Lego Pays $875M for Doctor’s Teaching Tool

The owners of Lego have reportedly paid $875 million for an Israeli company that makes educational videos for kids.

Brainpop was founded in 1999 by Dr Avraham Kadar, a pediatrician who developed animation and simple storytelling methods to explain medical concepts to his young patients.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Kirkbi, the Denmark-based family-run company that owns toy maker Lego, bought the company for $875 million.

Brainpop is used by 25 million US youngsters annually, and in over two-thirds of US school districts. 

It will remain operationally independent of Kirkbi and the Lego group, and will use the investment to further its reach and educate more children.

Brainpop movies span seven subjects: science, math, english, social studies, health, arts and music, and technology, supplemented by features such as printable quizzes, do-it-yourself experiments, and cartoons. 

The company is expanding its product lines, and has recently launched Brainpop Science as a supplement to middle school science classes.

“At Brainpop, we have always put kids at the center of everything we do. This unique DNA is deeply rooted in my perspective as a father, pediatrician, and scientist,” said Dr Kadar.

“I attribute much of the Brainpop ethos to my own children, who taught me some of the most important lessons of my life.

“I was receptive to their thoughts and ideas, and that made all the difference. My team, in turn, was receptive to my dream, and brought it to life through a truly revolutionary multidisciplinary approach to education.

“At this historic moment, my gratitude for them is beyond measure. The magic we created together is our legacy and our future.”