Zavod 404

Name

Zavod 404

Legal name

Zavod 404 – Zasebni zavod za raziskave, razvoj in inovacije Ljubljana

Website

https://404.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STE(A)M Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE), STEM & Lab Simulation Media (Virtual Labs, AR/VR) (EDAGALAF)

Keywords

• Youth STEAM education
• Engineering workshops
• Robotics training programs
• Maker education services
• Technology skill development

Headquarters

HQ city

Ljubljana

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition Fees: Monthly tuition fees for primary school (OŠ) programs, ranging from €75–82 per month depending on program and early-bird eligibility. Semester or annual payment options available. Some programs (e.g., 3D printers, Elektra) have higher monthly rates of €78–85 due to extended duration (30 sessions) and included materials/equipment.
2. Holiday / Summer Camp Fees: One-time fees for week-long summer camp programs such as 'Fliper!' priced at €280–310 depending on booking date. Includes mentorship, materials, lunch, and snacks.
3. Family Workshop Fees: Fees for family workshops (€18 for a 1-hour garage-building workshop). Designed for children ages 4–6 with parental participation.
4. Government and Municipal Grants: Co-funding from the City of Ljubljana (Mestna občina Ljubljana), the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation. These grants support free Saturday workshops, technical days for schools, and youth programs such as MOSTiček and 'Mladi za mlade'.
5. Donations and Tax-Donation Contributions: Direct donations via QR code, and individuals can donate 1% of their income tax to support the organization. This represents a voluntary public donation mechanism common in Slovenia.
6. EU Research and Innovation Project Funding: Funding from EU programs including EIT RawMaterials (CastQC project), Horizon 2020 (WOOL2OOP project), and Erasmus+ (ProtoGreen exchange). These grants fund specific R&D and education activities.
7. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship: Collaboration with industry partners through donations, sponsorship, or direct project involvement (e.g., ELES, Kolektor, Iskra ISD, ZAG, TEH-CUT, DOMEL, LOTRIČ Metrology). Partners may fund specific activities or provide in-kind support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Zavod 404 is a private youth technology development center in Ljubljana, Slovenia that delivers hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education programs to children, adolescents, and young adults. The organization runs a fully equipped workshop where participants learn electronics, programming, robotics, 3D printing, and engineering through semester-long curricula, weekend workshops, summer camps, technical days for schools, and international competition teams. It also conducts applied R&D projects with industry partners and EU-funded research initiatives.

