Varidesk CEO Jason McCann began working on a standing desk prototype after his business partner had back pain. (Ben Torres/Special Contributor)
Standing desks made by Varidesk have become a staple in the offices of Fortune 500 companies. Now, the Coppell-based company wants to expand from the cubicle and corner office into the classroom.
Varidesk announced Tuesday that it's acquired Stand2Learn, which specializes in standing desks for kids. Stand2Learn was co-founded by Mark Benden, a public health professor at Texas A&M University who studies ways to boost activity and fight obesity in workplaces and classrooms. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Varidesk CEO Jason McCann said he sees schools as a natural place to grow. The father of three said he's concerned about kids’ health, especially as many spend less time at recess and in physical education and more in front of a screen. Standing desks could help make classrooms more active and collaborative places, much as they have workplaces.
"All of the teachers are trying to keep the kids engaged and excited, just like CEOs want to keep employees engaged and excited," he said.
By expanding to classrooms, Varidesk could tap into a huge market and reach future generations of workers. In the U.S. alone, more than 50 million students are in grades K-12, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.