Name

STEM Next

Legal name

STEM Next Opportunity Fund

Website

https://stemnext.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Out-of-School STEM Education

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineering Design & Applied STEM Challenges (Non-Robotics) (EDAMABAK), Math & Science Interactive Learning Platforms (STEM Core) (EDAFANAH), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Out-of-school learning
• Afterschool STEM initiatives
• Youth STEM engagement
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Core offering

STEM Next Opportunity Fund is a national nonprofit that designs, funds, and scales out-of-school STEM learning experiences for young people across the United States. Its portfolio includes the Million Girls Moonshot initiative, the Institute for a STEM Ready America with three Centers of Excellence, the Flight Crew youth ambassador program, the Teen Science Café Network, the Imagine Science collaboration, the STEM Next Opportunity Fellows network, and the Opportunity AI pilot for AI literacy in afterschool programs.

Product overview

STEM Next is a national nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of STEM education programs rather than a single unified software product. The core offerings include The Institute for a STEM Ready America (with three Centers of Excellence: Next-Level Technology, Earth & Space Learning, and Life & Health Sciences), the Flight Crew youth ambassador program, the Million Girls Moonshot initiative, STEM Next Opportunity Fellows network, Teen Science Café Network, and Imagine Science collaboration. The organization also provides educational resources including the Career-Connected Learning Framework, Building Bridges with Industry Playbook, Access to STEM Framework, Engineering Mindset resource, and Challenge Based Learning Activity Bundle. Recent offerings include Opportunity AI, a pilot program for AI literacy in afterschool settings. Programs are delivered through afterschool and summer learning settings rather than as a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Institute for a STEM Ready America A virtual hub driving innovation in afterschool and summer STEM education to revolutionize how youth prepare for careers of today and tomorrow. The Institute hosts three Centers of Excellence focusing on Next-Level Technology, Earth & Space Learning, and Life & Health Sciences, and is designed for afterschool network leaders, educators, and program providers nationwide.
• Million Girls Moonshot An ambitious national initiative to foster an engineering mindset in young people, particularly girls, through afterschool and summer programs. The initiative exceeded its goal of engaging 1 million girls in five years, ultimately reaching 2.6 million girls and an equal number of boys across all 50 states, and serves afterschool networks, educators, and youth-serving organizations.
• Flight Crew A youth ambassador program elevating young voices in STEM from across the country to inspire peers and demonstrate that STEM is for everyone. Members receive training in public speaking, social media, and leadership development; intended for teen participants and the broader afterschool ecosystem.
• STEM Next Opportunity Fellows A fellowship network where experts contribute knowledge and expertise to support government agencies in expanding access to STEM education, workforce development, and out-of-school-time learning. Fellows serve for up to four years in federal and state systems, targeting policy makers and agency program staff.
• Teen Science Café Network A project that guides out-of-school-time communities to create fun, interactive STEM events where teens organize events, pick topics, plan hands-on activities, and invite experts to speak about cutting-edge topics like robotics, AI, or medical discoveries. Designed for out-of-school-time program providers serving teens.
• Imagine Science A community-driven STEM collaboration bringing together four leading national youth organizations—YMCA of the USA, National 4-H Council, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Girls Inc.—to deliver engaging, hands-on STEM experiences in 23 local communities nationwide. Targeted at community-based youth organizations and their local affiliates.
• Opportunity AI A multi-state pilot project testing a new model for AI learning in afterschool programs. Launched in fall 2025 in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with early results showing 88% of participating educators increased confidence in AI experimentation; serves afterschool educators and program providers.
• Next-Level Technology Center of Excellence Connects young people with immersive STEM experiences introducing them to tools and ideas driving tomorrow's tech, including AI, advanced manufacturing, IT, and cybersecurity through afterschool and summer programs. Targeted at afterschool educators and program providers serving youth.
• Earth & Space Learning Center of Excellence Sparks youth curiosity through immersive STEM experiences focused on systems that shape our world and worlds beyond, including geoscience, astronomy, and space technology. Designed for afterschool and summer program providers.
• Life & Health Sciences Center of Excellence Sparks youth interest in biology, medicine, and human health through hands-on STEM learning outside of school, from genetics and biotechnology to public health and digital tools. Designed for afterschool and summer program providers.
• Career-Connected Learning Framework A framework supporting providers in designing hands-on experiences that build career awareness, exploration, and preparation. Companion resources help out-of-school programs expand high-quality career-connected learning; targeted at out-of-school program providers.
• Building Bridges with Industry Playbook A practical guide for forming and sustaining partnerships with employers that open doors to real-world STEM opportunities. Helps programs strengthen learning experiences and relationships with industry partners; for out-of-school program leaders.
• Access to STEM Framework A research- and practice-based framework to expand participation in STEM by helping programs identify and address barriers, create welcoming spaces, and design experiences for youth with historically fewer opportunities; for program providers.
• Engineering Mindset A resource outlining ten core engineering practices that help young people think and solve problems like engineers, supporting programs in cultivating teamwork, creativity, real-world problem-solving, and design thinking; for out-of-school educators.
• Challenge Based Learning Activity Bundle A quick-start resource with three ready-to-use lessons designed for grades 5-8, helping afterschool and summer educators guide youth through hands-on challenges connecting learning to real community and global issues; for grades 5-8 educators.
• Exploring Career Connections in STEM (EC²) A workforce-development-aligned pilot project partnering with afterschool network affiliates in Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, and South Dakota to integrate out-of-school STEM programs into workforce development systems and prepare young people for the future of work; funded by a $3.3M U.S. Department of Labor grant.

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National 4-H Council: Largest U.S. youth development organization, delivering STEM programming through Cooperative Extension across all 50 states. Comparable as a Imagine Science partner and as a much larger incumbent with overlapping STEM and out-of-school programming.
• Code.org: Nonprofit focused on expanding access to computer science education in K-12, with a strong out-of-school and afterschool component (Hour of Code, after-school clubs). Comparable in mission to broaden STEM/CS access for underrepresented youth at national scale.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Largest afterschool provider in the U.S., serving 4M+ youth annually with STEM programming embedded in clubhouse activities. Comparable as a Imagine Science delivery partner and the dominant incumbent in the afterschool STEM space.

Direct peers

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): Nonprofit running K-12 robotics and STEM competition programs (FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Robotics Competition) delivered predominantly through afterschool and school-club settings. Comparable in afterschool STEM delivery and youth ambassador-style engagement.
• After-School All-Stars: National nonprofit delivering comprehensive afterschool programs to underserved youth in middle and high school, including STEM and career exploration. Comparable as a competing national out-of-school provider targeting similar demographics.
• Citizen Schools: National nonprofit providing extended learning time and career-connected apprenticeships to middle-school students, predominantly through afterschool programs. Comparable in the career-connected learning and out-of-school STEM delivery model.
• Girls Who Code: National nonprofit running out-of-school STEM programs specifically aimed at girls in grades 3-12, including clubs, summer immersion, and college-loops. Directly comparable in mission, audience (girls in STEM), afterschool/summer delivery model, and reliance on corporate philanthropy.
• Iridescent (Curiosity Machine): Nonprofit delivering family-centered engineering and AI literacy programs to underrepresented youth, with online curricula and a network of trained mentors. Comparable in the engineering-mindset / AI literacy space STEM Next occupies through Opportunity AI and the Engineering Mindset resource.
• Technovation: Nonprofit running a global AI and app-development program for girls aged 8-18, with a heavy emphasis on AI literacy and entrepreneurship. Directly comparable to STEM Next's Opportunity AI pilot and Million Girls Moonshot on audience and AI/tech focus.

Emerging players

• MIND Research Institute: Nonprofit delivering visual math learning (ST Math) to K-12 students, with a focus on equity and out-of-school deployment. Comparable as a STEM-core learning platform targeting similar underserved demographics with research-validated curricula.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stemnext
• Facebookfacebook.com/STEMNext
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stem-next-opportunity-fund
• Instagraminstagram.com/stemnextopportunityfund

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about STEM Next