Jacobs Foundation
The Jacobs Foundation is a Swiss private philanthropic foundation that funds child development research, fellowships, and education programs globally. It invests in evidence-based education by supporting researchers, policymakers, and practitioners through programs such as the CIFAR Research Fellowship, LEVANTE, LEAP, and SCALE.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Jacobs Foundation does
The Jacobs Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1989 by Klaus J. Jacobs and his family and headquartered at Jacobs Haus in Zurich, Switzerland. Its mission is to improve the learning and development of children and youth worldwide, with concentration on evidence generation, policy influence, and program implementation. The foundation operates a portfolio of fellowships, research prizes, conferences, and country programs in Switzerland, Germany, Ghana, Colombia, and Côte d'Ivoire, supported by a Board of Trustees and led by co-CEO Simon Sommer.
The foundation's core offerings center on research and capacity-building infrastructure rather than commercial products. Flagship programs include the Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship (for early- and mid-career child development researchers), the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize (CHF 1 million endowment), LEVANTE (a cross-cultural learning variability research initiative with the LEVANTE Data Archive hosted at Stanford University), LEAP (a MIT Solve partnership running 12-week evidence-building sprints), LEARN (capacity building in Ghana and Colombia), LSX (a cross-disciplinary public engagement fellowship), and SCALE (a multi-stakeholder education system reform initiative in Ghana). The foundation also operates the BOLD multimedia science platform and the Digital Museum of Learning as outreach channels.
As a private foundation, Jacobs Foundation funds its activities through its endowment rather than commercial revenue, and distributes grants to researchers, NGOs, and implementing partners rather than selling products or services. The foundation works through strategic partnerships with CIFAR, MIT Solve, Stanford University, NYU Global TIES, Cape Coast University, Universidad de los Andes, and others to multiply the impact of its capital. Cumulative giving surpassed CHF 1 billion in 2025 across 35+ years of operation, and the foundation recently committed to supporting IFFEd's $1.5 billion blended-finance vehicle for global education. With 11-50 employees, the organization runs a lean operations model that relies heavily on partner institutions for research and program delivery.
Jacobs Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jacobs Foundation
- Legal name
- Jacobs Foundation
- Website
- https://jacobsfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Jacobs Foundation is a Swiss private philanthropic foundation that funds child development research, fellowships, and education programs globally. It invests in evidence-based education by supporting researchers, policymakers, and practitioners through programs such as the CIFAR Research Fellowship, LEVANTE, LEAP, and SCALE.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jacobs Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Philanthropy and Child Development Research Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
Keywords
Where Jacobs Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Jacobs Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foundation Philanthropic Giving: As a private foundation, Jacobs Foundation generates revenue through its endowment and distributes grants to support research, programs, and education initiatives globally
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Jacobs Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jacobs Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that funds and runs research fellowships, scientific prizes, and country-level programs dedicated to improving the learning and development of children and youth. It disburses grants, fellowships, and awards to academic researchers, social entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education practitioners, and coordinates global initiatives such as the LEVANTE cross-cultural learning variability research network and the annual Marbach Castle research conference.
Product overview
Jacobs Foundation operates as a philanthropic organization rather than a traditional product company. Its offerings consist of fellowship programs, research initiatives, awards, conferences, and digital platforms focused on child learning and education. The core programs include the Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship Program (offering fellowships to early- and mid-career researchers), LEVANTE (a cross-cultural learning variability research initiative with data archive at Stanford), and the Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize (CHF 1 million award). Digital platforms include BOLD (a multimedia science platform) and the Digital Museum of Learning. Additional initiatives include LEAP (evidence-building partnership with MIT Solve), LEARN (capacity building in Ghana and Colombia), LSX (Learning Sciences Exchange Fellowship), SCALE (education system strengthening in Ghana), and country-specific programs in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Colombia, and Switzerland. The foundation also organizes the annual Jacobs Foundation Conference at Marbach Castle for research exchange.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LEVANTE (Learning Variability Network Exchange): A flagship initiative to coordinate data collection by research teams on children's learning variability within and across individuals, groups, and cultures.
- Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship
- Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize
- BOLD (Science for Growing Minds)
- Digital Museum of Learning
- LEAP (Leveraging Evidence for Action to Promote Change)
- LEARN (Leverage, Empower, Advance, Research, Network)
- SCALE (System Change Architecture for Learning Excellence)
- LSX (Learning Sciences Exchange Fellowship)
Products and services
- Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship Program A fellowship program offering fellowships to early- and mid-career researchers dedicated to improving the learning and development of children and youth worldwide, delivered in partnership with CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research).
- LEVANTE (LEarning VAriability NeTwork Exchange) A flagship research initiative coordinating cross-cultural, multidisciplinary data collection on children's learning variability within and across individuals, groups, and cultures, with the LEVANTE Data Archive hosted at Stanford University.
- Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize An award endowed with CHF 1 million that recognizes exceptional researchers making significant contributions to the learning and development of children and youth.
