National Math Stars

What National Math Stars does

National Math Stars is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2023 in Wilmington, North Carolina, that identifies and supports mathematically exceptional students from all communities. The organization operates a three-program portfolio: (1) Math Awards, a free school- and district-partnered recognition program that identifies the top 2% of grade 2-3 math performers through award packets distributed in partnership with state Departments of Education and large urban districts; (2) Pathfinder Stars, a 10-year enrichment program offering advanced coursework recommendations, mentoring, and community for students at the 99.9th percentile in math regardless of family income; and (3) Voyager Stars, a fully funded 10-year intensive program for 1-in-1000 math talent furthest from opportunity, investing over $100,000 per student across advanced math courses, weekly mentoring, STEM summer experiences, family advising, and financial support. All programs are provided at no cost to families, schools, or districts.

The organization is not a technology company in the conventional sense. Its delivery layer relies on third-party math content platforms — Art of Problem Solving, Beast Academy, Brilliant, XtraMath — augmented by virtual mentoring, virtual community events, and an online family application process with a 1-2 hour problem-solving assessment. No proprietary technology platform, AI/ML system, or data flywheel is described in the source materials.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded. National Math Stars receives contributions from individuals, philanthropic foundations, and corporate donors. Capital raised since founding includes a $16.5 million founding commitment from co-founding foundations Carina Initiatives and Polynera Fund in May 2024 and a $5 million Bezos Courage & Civility Award in December 2025. Additional institutional support comes from the Astera Institute, Overdeck Family Foundation, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and Jane Street. The organization is governed by a board including representatives from founding partners and academic leaders such as Ravi Vakil, a Stanford mathematics professor and President of the American Mathematical Society. As of early 2026, programs are operating in 10 US states — Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin — with an explicit nationwide-scaling mandate.

Name

National Math Stars

Legal name

National Math Stars

Website

https://nationalmathstars.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Math Stars is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that identifies mathematically gifted grade 2-3 students through school partnerships and provides free 10-year enrichment programs — Voyager (fully funded, high-need) and Pathfinder (selective, all-income) — across 10 US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gifted Math Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Math Talent Search & Gifted/Accelerated Math Programs (EDAMAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enrichment Programs for Gifted Learners (STEM, Humanities, Arts) (EDAKALAE), Problem-Solving & Enrichment Classes (Non-competition) (EDAMAEAB), Contest Prep Bootcamps & Intensive Workshops (EDAMAEAE)

Keywords

• Gifted education programs
• Math enrichment services
• Talent identification programs
• Nonprofit STEM education
• Math mentoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: National Math Stars is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies entirely on donations and grants to fund operations. The organization receives contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate donors. Major donors include Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos ($5 million Bezos Courage & Civility Award), Carina Initiatives, Polynera Fund, Astera Institute, Overdeck Family Foundation, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and Jane Street. The EIN is 99-1102659. All programs are provided at no cost to schools, districts, or families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

National Math Stars delivers free, multi-year educational enrichment programs for mathematically exceptional students in grades 2-3 and beyond. The portfolio includes the Math Awards recognition program for the top 2% of young mathematicians, the Pathfinder Stars 10-year enrichment program for 1-in-1000 math talent, and the Voyager Stars fully funded 10-year program providing over $100,000 per student in advanced coursework, mentoring, STEM experiences, and family advisor support.

Product overview

National Math Stars is an education nonprofit organization that provides a three-program portfolio for mathematically extraordinary students. The core offerings include: (1) Math Awards - a free recognition program for the top 2% of 2nd-3rd graders identifying students for the Stars programs; (2) Pathfinder Stars - a 10-year selective enrichment program offering coursework guidance, mentoring, community, and need-based financial aid for top math talent; and (3) Voyager Stars - a fully funded 10-year intensive program investing over $100,000 per student with the highest need, providing advanced math courses, weekly mentoring, STEM summer experiences, family advising, and comprehensive financial support. Students typically enter the programs in 2nd-3rd grade and receive support through high school graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Math Awards