Product overview

Zavod 404 operates as a unified youth technology education platform offering multiple interconnected programs and services. The core portfolio includes: Saturday workshops and semester-long elementary school programs (Edison, Tesla, Alessandro, Alan, Ada, 3D-tiskalniki, Elektra) teaching robotics, programming, electronics, and engineering; technical days and holiday programs including summer pinball-building weeks; student project teams competing internationally (TAFR robots, DBF drones, First Global, space rocket programs); digital competency projects (KO-DI-RAM III, KO-DI-CE) for broader educational reach; and specialized offerings like family workshops, individual programs, work practice, and mentor training courses. All activities are conducted in their well-equipped workshop facility at Mencingerjeva 7, Ljubljana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sobotne delavnice (Saturday Workshops) Short creative STE(A)M workshops for elementary school children held on Saturdays, covering robotics, programming, electronics, natural sciences, physics, mathematics, and art. Co-financed by the City Municipality of Ljubljana and free for participants.
• Osnovnošolski programi (Elementary School Programs) Multi-session themed programs for elementary school students from 2nd to 9th grade, held weekly in the workshop. Tracks include Edison, Tesla, Alessandro, Alan, Ada, 3D-tiskalniki, and Elektra, covering robotics, programming (Arduino, Python), 3D printing, and electronics.
• Dijaški projekti (High School Student Projects) Year-long engineering projects for high school students working with mentors, including student teams TAFR (autonomous agricultural robots) and DBF Edvard Rusjan Team (carbon fiber aircraft) that compete internationally at the Field Robot Event and Design/Build/Fly competitions.
• Delavnice za dijake (Workshops for High School Students) Short creative workshops for high school students introducing them to technology and engineering through hands-on projects such as rainbow lanterns, Simon says, heart rate monitors, plant terrariums, automatic sanitizer dispensers, and computer assembly.
• KO-DI-RAM III (Digital Competencies and Computational Thinking) Project strengthening digital competencies of elementary and high school students across Slovenia through workshops on programming, internet safety, netiquette, and digital tools, with an advanced component for high schoolers at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics. Reaches 1,200 children, 36 schools, 10 regions. Fully funded by the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
• KO-DI-CE (Digital Competencies for Girls) Project strengthening digital competencies of girls in Slovenia through prototyping, programming, internet safety, and digital tools workshops. Program includes 572 hours of free workshops for 200+ girls in grades 4-9 across 7 regions. Fully funded by the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
• Poletni teden: Fliper! (Summer Week: Pinball!) Five-day summer program for grades 5-8 where participants build their own portable pinball machine including wood construction, Arduino microcontroller system, obstacle design, and soldering. Priced at €280-€310.
• Družinske delavnice (Family Workshops) One-hour workshops for children ages 4-6 with parents/guardians creating simple projects together (e.g., wooden garage for toy cars). Priced at €18 per workshop. Builds fine motor skills, innovation, and engineering mindset.
• Tehniški dnevi (Technical Days) Practical hands-on technical day programs for schools introducing natural sciences and engineering. Programs include ZETRa4 (4th grade, electrical circuits, renewable energy, smart devices), ZETRa6 (6th grade, electrical engineering, programming), and RTO (7th-9th grade, Arduino programming, electronics). Reached 16,000+ children since 2016 across 50+ schools annually.
• Tečaji za mlade (Courses for Youth) Various training courses for youth groups on machine operation, materials, 3D printing, laser cutting, programming, and other technical skills. Includes architect training and mentor training programs.
• Delovna praksa (Work Practice / Internship) Internship opportunities for high school and university students in technology and engineering at the 404 workshop. Includes transportation reimbursement, lunch, and prescribed compensation.
• Individualni programi (Individual Programs) Fully customized programs for individuals with extensive technical knowledge who want to create their own project. Mentors help develop ideas into working products ranging from GPS watches to scooters and go-karts.
• Izobraževalni MOSTiček (Educational MOSTiček) Project for youth ages 15-29 offering workshops in welding, soldering, laser cutting, ROS programming, and more. Free activities co-financed by the City of Ljubljana.
• Študentski projekti (Student Project Teams) University student project teams including TAFR (autonomous agricultural robots) and DBF Edvard Rusjan Team (remote-controlled aircraft) that compete internationally at the Field Robot Event and Design/Build/Fly competitions. TAFR achieved 3rd place at Field Robot Event 2019; DBF achieved 1st place twice at Design/Build/Fly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ participants educated in STE(A)M over 11 years of operation
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FabLab ZagrebminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in the Erasmus+ funded ProtoGreen youth exchange project (Grant Agreement 2019-3-SI02-KA105-015356). 25+ students from 4 countries developed prototypes from upcycled waste. FabLab Zagreb contributed prototyping expertise and facilities for the youth exchange.
• FabLab BudapestminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in the Erasmus+ funded ProtoGreen youth exchange project. Contributed digital fabrication expertise and participated in cross-border maker education exchange.
• Maltepe Makers Group (Maltepe Anatolian High School, Turkey)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in the Erasmus+ ProtoGreen project. The Maltepe Makers Group contributed to youth exchange activities focused on upcycling and environmental problem-solving through prototyping.
• The Technology Professors Association (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in the Erasmus+ ProtoGreen project, contributing educational expertise from Spain's technology education sector.
