The Baby Einstein Company
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| Industry | Infant entertainment |
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| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California, United States |
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Key people
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| Owner | Independent (1997–2001) The Walt Disney Company (2001–2013) Kids II, Inc. (2013-present) |
| Parent | Kids II, Inc. (2013-present) |
| Website | BabyEinstein.com |
Baby Einstein is a line of multimedia products and toys that specialize in interactive activities for infants and toddlers, created by Julie Aigner Clark. Baby Einstein was introduced to the public in 1996 and remained a small company until Clark sold to Disney. Between November 2001 and September 2013, Baby Einstein products were owned and operated by Disney. From October 2013 onward, Kids II, Inc. owns and operates Baby Einstein products.
The Baby Einstein Company was founded in 1996 by former teacher and stay-at-home mom Julie Aigner-Clark at her home in suburban Alpharetta, Georgia, as I Think I Can Productions. Aigner-Clark and her husband invested $18,000 of their savings to produce the initial product, a VHS they named Baby Einstein and later sold as Language Nursery.
The original video shows a variety of toys and visuals interspersed with music, stories, numbers, and words of many languages. Eventually, the video was marketed across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Other videos followed, some featuring the Clarks' two daughters, as well as other children. All videos feature toys by Ambi, Brio, Folkmanis, Dakin, Chimes, Battat, Tomy, Legends, and Lore, among others.
It quickly became a multimillion-dollar franchise; its revenue grew from $1 million in 1998 to $25 million in 2001. In January 1998, Julie Aigner-Clark renamed the company the Baby Einstein Company, and in February 2000 gave distribution rights of the company's home videos to Artisan Entertainment and Family Home Entertainment, both now acquired by and folded into Lionsgate Home Entertainment. In November 2001, Julie Aigner-Clark sold Baby Einstein to The Walt Disney Company.
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