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Thimble provides flexible commercial insurance for small businesses, independent contractors, and gig workers. Its digital platform offers on-demand policies, configurable by job, month, or year, meeting diverse professional needs. This streamlined approach delivers instant quotes and immediate proof of coverage, simplifying protection for various business activities.
Jay Bregman and Eugene Hertz founded Thimble in 2016, identifying traditional insurance's lack of agility for modern work. As entrepreneurs, they recognized a crucial demand for adaptable coverage amidst evolving work structures. Their goal was to empower small businesses and freelancers with policies designed for dynamic operational needs.
Thimble serves diverse small business owners, from tradespeople to creatives, needing responsive insurance. The company's vision is to modernize the insurance experience by offering accessible, customizable protection that empowers users. Thimble aims to eliminate complexities, enabling entrepreneurs to confidently pursue growth and new opportunities.
Thimble has raised $25.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Thimble has raised $25.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Thimble has raised $25.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Thimble's investors include Michelle Arbov, Embedded Ventures, MS&AD Ventures, AXA Venture Partners, OpenOcean, Slow Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Bow Capital, Brand Foundry Ventures, DST Global, Felicis Ventures, March Capital.
Thimble has raised $25.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $22.0M Series A in October 2019.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2019 | $22M Series A | Michelle Arbov | Embedded Ventures, MS&AD Ventures, AXA Venture Partners, OpenOcean, Slow Ventures | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2016 | $3M Seed | — | Andreessen Horowitz, BOW Capital, Brand Foundry Ventures, DST Global, Felicis Ventures, March Capital, Mars Growth Capital, Matrix, Maven Ventures, Trinity Ventures, Aaron Levie, SAM Shank, Tirto Adji | Announced |
Thimble.io is an edtech company providing hands-on STEM curriculum for K-12 schools, teaching kids coding, robotics, and engineering skills through kits, online lessons, teacher training, and assessments.[1][2][4] It serves schools, after-school programs, camps, makerspaces, and community groups with hybrid (in-person and virtual) solutions designed for easy implementation by teachers without prior STEM expertise, solving the gap in accessible tech education.[2][4] The company has shown growth with $1.2M total revenue through July 2021, $750K in 2021 revenue ($220K ARR), 21 school district contracts, and service to over 20,000 students and 500 teachers across all 50 U.S. states and 30 countries.[1][2]
Thimble.io was founded in February 2017 by Oscar Pedroso (CEO) and Joel Cilli (Head of Curriculum & Content) in Buffalo, NY.[1][2] Pedroso, who started as a restaurant server and part-time math tutor, launched the concept in 2015 via Kickstarter, evolving it from prior ventures like a tutoring business and GradFly into a full STEM platform; he has sold over $1M in educational products.[1][2] Cilli brings expertise in e-learning, STEM, Python, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, course development, and teacher training from roles like Director of Innovation at an online high school.[1] Early traction included 2020 pandemic-response live/on-demand classes, partnerships with Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo and University of Buffalo's STEP program for underserved students, and shipping thousands of kits to homes and schools.[2]
(Note: A separate "Thimble" insurance company exists but is unrelated, having been acquired in 2023 after raising $24.7M.[3])
Thimble.io rides the edtech and STEM education boom, addressing U.S. K-12 shortages in tech skills amid rising demand for future-ready workforces in AI, robotics, and engineering.[1][2][4] Timing aligns with post-pandemic hybrid learning normalization and equity pushes for underserved/minority students via partnerships like Boys & Girls Clubs.[2] Market forces favoring it include federal STEM initiatives, school budget shifts to hands-on programs, and parental demand for screen-balanced learning; it influences the ecosystem by scaling accessible curricula to districts in Texas, Florida, and New York, training non-specialist teachers, and proving B2B models for edtech impact.[1][2]
Thimble.io is positioned to expand its school pipeline toward $3.7M in growth accounts by prioritizing B2B contracts and reusable kit scalability.[2] Upcoming trends like AI-integrated STEM, expanded hybrid edtech, and diversity-focused funding will shape its path, potentially boosting contracts amid teacher shortages. Its influence may grow by standardizing hands-on tech ed nationwide, evolving from startup (9 employees, C-corp) to dominant K-12 STEM provider—building on its mission to inspire lifelong thinkers from accessible origins.[1][2][4]
