World Science Festival

What World Science Festival does

World Science Festival is a private nonprofit science communication organization founded in 2008 and operated by the World Science Foundation, headquartered in New York City. It produces the flagship annual World Science Festival in NYC, a multi-day program of discussions, performances, and youth/family events featuring Nobel laureates and world-leading scientists such as co-founder Brian Greene, alongside year-round programming that includes a video platform with over 740 pieces of content, theatrical science performances (e.g., Light Falls, Icarus at the Edge of Time, Radiance), the online education platform World Science U, the World Science Scholars youth program, and interview/video series including Cool Jobs, Pioneers in Science, Big Ideas, and Your Daily Equation. The organization also runs the annual fundraising Gala and has expanded internationally through WSF Brisbane and global touring performances.

The underlying technology is a digital content production and streaming platform — website plus YouTube distribution — supplemented by social channels and email. Most content is free to access, with ticketing on the annual Gala and select live events. The business model is nonprofit philanthropy: founding-benefactor commitments from the Simons Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation underwrite core programming, augmented by Gala proceeds and individual donations. The customer base is horizontally segmented across general public/science enthusiasts (primary), youth and families (primary), and scientists/researchers participating as presenters (secondary); the donor base, however, is concentrated among a small number of large foundations. Geographic reach is primarily the United States with selective international expansion into Australia and touring markets.

Name

World Science Festival

Legal name

World Science Foundation

Website

https://worldsciencefestival.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Communication and Education

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Physics Enrichment Programs (EDAMABAH), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Educational/Science/History Cable Networks (MPABAFAJ)

Keywords

• Science communication
• Science education
• Science festivals
• Public lectures
• Educational content

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

World Science Festival produces live and digital science communication content for the general public, centered on an annual flagship science festival in New York City featuring discussions with world-leading scientists, Nobel laureates, and pioneering researchers. Its offering spans a 740+ video on-demand library organized into series such as Big Ideas, Cool Jobs, and Your Daily Equation, theatrical science-inspired performances, online courses through World Science U, youth programs including World Science Scholars, and an annual fundraising Gala.

Product overview

The World Science Festival operates as a comprehensive science communication platform centered around its flagship annual Festival event, supplemented by an extensive video content platform and educational programs. The core offerings include the annual Festival featuring signature explorations with world-leading thinkers, a video library with over 740 videos organized into series (Big Ideas, Cool Jobs, Pioneers in Science, Your Daily Equation), and live Performance Programs including Light Falls and Icarus at the Edge of Time. The Education arm comprises World Science U online courses, World Science Scholars program, Cool Jobs video series, City of Science events, and Pioneers in Science interviews. The platform also includes the annual World Science Festival Gala as a premier fundraising event, with international expansion through WSF Brisbane and global touring performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• World Science U: Online educational platform offering science courses and learning resources
• World Science Scholars
• City of Science
• Pioneers in Science
• Cool Jobs
• Your Daily Equation

Products and services

• World Science Festival (Annual NYC Festival) The flagship annual science festival celebrating groundbreaking discoveries through world-leading thinkers, artists, and innovators discussing cutting-edge ideas, recent discoveries, and future opportunities. Features signature explorations, performances, and educational programs.
• Video Platform and Library A comprehensive video library featuring science content including Big Ideas series, Cool Jobs, Live with Brian Greene, Pioneers in Science, Physics & Mathematics, Women In Science, and Youth & Family programming. The platform hosts over 740 videos.
• Performance Programs Science-inspired theatrical and musical performances including Light Falls (space-time and general relativity), Icarus at the Edge of Time, Dear Albert, Awakening the Mind, and Radiance: The Passion of Marie Curie.
• World Science U Online educational platform offering courses taught by world-renowned scientists, including The Accelerating Universe course featuring Adam Riess, designed to make advanced science accessible to learners.
• World Science Scholars An education program for exceptional young students to study advanced science topics with leading experts in the field.
• World Science Festival Gala Annual prestigious fundraising event celebrating science with performances and honors. The 10th Anniversary Gala took place in 2017, and the 2025 Gala is titled 'Rising with Reason: A Performing Arts Salute to Science and Courage'.
• City of Science Large-scale public science event bringing interactive science exhibits and demonstrations to communities.
• WSF Global / WSF Brisbane International expansion program bringing World Science Festival programming to Brisbane, Australia and other global locations, including touring performances.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TED: Operates flagship live conferences (TED, TEDGlobal) plus an extensive free on-demand video library built around world-class thinkers; the closest direct analog to WSF's festival-plus-video model.
• Science Friday: Public radio program and digital-first nonprofit that produces accessible science content for general audiences; comparable scope and donor-supported operating model.
• Nautilus Magazine: Reader-supported popular-science publication producing long-form science storytelling for a curious general audience; comparable editorial positioning and nonprofit-style funding.
• Quanta Magazine: Philanthropy-funded publication covering fundamental science (physics, math, biology) for educated lay readers; comparable mission and foundation-supported operating model.
• AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science): Nonprofit scientific society producing public-facing science communication, including the AAAS Annual Meeting and Science magazine; comparable mission and institutional-nonprofit funding model.

Broad incumbents

• The Franklin Institute: Philadelphia-based science museum and education institution running public programming, exhibits, and youth science initiatives; overlapping mission in informal science education but operating a physical venue.
• Scientific American: Established mass-market popular-science publisher spanning articles, podcasts, and events; broader and more commercial than WSF but directly competes for the same science-curious audience.
• Exploratorium: San Francisco science museum and public-learning laboratory producing exhibits, public programs, and digital content; comparable nonprofit science-engagement mission.

Others

• Kavli Foundation: Philanthropic foundation supporting basic science and producing public science-communication assets (Kavli Prize); thematic peer in the science-philanthropy ecosystem rather than a direct programming competitor.

Emerging players

• Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics: Canadian research institute with strong public-outreach programming in theoretical physics (lectures, educational resources); directly comparable thematic focus on physics/cosmology for general audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/worldscifest
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/worldsciencefestival
• Facebookfacebook.com/timeline
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldscifest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-science-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 World Science Festival