STEMarts Labs

What STEMarts Labs does

STEMarts Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Agnes Chavez, with origins around 2012 in Northern New Mexico, that produces immersive SciArt installations and delivers STEAM educational programs to youth ages 12-25. The organization serves students in middle school through young adulthood, with a stated focus on rural and under-resourced communities in Northern New Mexico and an expanding international footprint spanning Portugal, Mexico, Austria, Ireland, Brazil, Liberia, and Italy. Its core functional offering blends arts, sciences, and emerging technologies through flagship installations such as Space Messengers (a mixed reality projection mapping piece), Space Messengers AI (an NLP and generative-AI-powered iteration), SPACE[AR]T, the AR AstroTour, SciArt Live Coding, and the (x)trees and Projecting Particles installations.

The underlying technology stack combines custom-developed components (the Space Board web-based messaging platform, multimodal AI pipelines processing text/video/silhouettes) with widely adopted creative tools (p5.js, Tilt Brush, Tagtool for projection mapping) and partnerships with leading scientific institutions (CERN, Fermilab, NASA, NRAO). Distribution occurs through direct-to-school partnerships, community bootcamps held at UNM Taos HIVE, remote STEAM Teams internships, international exchanges, and festival exhibitions at venues including Ars Electronica, PASEO, and Balloon Museum.

The business model is nonprofit grant-funded: STEMarts Lab delivers programs free of charge to youth participants, with revenue sourced from foundation grants (OpenAI Foundation People-First AI Fund, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, LANL Foundation, Encantado Foundation, Taos Community Foundation), government arts funding (NEA, NM Creative Industries Division), corporate sponsorships, and international exchange grants (CDAF via U.S. State Department). Customer segments include youth participants, educators and schools, international partner organizations, and local communities. Strategic partners Google Code Next, CERN, Fermilab, NASA, QuarkNet, and the PASEO Festival provide both credibility and program content. The organization employs 1-10 people, operates from a mailing address in El Prado, NM, and reports no publicly disclosed revenue or audited financials.

Name

STEMarts Labs

Legal name

STEMarts Lab

Website

https://stemarts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

STEMarts Lab is a New Mexico-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers SciArt installations and STEAM educational programs to youth ages 12-25, combining XR/VR/AR, projection mapping, AI, and live coding with international exchange partnerships across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEAM Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMABAA

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/STEM Enrichment & Science Programs

SECONDARYEDAMABAC

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/STEM Enrichment & Science Programs

SECONDARYEDAMALAE

Robotics, Engineering & Makers Camps

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Summer & Holiday Enrichment Camps (Multi-Activity, Academic)

SECONDARYEDAAAFAL

STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• STEAM youth education
• Immersive art installations
• Creative coding workshops
• Mixed reality experiences
• Youth mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

El Prado

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: STEMarts Lab operates primarily as a nonprofit organization funded through grants from foundations, government agencies, and corporate sponsors. Major funders include OpenAI Foundation, NEA, LANL Foundation, Encantado Foundation, and various state and federal programs.
2. Sponsorship and Donations: Corporate and individual sponsors support programs through financial contributions and in-kind donations including technology equipment, supplies, and venue access. The organization accepts donations through its website and offers sponsorship opportunities for companies.
3. Workshop and Program Fees: Many youth programs are provided free of charge including Google Code Next Summer Camp, apprenticeships, and bootcamps. Some specialized workshops may have associated costs, though the organization prioritizes accessibility for under-resourced communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

STEMarts Lab designs and produces immersive SciArt installations (e.g., Space Messengers mixed-reality projection, SPACE[AR]T, AstroTours) and delivers free STEAM educational programs — bootcamps, apprenticeships, international exchanges, and design challenges — for youth ages 12-25, particularly in rural and under-resourced Northern New Mexico communities. Programs are funded through grants and sponsorships and showcased at international festivals and partner museums.

Product overview

STEMarts Lab operates as a SciArt production studio and youth leadership organization offering a portfolio of immersive installations, educational programs, and design challenges. Core offerings include Space Messengers (mixed reality installation), SPACE[AR]T (augmented reality experiences), STEMarts [AR] AstroTour (AR star tours), and SciArt Live Coding performances. The youth leadership program encompasses bootcamps, apprenticeships, and ambassador tracks. Design challenges including the Space for Earth: Envisioning Futures international competition provide standards-aligned STEAM curriculum. The company also offers Space on Earth Podcast and AI in Action educational programs. These products are unified by the organization's mission to empower youth through the intersection of art, science, and emerging technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Space Messengers Large-scale mixed reality immersive installation that projects collective space messages and animated silhouettes of youth participants onto buildings at international festivals, featuring participatory text messaging and real-time data visualization.
• Space Messengers AI Enhanced version of Space Messengers incorporating artificial intelligence to process and visualize participant messages using NLP and generative AI, transforming collective voices into evolving art installations.
• SPACE[AR]T

Quantifiable outcome

• 65 students and 6 teachers participated in international Space Messengers workshop connecting Guadalajara with Santa Fe
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Google Code NextcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEMarts Lab selected as Google Code Next Affiliate for Northern New Mexico, delivering free creative coding programs through summer camps and ongoing workshops. Three-year partnership beginning 2025 with advanced courses planned. Programs held at UNM Taos HIVE with Google certificates awarded to participants.
• UNM Taos HIVEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership hosting bootcamps, workshops, and Google Code Next programs at the UNM Taos HIVE facility. The HIVE serves as a primary training location for youth programs in Northern New Mexico.
• OMAi/Tagtool TeamcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with projection artist Markus Dorninger and the OMAi/Tagtool team for Space Messengers installations. Technical support for projection mapping technology and video-captured silhouette integration.
• CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ATLAS@CERN for Space Messengers curriculum and installations. Scientists from CERN serve as interdisciplinary speakers and advisors. Students learn about particle physics through SciArt programs.
• FermilabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRESONANCE project and Agnes Chavez named 2024 guest artist. Fermilab serves as venue and partner for SciArt installations and educational programming.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA Communication Specialist Frank Tavares participates as interdisciplinary speaker. Students learn about space science and exploration through NASA's expertise integrated into curriculum.
• The PASEO FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership (2014-2019 and ongoing) delivering STEMarts@PASEO Youth Program. Students collaborate with festival artists and perform/install work at annual PASEO events in Taos, NM.
• QuarkNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with QuarkNet for particle physics education integrated into Space Messengers curriculum. Shane Wood serves as Curriculum Advisor. Students gain access to authentic physics research experiences.
• Harwood Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration for AstroTour AR programming, physics and art workshops at Taos High School, and exhibition space for student SciArt creations.
• Museum of Indian Arts and CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for AR Star Party programming and augmented reality AstroTour experiences at the museum.
• Spaceport AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth field trips and educational programming at Spaceport America, connecting students with space technology and exploration.
• NRAO (National Radio Astronomy Observatory)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpace literacy partnerships and astrophysics education integration into STEMarts programs.
• Ars ElectronicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpace Messengers featured at Ars Electronica Festival 2023. International venue for youth SciArt installations showcasing student work to global audiences.
• FIC.A (Festival Internacional de Ciencia e Arte)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational festival partnership in Oeiras, Portugal for Space Messengers installation. Students from ESSS school received VR training and served as experience guides at the festival.
• University of GuadalajaracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational classroom exchange connecting Guadalajara students with New Mexico schools for Space Messengers workshops and Guadalajara Planetario Lunaria hosting final installation tour.
• KERNEL X Light Art FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership connecting students from Italy with New Mexico for collaborative video mapping project at Residenza Ponte dei Leoni in Monza, Italy.
• Q StationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpace tech incubator partnership providing tours and mentorship opportunities for apprentices at the New Mexico space technology hub.
• IPPOG (International Particle Physics Outreach Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for Space Messengers, providing resources and expertise in particle physics public outreach.
• Afterschool AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner supporting youth STEM programming and expanding access to afterschool STEAM education.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Science Buddies: K-12 STEM education nonprofit offering hands-on science project guidance, teacher resources, and inquiry-based learning tools. Comparable as a nonprofit resource provider for student-led STEM inquiry, similar to STEMarts' design challenge and research-mentorship programs.
• Citizen Schools: National nonprofit providing expanded-day learning, career exploration, and STEM/STEAM apprenticeships in middle schools serving under-resourced communities. Comparable as an apprenticeship-rich, youth-STEAM nonprofit serving similar audiences.
• Iridescent: National STEAM nonprofit empowering underserved youth (and their families) through hands-on science and engineering programs. Highly comparable as a mission-aligned STEAM education nonprofit focused on equity and emerging-technology literacy for K-12 and young adults.
• STEM NOLA: New Orleans–based nonprofit running hands-on STEM enrichment for youth including weekend events, camps, and STEM labs. Directly comparable community-based STEM enrichment model with free programming aimed at under-resourced youth.
• Girls Who Code: National nonprofit running clubs, summer immersion programs, and college-loops to close the gender gap in tech. Comparable as a large-scale tech-education nonprofit for youth, with similar free cohort-based programs and career pipeline outcomes.
• MIND Research Institute: Nonprofit developer of visual math and STEAM instructional programs serving K-12 students and educators, with strong equity focus. Comparable as a math/STEAM education nonprofit delivering standards-aligned curriculum through schools and community partners.

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: Major CS-education nonprofit behind Hour of Code and K-12 CS curriculum adopted by most U.S. school districts. Broad incumbent in computer-science learning; STEMarts' Creative Coding and Google Code Next bootcamps operate in Code.org's mainstream K-12 CS ecosystem.
• Project Lead the Way: National nonprofit providing STEM curriculum and teacher training for K-12 schools across all 50 states. Broad incumbent for in-school STEM; comparable because both organizations monetize primarily through district/educator adoption and standards-aligned curriculum.

Emerging players

• Black Girls CODE: Nonprofit running workshops, hackathons, and summer camps introducing girls of color to coding and STEM. Highly comparable cohort model and equity focus, though smaller and more focused on early-stage coding exposure.

Regional players

• Engaging Creative Minds: Charleston, SC–based nonprofit bringing arts-integrated STEAM programming into schools with a focus on equity. Comparable as a smaller art+STEM integration nonprofit model sharing STEMarts' interdisciplinary approach, though regionally focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@STEMartsLab
• Facebookfacebook.com/stemartslab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stemarts-lab
• Instagraminstagram.com/stemartslab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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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 STEMarts Labs