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KidPass
KidPass, co-founded by Chaim Schiff, is a children's activity marketplace acquired by Sawyer in 2022, aggregating local enrichment classes for urban...
KidPass
KidPass launched in 2015, founded by Chaim Schiff and Solomon Zerbib to solve a distinctly modern parenting problem: discovery and booking of children's activities scattered across dozens of disconnected local providers. The company operates as a membership platform where parents pay a monthly subscription for credits redeemable across a network of partner programs — including art classes, coding camps, music lessons, and sports clinics. Its early growth concentrated in New York City, where the density of both families and enrichment providers made the model immediately viable. The platform's strategy spans direct-to-consumer subscriptions, with a focus on urban families and children aged 0 to 12+. It also generates revenue through provider partnerships and drop-in booking fees. KidPass has raised venture funding from investors including CoVenture and FJ Labs, and counts over 20,000 activities in its catalog across cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. The service covers categories from martial arts and dance to STEM workshops and museum experiences, positioning as a flexible alternative to rigid term-long enrollments. In May 2022, KidPass was acquired by Sawyer, a competitor offering class management software and a consumer marketplace for children's activities (per the firms' joint announcement, 2022). The deal merged KidPass's consumer subscription base with Sawyer's provider software tools. Sawyer, led by CEO Marissa Evans Alden, continues to operate the combined entity. As of the acquisition, the KidPass membership model and brand were absorbed, and the company maintains a presence in the New York market under the Sawyer umbrella. Structurally, KidPass always differed from a typical edtech startup by acting as a demand aggregator rather than a content creator — it owned the customer relationship but not the provisioning. The acquisition by Sawyer, which had originally built its business on the supply side with scheduling and payment tools for activity providers, created a vertically integrated parent-activity marketplace. This consolidation reflected a broader pattern in the children's enrichment space: independent platforms combining to capture both sides of a fragmented local-services market.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2015
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Chaim Schiff
Co-Founder & CEO
Solomon Zerbib
Co-Founder & CTO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at KidPass, and how has that changed post-acquisition?
KidPass was founded and operated by co-founders Chaim Schiff and Solomon Zerbib before its 2022 acquisition by Sawyer. Post-acquisition, strategic and capital-allocation decisions shifted to Sawyer's leadership team under CEO Marissa Evans Alden. Sawyer, itself venture-backed, now controls the combined entity's investment and operational direction. Prior to acquisition, KidPass's venture capital came from investors including CoVenture and FJ Labs, who participated in funding rounds as reported in public filings.
How does KidPass source its supply of children's activities?
KidPass built its supply side by directly onboarding local activity providers — dance studios, coding academies, art schools, sports coaches — in each target city. Providers join the platform to access KidPass's subscriber base, and the company does not create its own content or employ instructors. The acquisition by Sawyer in 2022 added a software layer: Sawyer's tools for scheduling, payment, and class management now serve providers, creating tighter integration between marketplace demand and supply-side operations.
What is KidPass's business model — subscription, commission, or both?
KidPass operates primarily on a monthly subscription model. Parents pay a recurring fee for a set number of credits, which they redeem to book activities across the platform's partner network. The company also earns revenue from drop-in bookings for non-subscribers and may take a commission on provider transactions. This consumer-subscription approach generates predictable recurring revenue, though exact unit economics have not been publicly disclosed.
In which cities does KidPass have meaningful presence?
KidPass's strongest market is New York City, where the company was founded and initially built its provider network. It subsequently expanded to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and other major US metropolitan areas. The platform's catalog exceeds 20,000 activities, with density highest in coastal urban markets where both family disposable income and enrichment provider supply are concentrated.
Is KidPass still an independent company?
No. KidPass was acquired by Sawyer in May 2022, a transaction announced publicly by both companies. The acquisition combined KidPass's consumer membership base with Sawyer's technology platform for children's activity providers. The KidPass brand and membership experience continue under Sawyer's ownership, but strategic and financial decisions are made at the parent-company level.
What investment stages or funding has KidPass raised?
KidPass raised several rounds of venture funding prior to its 2022 acquisition. Disclosed investors include CoVenture and FJ Labs. The company participated in startup accelerators and early-stage venture programs but never disclosed total capital raised in a consolidated figure. Post-acquisition, KidPass no longer raises independent funding; investment decisions flow through Sawyer's corporate structure and its own venture backers.
What happens to KidPass subscriptions under Sawyer's ownership?
KidPass memberships continued to be honored following the 2022 acquisition, and the brand retained its consumer-facing identity within the Sawyer ecosystem. Sawyer's stated goal was to integrate KidPass's discovery and booking capabilities with its own provider software and marketplace. Existing subscribers gained access to an expanded network of activities as provider overlap increased, though the specific terms of new and legacy subscription plans have evolved under Sawyer's pricing strategy.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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