SAM Labs

SAM Labs provides app-enabled construction kits and educational content to teach STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and coding in K-8 classrooms. The company's products are designed for educators, even those without a technical background, to deliver engaging, hands-on learning experiences.

The company was founded in April 2014 by Joachim Horn, a mechanical engineering graduate from Imperial College London. The idea originated during his design research at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, where he identified a need to make electronics and coding more accessible and engaging. Horn's vision was to simplify the process of invention, merging the creative aspects of design with the technical side of engineering. SAM Labs launched with a successful Kickstarter campaign in October 2014, raising over $160,000. Since then, the company has secured approximately $20.1 million in funding over several rounds.

SAM Labs' business model focuses on providing schools and districts with comprehensive educational solutions. This includes physical kits of wireless, Bluetooth-enabled electronic blocks—like motors, sensors, lights, and buttons—that can be connected and controlled via the company's software applications, SAM Space and SAM Blockly. The software uses a visual, drag-and-drop interface that allows students to build programs and control their physical creations. Revenue is generated from the sale of these hardware kits and accompanying curriculum-aligned lesson packs, teacher training, and support services.

The core offering is a combination of hardware and software designed to bring abstract concepts to life. Students can build inventions, program cars, and create systems, with the blocks providing immediate physical feedback to their coding efforts. The products are compatible with other materials like LEGOs to expand creative possibilities. The company emphasizes providing a positive and frustration-free introduction to engineering by ensuring the components work together seamlessly, which helps build student confidence and resilience. The platform is used in over 4,000 schools, primarily serving the K-8 educational market in the US and internationally.

Keywords: educational technology, STEAM education, K-8 learning, coding kits, app-enabled toys, electronics for kids, STEM learning, block-based coding, edtech hardware, curriculum solutions, Joachim Horn, wireless sensors, visual programming, classroom technology, hands-on learning, engineering education, educational robotics, IoT learning kits, computational thinking, 21st-century skills