Biodesign Challenge
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Biodesign Challenge firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Biodesign Challenge
- Legal name
- Biodesign Challenge
- Website
- https://biodesignchallenge.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Biodesign Challenge industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEAM Education Programs
- NAICS
- Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) & Challenge Platforms (EDAFANAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy) (EDAMABAF), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
Keywords
Where Biodesign Challenge is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Biodesign Challenge business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Grants and Donations: The organization receives tax-deductible donations and grants to support its educational programs. Siegel Family Endowment has awarded nearly $17 million in grants to support related education initiatives.
- Sponsorship: Corporate and institutional sponsors fund specific prizes, programs, and events. Sponsors include organizations like Terra, Twist Bioscience, NEW INC, BioBAT Art Space, Genspace, and Cambridge University Press that fund specific prize categories.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Biodesign Challenge product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Biodesign Challenge runs a semester-long educational program that pairs high school and university students with scientists, artists, and designers to develop projects at the intersection of biotechnology, art, and design. Students' work culminates in the annual BDC Summit held at the Museum of Modern Art and Parsons School of Design in New York City, where finalists compete for prizes including the Glass Microbe grand prize. Supplementary offerings include the Biodesign Symposium for professionals and the BDC After-School Program serving Title I high schools in New York City.
Product overview
Biodesign Challenge is an educational nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs at the intersection of biotechnology, art, and design. The core offerings include the Biodesign Challenge Program (a semester-long educational program pairing students with scientists, artists, and designers), the annual Biodesign Summit (a competition and exhibition at MoMA and Parsons), the Biodesign Symposium (professional exchange forum), and the BDC After-School Program (hands-on lab experience for NYC Title I schools). The organization also publishes 'Grow the Future,' a book compiling five years of student projects. The programs operate on an annual cycle, with participation from 60+ schools across 20+ countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Biodesign Challenge Program An international education program for high school and college students that introduces the intersection of biotechnology, art, and design, connecting participants to a global network of leaders in academia, industry, and entrepreneurship who are defining the field of biodesign.
- Biodesign Challenge Summit Annual two-day event held at Parsons School of Design and the Museum of Modern Art where finalists from schools across the globe showcase their biodesign projects before leading thinkers in academia, industry, art, and design, competing for prizes including the Glass Microbe grand prize.
- Biodesign Symposium
Quantifiable outcome
- Students from 60+ schools in 20+ countries participated in the 2025 program
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Biodesign Challenge
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Biodesign Challenge technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Biodesign Challenge partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- TerramajorSponsors the Terra Prize for Outstanding Digital Submission, providing recognition and mentorship benefits to winning student teams demonstrating excellence in digital biodesign projects.
- NEW INCmajorSupports the Outstanding Social Critique Prize, recognizing student projects that critically examine social implications of biotechnology.
- Twist BiosciencemajorSupports the Outstanding Narrative Prize, providing mentorship and recognition to students creating compelling narratives around biodesign concepts.
- BioBAT Art SpacemajorSupports the Outstanding Art Prize, recognizing excellence in artistic expression through biodesign.
- GenspacemajorSupports the Outstanding Science Prize, recognizing rigorous scientific methodology and innovation in student biodesign projects.
- Cambridge University PressmajorSupports the Outstanding Field Research Prize, recognizing excellence in research conducted in real-world settings.
- Parsons School of DesigncorePrimary venue partner hosting the annual Biodesign Challenge Summit alongside the Museum of Modern Art. Serves as the New York City home base for the program.
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)coreKey venue partner hosting the annual Summit gallery show and student project presentations. The prestigious venue provides major credibility to the competition.
- Nest MakerspaceminorCommunity makerspace engaging teens across East San Jose and Salinas, California, providing hands-on biotech resources for BDC alumni.
- Xinampa.biominorCommunity makerspace engaging teens across East San Jose and Salinas, California, collaborating with BDC to support young biodesigners.
- The New SchoolcoreParent institution of Parsons School of Design, hosting Summit events at Johnson Hall and Arnhold Hall locations in New York City.
- Grow.bio (Ecovative)minorAdditional program sponsor providing support for Biodesign Challenge programming.
