Reflection Sciences

What Reflection Sciences does

Reflection Sciences, Inc. is a Minnesota-based private company founded in 2014 by University of Minnesota researchers Dr. Stephanie Carlson and Dr. Phil Zelazo to commercialize Executive Function (EF) assessment technology developed through 20 years of NIH-supported research. The company sells the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS) App, a computer-adaptive tablet-based assessment (iOS and Android) that measures cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control in as little as 3-6 minutes, and the EFgo family of products (EFgo, EFgoPLUS, EFgoPRO) which range from a free digital card-sorting assessment to a full district-level platform with unlimited students and integrated reporting. Both products are backed by a normed dataset of more than 52,000 individuals ages 2-18 and over 100,000 test results, with the MEFS App offered in 16 languages. The MEFS trademark is registered and the platform carries a re-test reliability consistently greater than 0.90.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct B2C e-commerce (individual courses at $99, intervention guides at $49.95-$99, free EFgo and EF101 course) with a B2B enterprise motion led by a Director of Partnerships selling EFgoPRO and MEFS licensing to school districts, Head Start programs, pediatric clinics, and research institutions. Revenue streams include subscription licensing for MEFS and EFgoPRO, an annual professional development course bundle, and one-time digital downloads of intervention guides. Customers cited include Teachers College at Columbia University, Head Start programs, K-12 districts, and pediatric clinics; partners include the National Institutes of Health, the University of Minnesota (where co-founders remain faculty), and Kiko Labs (game integration).

The company is led by CEO Isaac Van Wesep with support from a board that includes the co-founders, Edmentum's CFO, a LearnLaunch co-founder, and the University of Minnesota's Technology Licensing Officer. Since 2014, Reflection Sciences has raised approximately $2.8 million across six funding rounds, including a $1.3M round in 2019 led by Edmentum with Discovery Capital Fund, with no venture-scale grade funding evident. The operation remains small (1-10 employees) and is structured as a Minnesota corporation headquartered in Saint Paul.

Name

Reflection Sciences

Legal name

Reflection Sciences, Inc.

Website

https://reflectionsciences.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reflection Sciences is a Minnesota-based education company that sells the MEFS App and EFgo family of computer-adaptive Executive Function assessments, intervention guides, and professional development courses to PreK-12 educators, researchers, clinicians, and families, backed by a 52,000-person normative dataset developed with NIH.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Assessment Software

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education Evaluation & Assessment (Psychoeducational, Speech/Language, OT/PT) (EDAJAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Psychoeducational & Educational Assessments (IEE Support) (EDAKACAD), Developmental Screening & Assessment (0–5) (EDACAFAA), Behavioral Support & Intervention Services (PBIS/Behavior Coaching) (EDAJALAH)

Keywords

• Executive function assessment
• Cognitive skills measurement
• Professional development courses
• Intervention activities guides
• Education assessment software

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Development Courses: Individual professional development courses sold for $99 each, or as an annual subscription for unlimited access to all courses for one year. Courses cover Executive Function understanding, instructional strategies, data interpretation, classroom management, trauma, SEL, and equity.
2. Intervention Activities Guides: Digital download guides for PreK ($49.95) and K-3rd Grade ($49.95) containing step-by-step activities targeting Executive Function development. Also available: Executive Function Activities at Home guide for families ($99).
3. EFgo Assessment Products: EFgo assessment tools offered in tiers: EFgo (free basic version), EFgoPLUS (enhanced features), and EFgoPRO (full school/district product with unlimited students, enhanced reporting, and organizational features). Contact-based pricing for enterprise tiers.
4. MEFS App Licensing: MEFS App assessment tool licensed to researchers, clinicians, and educational institutions for measuring Executive Function skills in children ages 2 to 85+.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reflection Sciences develops and sells the Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS) App, a computer-adaptive tablet-based behavioral assessment of Executive Function (cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control) for individuals ages 2 through adulthood, supported by a normed dataset of more than 52,000 individuals. The company also sells the EFgo family of digital card-sorting assessments (EFgo, EFgoPLUS, EFgoPRO), a series of online professional development courses (EF 101 through EF 305), and downloadable intervention activity guides for PreK, K-3rd grade, and home use. Customers include preschools, K-12 schools, Head Start programs, after-school programs, pediatric clinics, research universities, and families.

Product overview

Reflection Sciences offers an integrated suite of Executive Function assessment and professional development products. The core assessment products include the MEFS™ App (Minnesota Executive Function Scale), a computer-adaptive tablet-based assessment for ages 2 to 85+, and the EFgo™ family of products (EFgo™, EFgoPLUS™, EFgoPRO™), which are digital card sorting game assessments. The EFgoPRO™ is the organizational tier with unlimited students and enhanced reporting, while EFgoPLUS™ offers classroom-level features with personalized intervention activities integrated with Kiko Labs games. Complementing the assessments are professional development courses (EF 101-305) available individually for $99 or as an annual bundle, covering topics from understanding Executive Function to trauma, SEL, and equity. Additionally, the company offers Intervention Activities Guides for PreK and K-3rd Grade ($49.95 each) and a Home Activities Guide ($99) containing step-by-step EF-building activities. All products work together to help educators measure and improve Executive Function skills in children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MEFS™ (Minnesota Executive Function Scale): The flagship assessment tool for measuring Executive Function skills in children as young as age 2 into adulthood
• EFgo™
• EFgoPRO™
• EFgoPLUS™

