Roborobo

Beijing Roborobo Education Technology Co., Ltd. operates as a prominent entity in China's robotics and programming education sector for children. Founded in 2012 by Hou Jingang, the company was established to address the growing demand for technology-focused extracurricular training. Hou, who previously served as the first marketing director for New Oriental's Pop Kids English and later as a marketing director at Anbo Education, leveraged his extensive experience in the children's education market to pivot into the robotics field. This strategic move was based on the observation that while other training sectors were saturated, robotics education represented a relatively untapped market.

Roborobo's business model is centered on providing robotics and programming courses for children aged 3 to 16 through a network of offline training centers. The company generates revenue from both course fees and the sale of educational hardware. Initially, Roborobo acted as the Chinese general agent for the South Korean robotics education firm of the same name, adapting its curriculum and teaching aids for the local market. This approach allowed students to learn assembly, construction, and programming of robots, covering aspects of electronics and sensors. The curriculum is structured to transition learners from physical and graphical programming to text-based languages like Python and C++.

The company experienced significant early growth, backed by key investors. In 2014, it secured a Series A funding round of $1.61 million from ZhenFund. This was followed by a strategic investment of $10 million from New Oriental Education & Technology Group in 2015. A major milestone occurred in April 2016, when Beijing Shengtong Printing Company acquired Roborobo for approximately $66.4 million (RMB 430 million), facilitating its entry into the A-share market and marking an exit for its early backers. Following the acquisition, the company continued to expand its footprint, operating through both direct-owned and franchised learning centers across China. By early 2019, it had grown to over 100 company-owned centers and more than 260 franchised locations.

Keywords: robotics education, children's programming, STEM education, EdTech China, programming courses, educational robotics, K-12 education, after-school programs, STEAM, Beijing Shengtong Printing, ZhenFund, New Oriental, Hou Jingang, educational hardware, coding for kids, youth technology training, learning centers, franchise education, Python for children, Scratch programming