- Amino LabsminorAdditional program sponsor supporting Biodesign Challenge educational initiatives.
- Open WaterminorAdditional program sponsor for Biodesign Challenge initiatives.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Biodesign Challenge competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- iGEM Foundation: iGEM runs the largest international student competition in synthetic biology, with university and high school divisions globally. It is the most directly comparable competition-format program teaching biotech to students, though with a stronger engineering than art/design orientation.
- BioBuilder Educational Foundation: BioBuilder delivers synthetic biology curriculum and labs to high schools and universities with a similar educational mission to BDC. It overlaps in audience (STEAM students and instructors) and content area (applied biotech), competing for the same school partnerships and grant dollars.
- Genspace: Genspace is a NYC-based community biology lab that sponsors BDC's Outstanding Science Prize and engages similar audiences (students, artists, citizen scientists). It overlaps with BDC in the NYC biotech-education ecosystem and serves as both a peer and a sponsor.
- BioBricks Foundation: BioBricks Foundation supports open-source biotechnology and synthetic biology education, including student-facing programs. It is comparable to BDC as a community-building organization in the biotech-education space, though focused more on standardization than arts integration.
Broad incumbents
- MIT Media Lab: MIT Media Lab operates at the intersection of technology, design, and the arts and has incubated biodesign-adjacent research. It is comparable to BDC as a much larger interdisciplinary STEAM institution, serving as a talent feeder for advanced biodesign work.
- Scratch Foundation: The Scratch Foundation supports creative computing education for young people globally, paralleling BDC's mission to make advanced STEAM fields accessible to students. It is comparable in mission and scale of community, though focused on digital rather than biological creation.
Others
- Science Sandbox (Simons Foundation): Science Sandbox is a Simons Foundation initiative funding informal science learning and engagement. It is comparable to BDC as a STEM-education funder/incubator rather than a direct competitor, representing the type of philanthropic capital BDC could attract.
Regional players
- New Lab: New Lab is a Brooklyn-based innovation hub for companies working on frontier technologies including biotech. It overlaps with BDC's NYC-centric ecosystem and similar audience of designers, scientists, and entrepreneurs working at emerging tech intersections.
Emerging players
- BioHack Academy: BioHack Academy (run by Waag) trains participants in do-it-yourself biotechnology and biofabrication. It is comparable to BDC's Biodesign Sprint in offering project-based biotech training, though focused more on lab skills than art/design integration.
- SynBio4all: SynBio4all is an emerging community focused on making synthetic biology education accessible to broader audiences. It is comparable to BDC as a smaller, mission-aligned program seeking to grow biotech literacy, though with less institutional brand recognition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Biodesign Challenge social profiles
Digital presenceBiodesign Challenge financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Biodesign Challenge leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Biodesign Challenge funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Biodesign Challenge M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Biodesign Challenge
What does Biodesign Challenge do?
Biodesign Challenge runs a semester-long educational program that pairs high school and university students with scientists, artists, and designers to develop projects at the intersection of biotechnology, art, and design. Students' work culminates in the annual BDC Summit held at the Museum of Modern Art and Parsons School of Design in New York City, where finalists compete for prizes including the Glass Microbe grand prize. Supplementary offerings include the Biodesign Symposium for professionals and the BDC After-School Program serving Title I high schools in New York City.
Is Biodesign Challenge a public or private company?
Biodesign Challenge is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Biodesign Challenge founded?
Biodesign Challenge was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Biodesign Challenge based?
Biodesign Challenge is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Biodesign Challenge make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship.
Who are Biodesign Challenge's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are iGEM Foundation, BioBuilder Educational Foundation, Genspace and BioBricks Foundation. Broad incumbents are MIT Media Lab and Scratch Foundation. Science Sandbox (Simons Foundation) is listed as an others. New Lab is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are BioHack Academy and SynBio4all.
Does Biodesign Challenge have an API?
No public API is recorded for Biodesign Challenge.
What industry is Biodesign Challenge in?
Biodesign Challenge's product category is STEAM Education Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFANAI, STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL) & Challenge Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAMABAF, Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy). Its NAICS code is 611519.