Products and services

• MEFS App (Minnesota Executive Function Scale) A computer-adaptive iOS and Android tablet assessment that provides a direct behavioral measure of Executive Function (cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibitory control) in individuals ages 2 to 85+. Administration typically takes 3-6 minutes and produces a normed score backed by a dataset of 52,000+ individuals; licensed to researchers, clinicians, and educational institutions.
• EFgo A digital card sorting game assessment that provides a direct behavioral measure of a child's Executive Function skills. Reliable and valid down to 24 months, with administration in under 5 minutes; offered free for caregivers and educators.
• EFgoPRO The school, district, and organizational EF assessment product offering unlimited students, enhanced reporting, and advanced features beyond the basic EFgo tool. Recommended digital games from Kiko Labs can be integrated for classroom and at-home use; contact-based enterprise pricing.
• EF 201: Understanding Executive Function An online professional development course covering what Executive Function is, how it develops in the brain, how it is measured in childhood and across the lifespan, and effective ways to support healthy EF development. Targeted at educators; sold individually for $99.
• EF 202: Instructional Strategies for Optimizing Executive Function Growth An online professional development course on building and improving Executive Function skills through intervention strategies, covering principles for embedding EF activities in the classroom and merging EF support with existing curricular goals. Sold individually for $99.
• EF 203: Understanding Your Executive Function Data An online professional development course teaching how to use data from EF assessments to create a learning environment that supports each student's EF skills, including data interpretation and parent engagement. Sold individually for $99.
• EF 301: Managing Your Classroom Through the Lens of Executive Function A 2-hour online professional development course helping educators develop an 'EF mindset' and integrate Executive Function practice into existing teaching routines and classroom environments. Sold individually for $99.
• EF 302: The Role of Trauma on the Development of Executive Function An online professional development course on how trauma affects Executive Function development in children and how educators can support students experiencing trauma-related difficulties. Sold individually for $99.
• EF 303: Executive Function and Social Emotional Learning Success A 3-hour online professional development course covering the basics of social-emotional skills and how SEL is supported by Executive Function skills, including mindfulness and reflection practices. Sold individually for $99.
• EF 304: Personal Reflection for Executive Function Growth A 3-hour online professional development course focusing on educators' own Executive Function skills personally and professionally, covering practices to strengthen their own EF skills for well-being. Sold individually for $99.
• EF 305: Equity and Executive Function An online professional development course investigating how bias, equity, and Executive Function interact in education, including implicit and explicit bias and effects on academic achievement. Sold individually for $99.
• Intervention Activities Guide - PreK A downloadable guide containing 13 step-by-step activities designed to target Executive Function development in children ages 2 through PreK. Over 100 pages of games usable in circle time, free play, or outside play; priced at $49.95.
• Intervention Activities Guide - Kindergarten through 3rd Grade A downloadable guide containing 12 step-by-step games and activities adapted for children in grades K-3, focused on self-regulation and listening skills. Over 70 pages for classroom teachers to integrate during the school day; priced at $49.95.
• Executive Function Activities at Home A downloadable family-friendly resource engaging children in 20+ games that support Executive Function skill development (working memory, cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control) with a social-emotional learning emphasis, for home use; priced at $99.

Quantifiable outcome

• Re-test reliability consistently greater than .90
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founders Phil Zelazo and Stephanie Carlson are researchers at the University of Minnesota. The MEFS was developed through 20 years of research at the university. Andrew Morrow serves as Technology Licensing Officer for the Office of Technology Commercialization at the University of Minnesota.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aperture Education: Aperture Education delivers the DESSA suite of SEL assessments used widely in K-12. Its focus on measuring non-academic skills for student support overlaps with Reflection Sciences' Executive Function assessment offering for the same buyer.
• Kiko Labs: Kiko Labs offers cognitive training games for children that target working memory, attention, and executive function — directly overlapping with Reflection Sciences' EFgo/EFgoPLUS product integration. The companies already partner at the product level.
• Panorama Education: Panorama is a leading K-12 social-emotional learning and student success assessment platform used by thousands of districts. It competes for the same SEL/EF assessment budgets that Reflection Sciences targets with EFgoPRO and the EF 303 SEL course.
• FastBridge Learning: FastBridge provides K-12 academic and SEL screening and progress-monitoring assessments, including social-emotional and executive function measures. It competes head-to-head with Reflection Sciences for school and district assessment budgets.

Emerging players

• Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (RULER): RULER is the Yale-developed SEL framework used in K-12 schools, with associated training and assessment tools that intersect with Reflection Sciences' EF/SEL curriculum offerings. Competes for the same educator PD dollars.

Broad incumbents

• Edmentum: Edmentum is a large incumbent in K-12 online learning and assessment whose CFO sits on Reflection Sciences' board and which co-led the 2019 round. It offers broad curricular and assessment tools that overlap with Reflection Sciences' offerings for districts.
• Curriculum Associates (iReady): Curriculum Associates' iReady is a widely adopted K-12 diagnostic and instruction platform. While its primary focus is reading and math, its assessment footprint in districts overlaps with the EF assessment budget that Reflection Sciences targets.
• Illuminate Education: Illuminate provides K-12 data, assessment, and reporting infrastructure including social-emotional and behavioral screeners. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same district data and assessment wallet share.
• Renaissance Learning: Renaissance is a major K-12 assessment and analytics company (Star, myON). While focused on reading/math, its footprint in district assessment purchasing decisions creates competitive dynamics for Reflection Sciences' institutional deals.

Others

• Bezos Family Foundation / Mindful Families: The Bezos Family Foundation funds EF and SEL research and translation; its Chief Science Officer is a Reflection Sciences advisor. As a funder and ecosystem participant rather than a competitor, it represents a strategic ally for the EF category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ReflectionSci
• Facebookfacebook.com/ReflectionSciences
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reflection-sciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors3 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 Reflection Sciences