Photon

Photon Entertainment, established in 2017, provides technological solutions for the education sector, focusing on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) principles. The company's origin traces back to a student project at the Białystok University of Technology, initially conceived for the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition. The founding team includes Marcin Joka, Michał Grześ, Krzysztof Dziemiańczuk, Michał Bogucki, and Maciej Kopczyński. Marcin Joka, the CEO, gained experience in technical support, device design, and software development during his studies, a background that fueled the team's passion to create accessible programming tools they felt were missing during their own early education.

The company's core business revolves around the sale of its flagship product, the Photon Robot, and associated educational kits to institutions. Initially targeting individual consumers, the founders quickly identified a stronger demand from schools and preschools, shifting their business model accordingly. As of early 2022, the company reported having sold tens of thousands of robots to 6,000 institutions, reaching over 300,000 students globally. Their products are now used by over 1.5 million students across six continents, with 70% of revenues in 2024 coming from outside Poland.

The Photon Robot is an interactive, programmable tool designed to grow with a child's abilities, suitable for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It is ready to use out of the box and is built from durable materials to withstand classroom environments. The robot is equipped with various sensors—including sound, light, obstacle, contrast, and touch—allowing for a multitude of interactive learning scenarios. Students can program the robot using a suite of free, dedicated applications like Photon EDU, which offer different interfaces for various age groups. These range from simple visual programming, like drawing a path for the robot to follow (Photon Draw), to block-based coding (Photon Badge, Photon Blocks), and eventually text-based programming with widely-used languages such as Scratch, JavaScript, and Python. This tiered approach supports the development of computational thinking, problem-solving, and planning skills.

Keywords: educational robotics, STEAM education, coding for kids, classroom technology, programmable robot, EdTech, Photon Robot, programming education, K-12 education, STEM tools, interactive learning, Marcin Joka, computer science education, educational kits, robotics in education, learn to code, educational technology, teacher resources, problem-solving skills, computational thinking