Couple whose firm helped teach children in lockdown get set for £170m

Posted on : February 1, 2023
Couple whose firm helped teach children in lockdown get set for £170m

Husband and wife who set up online learning company from their bedroom which helped teach children in lockdown get set for £170m windfall as private equity firm eyes up their firm

  • Jon Seaton and wife Susi set up the business in 2010 from home in Sheffield
  • Their resources were widely used by teachers and parents in Covid pandemic 

A couple who set up an online learning company from their bedroom which helped teach children in lockdown are set to bank a £170m windfall as plans to sell part of their business gather pace.

Jon Seaton, 40, and his wife Susie, 41, launched Twinkl in 2010 from their home in Sheffield when Mrs Seaton, a pre-school teacher, struggled to find relevant resources for her pupils on the internet.

They produced tools to help children understand different parts of the curriculum – for example, using pizza slices to explain fractions. 

Its games and lesson plans then soared in popularity in March 2020 when Boris Johnson ordered teachers and pupils alike to stay at home due to the Covid pandemic, prompting the couple to offer their products for free.

Jon Seaton, 40, and his wife Susie, 41, set up Twinkl in 2010 from their home in Sheffield when Mrs Seaton, a pre-school teacher, struggled to find relevant resources for her pupils on the internet

Now, the couple are set to reap the financial rewards after beginning talks to sell a stake in Twinkl – now used by more than four million people globally – to private equity firm Vitruvian Partners

The BBC also used the materials as it looked to offer help to children struggling in lockdown.

Mr Seaton, a former property lawyer, spoke previously of getting up at 4am to make content, going to his day job then coming home to work more on the site until midnight or 1am.

Now, the couple are set to reap the financial rewards after beginning talks to sell a stake in Twinkl – now used by more than four million people globally – to private equity firm Vitruvian Partners.

The business is said to be valued at around £500m, meaning selling a 30 per cent stake would net the couple some £170m, Sky News reports.

Vitruvian has backed a number of tech start-ups which have gone on to enjoy huge success, including delivery giant Just Eat. 

Companies House accounts for the year ending April 2022 show Twinkl recording turnover of just over £55m and operating profit of £28.2m.

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