
Lazoo's legacy in scalable, revenue-generating kids' edutainment positions it for revival in today's AR/VR and AI-personalized learning era, potentially expanding *Squiggles*-style apps with adaptive features for global platforms. Trends like edtech growth (projected to hit $400B+ by 2027) and cross-media IPs (e.g., Roblox-style worlds) could reshape its influence, especially leveraging Heimberg's expertise for new storytelling formats. As a compact operation, expect pivots toward licensing or Web3 play-to-learn models, evolving from retail pioneer to enduring child development brand—echoing its origins in imagination-driven worlds.[1][2][6]