BEGiN Acquires KidPass, Leading Kids Activity Marketplace

NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BEGiN, the company behind early learning programs, HOMER and codeSpark Academy, announced today the acquisition of KidPass, the leading marketplace for parents to discover and book the best kids activities, including in-person and online classes and tutoring for children ages 0-10+.

This latest acquisition is an important milestone in furthering the company's vision for the HOMER brand -- to create the most comprehensive membership program in early learning across digital, physical, and experiential offerings. KidPass' marketplace will allow HOMER to broaden its program to include online classes, in-person classes, and tutoring — each supporting the whole child with a curriculum that covers skills best taught through experiential learning, such as dance, yoga, and creativity. This wider breadth of offerings allows HOMER to curate memberships for families through a program that delivers the right skill, at the right time, using the right medium.

"We're thrilled to welcome KidPass to the HOMER family," said Neal Shenoy, CEO and co-founder of BEGiN. "This acquisition allows HOMER to curate and deliver premium memberships based on specific learning outcomes. Learning through digital apps, physical play, and in-person experiences all play critical roles in a child's learning journey and with this acquisition, we're able to meet children and families every step of the way."

KidPass' network of teachers, classes, and tutoring supports HOMER's research-based, 4-step learning framework, The HOMER Method, that goes beyond rote memorization to build confidence, promote problem-solving, and foster a lifelong love of learning.

Over 1 million parents across the US have used KidPass to book over 500,000 activities across thousands of subjects, including music, arts & crafts, sports, dance, academic tutoring, STEM, languages, summer camps, and more. More than 5,000 activity providers and instructors have used the KidPass platform to reach new families, garnering more than $10 million worth of enrollments.

"For so many families, the pandemic accelerated the adoption of new learning technologies and proved that kids learn in a variety of ways. The future of education will be multi-format, multi-channel, and personalized learning," said Solomon Liou, co-founder and CEO of KidPass. "In HOMER, we not only found a partner that is aligned to that vision but one that is well on their way to building it."

Foundations for Accelerated Growth
HOMER's award-winning program is trusted by parents and based on research. In a study conducted by the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education, just 15 minutes of practice per day was proven to increase early reading scores by up to 74%. Users spend an average of 29.3 minutes on digital learning alone daily and open an average of 12 lessons per day. HOMER's proprietary learning framework, The HOMER Method, is designed by a team of in-house learning experts to teach essential skills and how to apply that knowledge to new contexts. The four-step framework of Introduce, Practice, Apply, and Transfer goes beyond rote memorization to build confidence, promote problem-solving, and foster a lifelong love of learning.

Since its inception in 2013, the company has experienced 70%+ compounded annual growth and is developing programs alongside global partners such as Sesame Workshop and Gymboree Play + Music. HOMER has been included in the GSV EdTech 150, HolonIQ Ed Tech 100, and named one of Fast Company's 10 most innovative education companies of 2021. HOMER was also chosen as one of Crain's 100 Best Places to Work in New York City (2020, 2021).

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored that kids learn in a variety of ways, and—now more than ever—families are looking for a variety of supplemental learning solutions. With the addition of codeSpark and KidPass, HOMER's comprehensive program eases the stress of parents overwhelmed with options by delivering fun, engaging, and effective solutions they can trust.

BEGiN is building this program alongside a team of investor partners at some of the most recognized brands in international children's education, entertainment, and technology, including LEGO Ventures, Sesame Workshop, Gymboree Play & Music, GSV, Trustbridge Partners, Interlock Partners,  3One4 Capital, Korea Investment Partners, Amanat Holdings and Wellington Management.

About BEGiN
BEGiN is an award-winning educational technology company bringing high-quality learning to kids globally. BEGiN's products are as effective as they are engaging and include the HOMER Learn & Grow app, HOMER Learn & Play app, HOMER Explore Kits, and codeSpark Academy.

About HOMER
HOMER is the essential early learning program for kids.  HOMER helps kids build skills for school and life in the 21st century with thousands of activities personalized to their age and level. HOMER delivers academic skills such as literacy and math in addition to personal skills like problem-solving and social-emotional awareness.

HOMER has been honored by Mom's Choice Award, Parents' Choice Award, and Common

Sense Media, featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and USA Today, and named by Fast Company one of "The 10 most innovative education companies of 2021."

To learn more visit, LearnWithHOMER.com.

About KidPass
KidPass is the leading website for parents to discover and book the best kids activities, including in-person and online classes for children ages 0-10+. Over 500,000 activities have been booked on KidPass across thousands of subjects, including music, arts & crafts, sports, dance, academic tutoring, coding, STEM, foreign languages, summer camps, and more. KidPass has been used by over 1 million parents across the US to plan their children's schedules and works with 5,000+ kids activity providers, including leading companies like Gymboree, Music Together, Mathnasium, Super Soccer Stars, Kumon, YMCA, and the JCC. KidPass also operates Mommy Nearest, the award-winning digital media company that provides parenting advice, news, and local travel guides. For more information, please visit www.kidpass.com.

SOURCE BEGiN