# Kibeam Learning

> Kibeam Learning is an Oakland, California edtech company building the Kibeam Wand Reading System - a screen-free, AI-powered handheld device that brings physical books to life with sound, character voices, read-aloud and play-based games. Founded in 2020 by LeapFrog LeapPad inventor Jim Marggraff, Kibeam targets PreK-3 literacy at home and in classrooms, grounded in the Science of Reading, and has run large pilots including a partnership with the University of Florida's Lastinger Center reaching tens of thousands of families.

- **Founded:** 2020
- **Headquarters:** Oakland, California, United States
- **Founders:** Jim Marggraff (Founder & CEO)
- **Team size:** ~39 employees
- **Products:** Kibeam Wand Reading System, Kibeam for Educators / Classroom, Kibeam Pilot Program, Curated Book Library
- **Notable:** Best of Show at ISTE Live 2025, Tech & Learning Award of Excellence, honored in the Primary Education category, Reported up to 5x more time reading with the wand than with books alone (up to 5-7x engagement in UF pilot)

## Products & services

- **Kibeam Wand Reading System** — A screen-free, AI-powered handheld wand that brings physical books to life through sound effects, music, character voices, read-aloud in multiple languages, and play-based games, reinforcing foundational reading skills for PreK-3 learners.
- **Kibeam for Educators / Classroom** — Classroom-ready version of the wand designed to fit into circle time, small-group instruction and learning centers, with standards-aligned content and real-time engagement and literacy data for teachers.
- **Kibeam Pilot Program** — Structured pilots with schools, districts and research partners that deploy wands and curated books while collecting data on literacy, engagement and device design.
- **Curated Book Library** — A growing library of physical books compatible with the wand, with an open call to publishers to bring their catalogs into the screen-free system.

## Achievements

- Best of Show at ISTE Live 2025
- Tech & Learning Award of Excellence, honored in the Primary Education category
- Reported up to 5x more time reading with the wand than with books alone (up to 5-7x engagement in UF pilot)
- 60,000+ families and 1M+ minutes of learning recorded
- IES federal research award for the Kibeam Wand Reading System
- Founded by Jim Marggraff, inventor of the LeapFrog LeapPad

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Launched the Kibeam Wand (June 30, 2025) as a screen-free, AI-powered device bringing regular books to life; introduced at ISTE Live 2025.
- **2025-07** — Named Best of Show at ISTE Live 2025.
- **2025-09** — Kibeam's screen-free AI wand won the Tech & Learning Award of Excellence in the Primary Education category.
- **2025-10** — Kibeam called on publishers to join its screen-free storytelling system, opening its platform to more books.
- **2024-10** — University of Florida and Kibeam Learning teamed up to give 50,000 more reading wands to young Florida learners.

## Links

- Website: https://kibeam.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kibeamlearning/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kibeamlearning/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kibeamlearning/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/kibeam-learning
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-04