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§ Private Profile · Brighton, UK
EdTech company creating augmented reality educational products for children's science education, focused on interactive learning.
Based in Brighton, United Kingdom, Curiscope is an educational technology company that develops augmented reality products, such as interactive t-shirts and posters, to teach science and human anatomy to children. The company operates with fewer than 25 employees and generates under $5 million in annual revenue by selling its physical merchandise directly to schools, educational institutions, and parents. Curiscope has raised over $1 million in venture capital funding from lead investor LocalGlobe following its initial crowdfunding campaigns, while its flagship Virtuali-Tee anatomy product has accumulated more than 30 million views. The enterprise distributes approximately 60 percent of its inventory through the Amazon Launchpad platform and has established strategic partnerships with prominent organizations including the Science Museum of London and publisher Dorling Kindersley. Curiscope was founded in 2015 by Ed Barton and Ben Kidd.
Curiscope has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round.
Curiscope has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Curiscope has raised $1.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $1.0M Seed in October 2017.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2017 | $1M Seed | LocalGlobe | Amadeus Capital Partners, Richard Fearn, Ascension Ventures, Force Over Mass, Ustwo | Announced |
Curiscope has raised $1.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Curiscope's investors include LocalGlobe, Amadeus Capital Partners, Richard Fearn, Ascension Ventures, Force Over Mass, ustwo.
Curiscope is a Brighton, UK-based technology company that develops augmented reality (AR) educational products to make STEM learning interactive and engaging for children and students.[1][2][5] Its flagship products include the Virtuali-Tee, an AR T-shirt that visualizes human anatomy in 3D via a mobile app, and AR posters that animate space exploration or other scientific concepts, serving homes, classrooms, and institutions like the Science Museum of London.[1][3][5] These tools solve the problem of abstract science education by transforming static learning into immersive experiences, fostering curiosity and deeper understanding; the company has raised $1M in Seed VC funding and achieved global sales momentum, with Amazon driving ~60% of revenue and over 30 million views of its content.[1][2][3]
Curiscope was founded in 2015 (with launch in 2016) by Ed Fairhead and Ben Kidd, former colleagues from an advertising agency who bonded over a shared passion for VR/AR a decade earlier.[2][3][4] Their backgrounds in advertising, video production, and tech inspired the idea of "bringing learning to life" through physical products paired with apps, starting with prototypes of the anatomy T-shirt worn at events to demo "x-ray vision" effects.[3] Early traction came via a grueling Kickstarter campaign that secured global backers, followed by Amazon Launchpad in 2017 for scalable sales, marking pivotal growth from a bootstrapped startup to an award-winning brand.[3]
Curiscope rides the edtech wave fueled by AR/VR adoption post-COVID, where demand for immersive learning tools surged amid remote education needs, positioning it in a market projected to grow with players like Google and Schell Games.[1][2] Timing aligns with smartphone ubiquity enabling low-barrier AR, countering screen-fatigue critiques by blending physical play with digital magic—key as schools seek STEM resources amid talent shortages in science fields.[3][5] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing high-end visualization for K-12, inspiring similar hybrids (e.g., AR books) and amplifying UK edtech exports via platforms like Amazon Launchpad.[3]
Curiscope's trajectory points to expansion beyond anatomy into time travel, teleportation, and more VR/AR books, capitalizing on its award-winning formula to penetrate global classrooms and homeschool markets.[3][5] Trends like AI-enhanced personalization and metaverse edtech will shape its path, potentially boosting margins through app subscriptions or B2B licensing amid rising STEM mandates. Its influence could evolve from niche innovator to edtech staple, scaling "magic" moments that hooked 30 million viewers into mainstream curricula—echoing its origin as wonder-sparking prototypes now revolutionizing how kids see science.