Eben Upton
University of Cambridge · Raspberry Pi
The Cambridge Academic Who Put a Computer in Every Child's Hands
16 March 2026
Eben Upton was the Director of Studies in Computer Science at Cambridge when he noticed a worrying trend: applicants' programming skills had declined sharply. Kids were using computers but not learning how they worked.
The $35 Computer
Upton's solution was radical — build a fully functional computer for just $35 that could be used to teach programming. The Raspberry Pi Foundation launched the first model in 2012. It sold out 100,000 units on its first day.
Global Education Impact
Raspberry Pi became a global phenomenon, used in schools, maker spaces, and hobbyist projects in over 100 countries. It also found unexpected success in industrial applications and IoT projects.
60 Million Units and an IPO
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has sold over 60 million units. The commercial arm, Raspberry Pi Ltd, listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2024 at a valuation of £542 million. Upton showed that a mission-driven approach — making computing accessible — can also be commercially successful.
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