SAM Labs, an edtech startup that empowers teachers with the most engaging STEAM classroom solutions, today announced the completion of a €5.7 million Series A funding round led by Touchstone Innovations and E15 Ventures. SAM Labs will use the funding to develop a number of new educational products that support its mission to inspire every student to discover the fun in coding and creating.
With the global edtech market set to reach about $252 billion by 2020, SAM Labs wants to become one of the industry leaders with its STEAM innovations for the classroom. SAM Labs was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in London.
Joachim Horn, founder and CEO of SAM Labs, stated: “As a technology company delivering solutions for teaching STEAM and computing, we’re thrilled to deepen our research and development efforts to bring new products to the classroom. This round of funding will increase our time spent working closely with teachers, administrators, and standards like NGSS to develop the most engaging teaching materials, hardware, and software to excite students about the possibilities of STEAM.”
SAM Labs aims to make coding education accessible for all students across all skill levels and interests. The company’s STEAM Kit provides a solution for teachers who are looking to bring computer science to the classroom, but may not have received the training or resources needed to properly teach coding.
By focusing on learning outcomes and efficacy, SAM Labs will continue to improve student and teacher experiences. This includes adding new technology, cross-curricula lesson plans and schemes of work, professional development, and hands-on customer support.
Robert Bahns, Director of Technology Ventures at Touchstone Innovations, commented: “We’ve seen an increased focus from edtech companies on improving education standards around the world. With products like the STEAM Kit, SAM Labs has been at the forefront of this innovation since it was founded in 2014 – and in many ways, it has set the standard for coding and computer science education both at home and in the classroom. A proficiency in computer science is something from which all students should benefit, and SAM Labs is allowing for this possibility across the globe.”
SAM Labs will also continue growing its partnerships with government organisations like the City of Helsinki and the UAE Ministry of Education, as well as companies like Microsoft Education and Intel Education. The startup has graduated from the Intel Education Accelerator in 2016.
Below you’ll find an example of what kids can build using SAM:
