Lovevery

Lovevery is an American company based in Boise, Idaho that produces Montessori-inspired educational toys, books and games sold primarily through stage-based play-kit subscription boxes for children from birth to age five. Products are developed in consultation with child development experts, physical therapists and cognitive developmental psychologists, and are described as made from organic and sustainably sourced materials. The company is a certified B Corporation.

The core offering, The Play Kits, delivers age-sequenced playthings and books every two to three months, each kit accompanied by a Play Guide with instructions and week-by-week developmental tips and activity ideas. Kits are grouped by age band — 0-12 months (delivered every two months) and one-, two-, three- and four-year-old programs (delivered every three months) — with named stages such as The Looker, The Babbler, The Helper and The Planner. Beyond the kits, Lovevery sells individual products such as The Play Gym, stage-based book bundles, an equity and inclusion book subscription, music play kits, The Reading Skill Set phonics line, and digital content including a mobile app and on-demand Course Packs for parents.

The founders position the business as a platform for early childhood rather than a toy company. It maintains an advisory group of academics and practitioners spanning neuroscience, Montessori education, occupational therapy, positive psychology and public policy.

Founding story

Co-founder Jessica Rolph, previously a founding partner of organic baby food company Happy Family, began researching infant brain development after the birth of her first child in 2010 and made homemade toys, such as a sawn-off section of PVC pipe, to support specific milestones. Her interest was catalyzed by a doctoral dissertation on the neurological development of infants and the finding that the brain's neural network is shaped by experiences in the first three years of life. She recruited longtime friend Roderick Morris — a company builder with startup marketing and operations experience, including at Opower, and a father of twins — to co-found the business in 2015.

Business model

Lovevery sells direct-to-consumer subscription boxes (Play Kits) of stage-based toys and books, shipped every two to three months from birth through age five, alongside off-the-shelf products, book bundles, phonics kits, a parenting app and on-demand online courses. Products are designed in Boise and manufactured in Asia. Kits for 0-12 months are priced at $80 every two months and kits for ages one through four at $120 every three months, averaging about $40 per month; subscriptions accounted for 86% of revenue as of 2024. The company also sells through retail, including an exclusive line at Target that had expanded to 450 stores by 2022.

Recurring subscription revenue from Play Kits and book subscriptions, supplemented by one-off product sales and retail distribution. Subscriptions generated $142 million of roughly $200 million in annual revenue as of late 2022 and 86% of revenue as of 2024.

Traction

Revenue rose from $22 million in 2019 to $76 million in 2020, about $200 million in 2022 and $226 million in 2023. Active Play Kits subscribers grew from over 220,000 in October 2021 to more than 280,000 in late 2022, with over 350,000 total sign-ups across 34 countries reported in 2024; more than one million Play Kits shipped in the 12 months to October 2021. Headcount was close to 300 in late 2022.

Latest developments

In 2024 Lovevery launched its products in Singapore, introduced The Reading Skill Set phonics kits, and was named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies. Revenue reached $226 million in 2023, with the company aiming for profitability in 2024 and total fundraising reported at $132 million. Management has stated a long-term objective of an initial public offering rather than an acquisition, with timing dependent on market conditions.