Kidpass

KidPass operates as an online marketplace designed to streamline how parents discover and book children's activities. The company was founded in 2015 by Solomon Liou, Chhay Chhun, and Aaron Kaufman. The inspiration for the platform came from personal experience; Liou, an expectant father at the time, and Chhun, who was planning for a family, recognized the fragmented nature of finding and booking kids' classes, which were scattered across various sites with no centralized payment or review system. Chhun, who had previous exposure to the children's sector at Time Out Kids, and Liou, who had worked on other projects with Chhun since their time at Harvard University, decided a subscription model was the solution.

The platform functions on a subscription-based revenue model where parents pay a monthly fee for a set number of credits. These credits act as a virtual currency that can be redeemed for a wide array of activities, including sports, music classes, camps, and museum access. This credit system was intentionally designed to avoid the unprofitability of unlimited plans, a lesson learned from the experiences of other subscription services like ClassPass. In addition to subscription fees, KidPass generates revenue by charging partner activity providers a commission on bookings made through the platform, offering them increased exposure and consistent business in return.

Serving parents of children aged 0-18, KidPass offers a diverse catalog of both in-person and online classes. The platform allows users to search by age, category, and location, providing a convenient way to find and schedule activities. After its launch, the company participated in the Y Combinator accelerator program and secured multiple rounds of funding, including a notable $5.21 million Series A round in 2017. In a strategic move to broaden its offerings, KidPass acquired Mommy Nearest in 2019, a media company focused on parenting advice and content. This acquisition expanded the platform's reach to an end-to-end service for parents. Subsequently, in August 2021, KidPass itself was acquired by BEGiN, an educational technology company, to integrate physical and in-person learning experiences into BEGiN's multi-format educational vision.

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