- BOLD (Science for Growing Minds) A multimedia platform publishing articles, videos, and research highlights exploring the latest scientific insights into how children and young people develop and learn.
- Digital Museum of Learning A digital museum offering interactive content and playful quizzes for children of all ages, featuring digital exhibitions on learning and education and partner resources for classrooms.
- SCALE (System Change Architecture for Learning Excellence) A multi-stakeholder initiative working to strengthen Ghana's education system and improve learning outcomes for millions of children.
- LEAP (Leveraging Evidence for Action to Promote Change) An initiative run with MIT Solve that brings together researchers, social entrepreneurs, and education organizations to create evidence-based solutions for 21st-century education through 12-week project sprints.
- LEARN (Leverage, Empower, Advance, Research, Network) A program strengthening scientific capacity in Ghana and Colombia through advanced training, mentorship, and global research networks, run in collaboration with NYU Global TIES, Cape Coast University, and Universidad de los Andes.
- Learning Sciences Exchange Fellowship (LSX) A fellowship bringing together researchers, journalists, entertainment professionals, entrepreneurs, and educators to collaborate on communicating learning-sciences findings to the public.
- Jacobs Social Entrepreneur Fellowship A fellowship supporting young professionals with entrepreneurial vision for interlinking business and social impact in early childhood development and education.
- Education Evidence Labs (EdLabs) Evidence labs that bring together researchers and policymakers to generate and use evidence for education policy improvement.
- Co-funding Mechanisms Innovative financing mechanisms designed to mobilize private capital for education development in low- and middle-income countries.
- Jacobs Foundation Conference An annual invitation-only three-day conference bringing together senior, mid-career, and early-career researchers to present findings on child and youth development and learning, typically held at Marbach Castle in Germany.
- Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prizes A prize program acknowledging up to three institutions or individuals implementing evidence-based solutions in child and youth development, with each laureate receiving CHF 200,000 in unrestricted funding.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 250 fellows supported in the last 8 years
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Jacobs Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Jacobs Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Jacobs Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.
- Stanford UniversitycoreKey partner coordinating the LEVANTE initiative. Stanford hosts the LEVANTE Data Archive (LDA), the first cross-cultural, multidisciplinary open dataset on child development and learning.
- MIT SolvecorePartnership to manage and facilitate the LEAP (Leveraging Evidence for Action to Promote Change) initiative, bringing together researchers and social entrepreneurs to support education organizations.
- University of ZurichcoreJoint venture partner in establishing the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, dedicated to interdisciplinary developmental research to improve lives of children and youth.
- CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research)corePartnership to bring together two global leaders in research and innovation. The Jacobs CIFAR Research Fellowship Program offers fellowships to early- and mid-career researchers in child development, formerly known as the Jacobs Research Fellowship.
- NYU Global TIEScoreCollaboration on LEARN program strengthening scientific capacity in Ghana and Colombia, providing researchers with advanced training, mentorship, and global networks.
- Cape Coast University (Ghana)coreLEARN program partner strengthening scientific capacity in Ghana, enabling researchers to contribute to local and global discussions on child development.
- Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)coreLEARN program partner strengthening scientific capacity in Colombia, enabling researchers to contribute to local and global discussions on child development.
- New AmericacoreThink tank partner in creating the Learning Sciences Exchange (LSX) fellowship, bringing together scientists, education leaders, entrepreneurs, journalists, and entertainment producers.
- Temple University (Kathy Hirsh-Pasek)coreAcademic partner in co-creating the LSX fellowship to bridge learning sciences with broader public engagement.
- University of Delaware (Roberta Golinkoff)coreAcademic partner in co-creating the LSX fellowship to bridge learning sciences with broader public engagement.
- IFFEd (International Finance Facility for Education)majorJacobs Foundation supports IFFEd's landmark $1.5 billion investment to tackle the global education crisis and boost skills development for vulnerable youth.
- Canton of Zurich Department of EducationregionalCollaboration on digital micro-learning initiative providing short video clips to help parents turn everyday situations into learning moments for children from birth to age four.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Jacobs Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Jacobs Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceJacobs Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jacobs Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Jacobs Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Jacobs Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Jacobs Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
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Frequently asked questions about Jacobs Foundation
What does Jacobs Foundation do?
Jacobs Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that funds and runs research fellowships, scientific prizes, and country-level programs dedicated to improving the learning and development of children and youth. It disburses grants, fellowships, and awards to academic researchers, social entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education practitioners, and coordinates global initiatives such as the LEVANTE cross-cultural learning variability research network and the annual Marbach Castle research conference.
Is Jacobs Foundation a public or private company?
Jacobs Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Jacobs Foundation founded?
Jacobs Foundation was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Jacobs Foundation based?
Jacobs Foundation is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Jacobs Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Philanthropic Giving.
Does Jacobs Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jacobs Foundation.
What industry is Jacobs Foundation in?
Jacobs Foundation's product category is Education Philanthropy and Child Development Research Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of EDADAHAC, Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8200.