44. Launchpad Publishing

Founder: Jenny Inglis 
Founded: April 2015 (launched August 2015)
Website: www.whizzpopbang.com

Former Blue Peter science presenter and physics graduate Jenny Inglis was tired of only being able to buy “advertisement-laden, plastic-toy-covered, segregated pink and blue children’s magazines” for her three children.

Moreover, she felt frustrated at this gender imbalance and lack of educational resources for young children to share.

With a background running children’s magazines and having published science and maths products for Pearson and Edexcel, she channelled that frustration into starting Launchpad Publishing.

The company behind Whizz Pop Bang, Launchpad has created “the world’s most awesomely amazing” kids’ science magazine with hands-on experiments, facts and fun for girls and boys.

Working on a subscription model, Whizz Pop Bang regularly features news, in depth articles, interviews with real scientists and experiments and projects to try at home.

Launched in 2015 with the help of a Kickstarter campaign, the magazine already has a circulation of 26,000 and a readership of around 100,000, while several hundred schools have subscribed to the magazine as a classroom resource.

Binders, back issues and bundles can also be found online.

Bolstered by its quick uptake in the UK, Inglis will look to take Whizz Pop Bang international over the next 12 months and is already in the process of creating school resources, including lesson plans and resources.

By this time next year, Inglis expects the magazine to have grown circulation by 35%.

On a mission to “break the mould of the last 20 years of children’s magazine publishing”, as its title magazine name suggests Launchpad Publishing has already taken off with a whizz, pop and a bang.