Thimble has raised $25.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Thimble's investors include Embedded Ventures, MS&AD Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Bow Capital, Brand Foundry Ventures, DST Global, Felicis Ventures, March Capital, Mars Growth Capital, Matrix, Maven Ventures, Trinity Ventures.
Thimble.io is an edtech company providing hands-on STEM curriculum for K-12 schools, teaching kids coding, robotics, and engineering skills through kits, online lessons, teacher training, and assessments.[1][2][4] It serves schools, after-school programs, camps, makerspaces, and community groups with hybrid (in-person and virtual) solutions designed for easy implementation by teachers without prior STEM expertise, solving the gap in accessible tech education.[2][4] The company has shown growth with $1.2M total revenue through July 2021, $750K in 2021 revenue ($220K ARR), 21 school district contracts, and service to over 20,000 students and 500 teachers across all 50 U.S. states and 30 countries.[1][2]
Thimble.io was founded in February 2017 by Oscar Pedroso (CEO) and Joel Cilli (Head of Curriculum & Content) in Buffalo, NY.[1][2] Pedroso, who started as a restaurant server and part-time math tutor, launched the concept in 2015 via Kickstarter, evolving it from prior ventures like a tutoring business and GradFly into a full STEM platform; he has sold over $1M in educational products.[1][2] Cilli brings expertise in e-learning, STEM, Python, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, course development, and teacher training from roles like Director of Innovation at an online high school.[1] Early traction included 2020 pandemic-response live/on-demand classes, partnerships with Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo and University of Buffalo's STEP program for underserved students, and shipping thousands of kits to homes and schools.[2]
(Note: A separate "Thimble" insurance company exists but is unrelated, having been acquired in 2023 after raising $24.7M.[3])
Thimble.io rides the edtech and STEM education boom, addressing U.S. K-12 shortages in tech skills amid rising demand for future-ready workforces in AI, robotics, and engineering.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with post-pandemic hybrid learning normalization and equity pushes for underserved/minority students via partnerships like Boys & Girls Clubs.[2] Market forces favoring it include federal STEM initiatives, school budget shifts to hands-on programs, and parental demand for screen-balanced learning; it influences the ecosystem by scaling accessible curricula to districts in Texas, Florida, and New York, training non-specialist teachers, and proving B2B models for edtech impact.[1][2]
Thimble.io is positioned to expand its school pipeline toward $3.7M in growth accounts by prioritizing B2B contracts and reusable kit scalability.[2] Upcoming trends like AI-integrated STEM, expanded hybrid edtech, and diversity-focused funding will shape its path, potentially boosting contracts amid teacher shortages. Its influence may grow by standardizing hands-on tech ed nationwide, evolving from startup (9 employees, C-corp) to dominant K-12 STEM provider—building on its mission to inspire lifelong thinkers from accessible origins.[1][2][4]
Thimble has raised $25.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $22.0M Series A in October 2019.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2019 | $22.0M Series A | Embedded Ventures, MS&AD Ventures | |
| Aug 1, 2016 | $3.0M Seed | Andreessen Horowitz, Bow Capital, Brand Foundry Ventures, DST Global, Felicis Ventures, March Capital, Mars Growth Capital, Matrix, Maven Ventures, Trinity Ventures, Aaron Levie, Sam Shank, Tirto Adji |