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 2% identification: Program identifies and celebrates the top 2% of young mathematicians through Math Awards Program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Art of Problem Solving (AoPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary math course provider for Stars Programs. Voyager Stars enroll in advanced math courses through AoPS. NMS provides discounted rates for families. Students complete courses like Introduction to Algebra, Algebra A/B.
• Beast AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMath curriculum provider used by Stars. Students work through Beast Academy books and online curriculum as part of their personalized math journey.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organization providing STEM enrichment opportunities for National Math Stars students.
• Northwestern University Center for Talent DevelopmentmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner providing talent development programs and summer experiences for Stars.
• BrilliantmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline learning platform partner offering math and science courses for Stars.
• Epsilon CampmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSummer math camp partner. Stars attend Epsilon Camp at various levels (Euclid level for advanced students).
• CampersandmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorResidential STEM camp in New Mexico. Stars attend and explore topics like Recurrence, Tensegrity, and Competition Geometry.
• MathCountsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMath competition organization partnered with National Math Stars.
• Math KangaroominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational math competition organization. Stars participate and achieve top rankings (e.g., Iris placed 1st in Illinois and 1st nationally).
• Noetic Learning Math ContestminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMath contest organization. Stars participate with outcomes like Honorable Mention awards.
• Davidson Young ScholarsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGifted education program network through which families have been referred to National Math Stars.
• ID TechminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechnology and coding summer camp provider partnered with National Math Stars.
• XtraMathminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMath education platform partnered with National Math Stars.
• Stanford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Ravi Vakil is a Professor at Stanford University and President of the American Mathematical Society.
• American Mathematical SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Ravi Vakil serves as President of AMS, providing connections to the broader mathematics community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Art of Problem Solving (AoPS): Primary curriculum and content provider for mathematically gifted students, offering advanced online math courses, textbooks, and a competition community. National Math Stars' Voyager program enrolls students in AoPS courses, positioning AoPS as both a partner and the dominant competitor in advanced math enrichment.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY): Established gifted education program offering identification (Talent Search), summer programs, and online courses for mathematically talented K-12 students. National Math Stars partners with CTY for STEM enrichment while serving a similar student population with overlapping but distinct value proposition.
• Davidson Institute / Davidson Young Scholars: Provides identification, community, and support for profoundly gifted young people including the Young Scholars program. Both organizations identify mathematically extraordinary youth and provide long-term support, though Davidson focuses on a broader giftedness scope.
• Northwestern University Center for Talent Development: One of the original US gifted education centers, offering summer programs, weekend programs, and acceleration services for mathematically talented students. Both serve top-percentile math students with enrichment pathways and serve as a partner for NMS Stars programming.
• Epsilon Camp: Residential summer program for mathematically advanced youth ages 7-13, with rigorous coursework in topics like number theory and combinatorics. National Math Stars is an Epsilon Camp channel partner, making it a clear direct peer for the most advanced Stars cohorts.
• Math Kangaroo: International math competition for K-12 students with strong US participation. Both organizations identify math talent through competitive assessment and the Math Kangaroo serves as a competition partner for NMS Stars.
• MathCounts: National middle school math competition program with chapters, competitions, and curriculum for grades 6-8. Overlaps in mission of building math problem-solving skills and identifying talent in school-age children.
• Beast Academy: Math curriculum provider for elementary-aged gifted learners, offering engaging problem-solving content. National Math Stars uses Beast Academy books in its Stars programs, making it both a content partner and a competing enrichment solution for families.

Emerging players

• Brilliant: Online learning platform with interactive math, science, and computer science courses targeting curious learners including advanced students. Provides individual self-serve enrichment with overlap to NMS's enrichment pathways but no identification or community layer.

Others

• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Major education philanthropy supporting high-achieving low-income students through scholarships and program funding. Both organizations share the mission of supporting financially disadvantaged high-ability students, and JKCF is both a peer funder and a donor to National Math Stars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalMathStars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-math-stars
• Instagraminstagram.com/nationalmathstars

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Math Stars