PlayKids’ majority owner, Movile, will join Sandbox as a minority shareholder;
PlayKids CEO to lead the expansion of Sandbox into LatAm
LONDON & CAMPINAS, Brazil–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#digital—Sandbox & Co, a London-based provider of digital learning products and services, today announced that it has acquired PlayKids, a leading digital education platform in Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy.
PlayKids provides video content, books and eLearning experiences through two core brands: the PlayKids app, an award-winning video-on-demand platform for children aged 2-6, and Leiturinha, one of the largest kids’ book-subscription services in Brazil. Together, they reach more than four million monthly users, and are a leader in children’s edutainment in the region.
PlayKids’ majority owner, Movile, a long-term investor in LatAm tech companies, will become a minority investor in Sandbox as a result of the acquisition. The Prosus-backed business has a significant presence in Brazil’s tech and investment ecosystem and has led multiple investment rounds for industry leaders such as iFood, Sinch and Zoop.
“We have been big fans of PlayKids and Leiturinha and are delighted to welcome them to the Sandbox family as a perfect complement to our existing suite of products,” said Bhav Singh, founder and CEO of Sandbox. “I’m excited to have Guilherme Martins, CEO of PlayKids, on board to lead the rollout of our wider portfolio into LatAm and am equally thrilled that Movile is joining us as shareholders as we continue to build towards an industrial-scale enterprise focused on ‘super serving’ millennial and Gen Z families.”
“Last year, following the pandemic’s impact, there was a clear uptake in digital acceleration and a need to quickly reinvent how kids are educated and entertained during the lockdowns,” said Guilherme Martins, CEO of PlayKids and founder of Leiturinha. “I see that trend continuing and am excited to work with Bhav and the other Sandboxers to extend our digital offerings and introduce Sandbox’ online learning products to the Latin American market.”
“Movile’s goal is to build leading companies that can transform the world, help them solve challenges, and accelerate their growth,” said Silvia Motta, Strategy and M&A Director at Movile. “We have built PlayKids from an app serving a few thousand learners to a globally recognized children’s education platform in the last few years. With the great talent, know-how and entrepreneurial grit that Sandbox offers, the combination of the two businesses will deliver engaging educational experiences and improve learning around the world. We look forward to continuing on this journey with Sandbox.”
Sandbox has seen rapid growth over the last few years and currently its portfolio consists of 17 brands with a peak monthly audience of 60M+ kids, families and teachers. Its award-winning properties include Code Kingdoms, which provides online coding courses for kids, Hopster, an award-winning preschool edutainment platform, and recently acquired Spanish companies Edujoy and Tellmewow.
About Sandbox & Co – https://sandboxandco.com
Sandbox is a London-based millennial education company with engaging online products and services that make learning fun. At the intersection of the digital, learning and media industries, Sandbox brands embrace technological advancements, focus on globally relevant core subjects that center on families’ interests and help develop 21st century skills. Sandbox & Co represents and strategically operates the Sandbox-controlled and invested entities – a suite of 17 brands, most of which are leaders in their own segment and have won several awards. These brands are aligned to three verticals: Sandbox Gaming, Sandbox Kids and Sandbox Learning. Sandbox’s brands include Code Kingdoms, CoolMathGames, Curious World, Edujoy, Fact Monster, Family Education, Funbrain, InfoPlease, Hopster, Kidomi, Leiturinha, PlayKids, Poptropica, TeacherVision, Teachit, Tellmewow and Tinybop. Sandbox is committed to providing an unparalleled ecosystem of edutainment products, and currently reaches over 60 million children, their millennial parents, and teachers.
About PlayKids – https://playkidsgroup.com/
PlayKids is one of the global leaders in educational content for families. Created in 2013, the company offers products for children to learn by playing with apps and interactive platforms, in different formats such as videos, books, podcasts and games. Playkids are formed by specialists who seek the best content allied to technology. Currently, the Playkids App is targeted at all children up to six years old, with more than four million monthly users and large representation in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Mexico and United States – reaching up to 130 countries. The Playkids blog provides the whole family with materials and articles that bring relevant topics addressed by education specialists. Its portfolio includes Leiturinha, the first children’s book subscription club in Brazil, which delivers curated content that awakens creativity and imagination to more than 190,000 families in more than 5,100 Brazilian cities. Every month, children receive books at home chosen according to their stage of development for up to 12 years old.
About Movile – www.movile.com.br
Movile is a long-term investor in technology companies in Latin America and aims to be the largest ‘thesis maker’ in the region. The company works daily to accelerate its invested companies to achieve exponential growth and lead changes that transform the world. Through its expertise in culture, strategy, M&A, finance and management, Movile supports investee companies to achieve exponential growth. Its portfolio includes Afterverse, iFood, Mensajeros Urbanos, Moova, MovilePay, PlayKids, Sympla and Zoop.
Logos and images: HERE
Contacts
Media contact: Agnes Lesti, a.lesti@sandboxkids.io
