Company Overview
About Codemao
Codemao (编程猫) is a Shenzhen, China-based children's coding education platform — backed with $360+ million in total funding at a $7.3 billion valuation as of 2024 — providing 31+ million students aged 4-16 with visual programming and AI literacy education through proprietary tools including Kitten (a Scratch-inspired visual programming language optimized for mobile) and Nemo (mobile coding application). The platform partners with 11,500 schools across China and generates approximately $17 million in annual revenue. In 2025, TIME magazine ranked Codemao as the top EdTech company globally, and UNESCO launched a partnership with Codemao on the Africa-Asia Youth Coding Initiative Phase 2 (2025-2030) to expand digital skills education across developing nations. Founded in December 2014 in Paris by Sun Yue and Li Tianchi (Chinese graduate students at EIT Digital Master School), operating from Shenzhen headquarters with offices in Beijing and Shanghai and 3,000+ employees.
Business Model & Competitive Advantage
Codemao's visual programming education model addresses the coding education accessibility gap in China's K-12 system: traditional computer science education uses text-based programming languages that create a steep learning curve for children under 12 — with the syntax, debugging, and abstract thinking requirements exceeding the cognitive development stage of young learners. Codemao's Kitten visual programming language (using drag-and-drop code blocks that snap together like puzzle pieces, with immediate visual feedback as children create games and animations) provides the intrinsic motivation loop that sustains coding practice: children build a platformer game in the first session, creating the engagement that drives continued learning. The mobile-first design (80% of Chinese children access Codemao on smartphones and tablets, not desktop computers) and cartoon character integration (characters familiar from Chinese children's media) create platform stickiness through the "children play, parents pay" monetization model.
Competitive Landscape 2025–2026
In 2025, Codemao competes in the China children's coding education, K-12 STEM programming, and global coding EdTech market with Scratch (MIT Media Lab, free open-source platform), Code.org (US non-profit, global K-12 coding curriculum), and Roblox (NYSE: RBLX, game creation platform with coding elements) for Chinese K-12 coding education curriculum adoption and global developing-market coding literacy programs. The UNESCO Africa-Asia Youth Coding Initiative partnership (Phase 2 covering 2025-2030 across Africa and Asia) expands Codemao's mission beyond China into the global EdTech market where demand for digital skills education is highest in emerging markets. The $7.3 billion valuation (achieved through aggressive school partnership and consumer app growth in China's competitive K-12 supplemental education market) reflects the platform's dominant position. The 2025 strategy focuses on growing the AI literacy curriculum (introducing LLM concepts and prompt engineering in the Kitten visual environment), expanding the UNESCO partnership countries, and building the competitive programming tournament ecosystem that drives platform engagement among older students.
The Codemao Story
Founders
Recent Activity
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Major milestones in Codemao's journey
Leadership Team
Meet the leaders behind Codemao
Li Tianchi
Li Tianchi co-founded Codemao after studying at EIT Digital Master School in Paris. Named to MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35, he leads Codemao's mission to make coding accessible to every child. His vision of teaching students through play has reached 31 million children.
Sun Yue
Sun Yue met Li Tianchi at the EIT Digital Master School while studying Human Interaction Design. Together they founded Codemao after witnessing young European children's coding proficiency at the 2014 Web Summit. He focuses on product development and user experience.
Chief Technology Innovation Officer
Leads the development of Codemao's proprietary coding platforms including Kitten, Nemo, and other visual programming tools that make coding accessible to millions of Chinese children.
Chief Of Staff
Oversees strategic initiatives and operational execution across Codemao's 3,000+ employee organization and partnerships with over 11,500 schools nationwide.
Head Of Sales
Manages Codemao's B2B and B2C sales operations, driving partnerships with schools and direct-to-consumer subscriptions from parents across China.
Key Differentiators
Emerging Innovator
Codemao is an emerging player bringing innovative solutions to the Education market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Estimated Visibility Trend (Beta)
Simulated 8-week rolling score
Based on estimated brand signals. Historical tracking coming soon.
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