littleBits, the technology startup that is empowering everyone to create inventions with its easy-to-use platform of electronic building blocks, is expanding its U.S. footprint with the addition of Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM) as a distribution partner.

“This relationship with Ingram Micro will help us expand the availability of littleBits to the broader IT channel, and engage and empower channel partners throughout the U.S.,” said Will Robinson, vice president Sales for littleBits.

“The year 2015 was a big year for littleBits. We raised $44.2M in new funding, opened a retail store, onboarded almost 200 Global Chapters, launched littleBits Education including Steam PD, and introduced the Gizmos and Gadgets Kit, the ultimate invention toolbox. This alliance marks another huge step towards our goal of putting littleBits in the hands of everyone who wants to feel empowered to invent and reinvent their world,” said littleBits Founder & CEO Ayah Bdeir.

Under the agreement, Ingram Micro will assist in scaling the littleBits distribution network by providing littleBits products to its growing community of channel partners focused specifically on the K-12 and higher education categories.

"The education vertical represents a sizable opportunity for the IT channel and is a strategic market for Ingram Micro and our channel partners,” noted Ryan Grant, senior director, components and document imaging, Ingram Micro. “We are pleased to add littleBits to our technology solutions portfolio, particularly for the K-12 education marketplace.”

Last October, littleBits announced the launch the Gizmos & Gadgets Kit, the ultimate invention toolbox for curious and inventive minds. Its newest kit was designed for kids and kids at heart by former LEGO executives to contain all of the tools and accessories kids need to build 12 projects right out of the box, with hundreds more online and via the littleBits app.

In March, littleBits launched a Global Chapters Program, which today has over 200 chapters in cities around the world, from Beijing to Rio de Janeiro, Lagos to Oslo, Chicago to Kuala Lumpur and beyond. The littleBits community spans more than 100 countries, 11,500 educators and 2,200 schools and universities using littleBits to create inventions and teach 21st century skills.

Educational institutions, libraries and makerspaces are utilizing littleBits as a critical tool for STEM/STEAM teaching and learning, from educators just getting started to schools and districts interested in ramping up their students’ technology literacy and 21st-century skills. As the call to engage all students in STEM/STEAM grows, educators and school administrators are looking to littleBits products as an innovative solution to ramp up their efforts.

littleBits kits are currently sold online at littleBits.com and with retail partners such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, UncommonGoods, MakerShed, SparkFun, Marbles, MoMA, and with select retailers in Europe, Asia and Australia. In addition to the littleBits Gizmos & Gadgets Kit, other award-winning littleBits Kits are also available, such as the Synth Kit in partnership with KORG, Space Kit in partnership with NASA, the Smart Home Kit, the Student Set, the Workshop Set, Pro Library, Hardware Development Kit, Arduino Coding Kit and more.

About littleBits

littleBits is the New York-based technology company that is empowering everyone to Create Inventions, large and small, with a platform of easy-to-use Electronic Building Blocks. The company’s innovative building blocks snap together with magnets to allow anyone to build, invent, and prototype with electronics independent of age, gender and technical background – no soldering, wiring, or programming required. littleBits breaks down powerful technology – from music with the littleBits Synth Kit, to space exploration with the littleBits Space Kit, and the Internet of Things with the Smart Home Kit – and makes the technology accessible and easy to understand. The company was founded in 2011 by MIT graduate, TED Senior Fellow and cofounder of the Open Hardware Summit, Ayah Bdeir, and has grown to be a global leader in hardware. Bdeir was named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, one of Popular Mechanics’ 25 Makers Who Are Reinventing the American Dream, and one of MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35. The littleBits platform includes more than seven kits and 67 interoperable modules with millions of products sold in over 100 countries around the world. The company was named in CNN’s “Top 10 Startups to Watch”, one of the CNBC Next List, and has been profiled by the BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Wired, Popular Mechanics. To learn more, visit littleBits.com.

About Ingram Micro Inc.

Ingram Micro helps businesses Realize the Promise of Technology™. It delivers a full spectrum of global technology and supply chain services to businesses around the world. Deep expertise in technology solutions, mobility, cloud, and supply chain solutions enables its business partners to operate efficiently and successfully in the markets they serve. Unrivaled agility, deep market insights and the trust and dependability that come from decades of proven relationships, set Ingram Micro apart and ahead. More at ingrammicro.com.