• Fakulteta za računalništvo in informatiko (FRI) – Faculty of Computer and Information SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRI collaborates on KO-DI-RAM III and KO-DI-CE programs, providing academic expertise in computer science and informatics for youth digital competence development across Slovenia. The faculty contributes teaching staff and content development for structured digital literacy programs.
• Fakulteta za matematiko in fiziko (FMF) – Faculty of Mathematics and PhysicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMF runs the advanced KO-DI-RAM III component and organizes Autumn School of Physics for high school students. Collaborates with Zavod 404 on program delivery and academic content for youth STE(A)M education.
• Fakulteta za elektrotehniko (FE) – Faculty of Electrical EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFE contributes mentors and academic expertise to student teams and programs. Student teams (TAFR) originate from FE and use the 404 workshop for their robotics R&D activities.
• Fakulteta za strojništvo (FS) – Faculty of Mechanical EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFS contributes mentors and technical expertise to the ZETRa technical day programs and student project activities at the 404 workshop.
• Mestna občina Ljubljana (City of Ljubljana)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe City of Ljubljana co-funds Saturday workshops, MOSTiček educational bridge program, 'Mladi za mlade' (Youth for Youth) skills program, technical day programs for Ljubljana schools, and the MOBI mobile makerspace. This is the primary municipal support enabling free and low-cost programming.
• Ministrstvo za digitalno preobrazbo (Ministry of Digital Transformation of Slovenia)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Ministry funds KO-DI-RAM III and KO-DI-CE programs through a public call for proposals to strengthen digital competencies and promote STEM careers among children and youth. This government support enables nationwide program delivery across Slovenia.
• Ministrstvo za delo, družino, socialne zadeve in enake možnosti (Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMinistry provides co-funding for youth activities and the ZETRa technical day programs, supporting social inclusion and equal opportunities in technical education.
• iHELPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the MOBI mobile makerspace project, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. MOBI brings tools and machines to local communities, focusing on youth and elderly.
• Tourism Association RačaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the MOBI project, contributing to regional outreach and community engagement in Slovenia.
• High School DomžaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the MOBI project, providing educational infrastructure for mobile makerspace activities in the Domžale region.
• Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (Slovenia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Zavod 404 (with subcontractors) to prepare the program concept for the national Science Centre, including conceptual design of equipment. 48 experts from science, education, industry, and art contributed to the concept. 9,000 visitors and 184 Makers engaged over 3 years through Science Centre-related activities.
• EIT RawMaterials (CastQC Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIT RawMaterials co-funds the CastQC project partnership. In two years, the partnership aims to optimize quasi-crystalline aluminium alloy QCalloy, enabling 30% lower aluminium consumption. Zavod 404 participates as a member of the multi-partner consortium.
• University of Ljubljana – Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Department of Materials and MetallurgyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the CastQC project, providing materials science and metallurgy research expertise.
• Saint Gobain Finland (WOOL2OOP Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading partner in the EU Horizon 2020 WOOL2OOP project on geopolymer technology for mineral wool waste. Zavod 404 built a machine for 3D printing geopolymers and identified printing mixtures, contributing to the circular economy solution.
• University of Oulu, Finland (WOOL2OOP Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner pioneering geopolymer technology that enables mineral wool waste to be used for new ceramic or concrete-type products. Zavod 404's 3D printing contribution builds on this foundational technology.
• Technology Park Ljubljana (DIHAM Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the DIHAM respirator project, providing incubator infrastructure and support for rapid prototyping of the life-saving ventilator during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Electro Ljubljana Institute of Vocational TrainingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides vocational training placement opportunities for students and technical school students at Zavod 404's workshop, enabling practical training as part of formal education curricula.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fab Foundation: Global network of Fab Labs providing digital fabrication and maker education; Zavod 404 operates an essentially equivalent model (3D printers, laser cutters, CNC, electronics, hands-on learning) at a national scale in Slovenia, including the MOBI mobile makerspace concept.
• FIRST: International youth robotics competition organizer (FIRST Global Challenge, FRC, FTC, FLL); Zavod 404 fields the Slovenia FIRST Global Challenge team (Ekipa FGC) and runs analogous competition teams (TAFR, DBF), making FIRST a direct peer in competition-driven STE(A)M education.
• Tinkering School: US-based hands-on building school for kids using real tools, materials, and project-based learning; closely aligned with Zavod 404's pedagogy of multi-session student-driven builds (rockets, robots, drones) and progressive skill development.
• Maker Ed: Nonprofit advancing maker education in K-12 schools; comparable in mission, school-partnership model, and community-building approach (Maker Faire Ljubljana aligned to Maker Faire movement), though Zavod 404 has a stronger R&D and industry collaboration layer.

Broad incumbents

• CoderDojo (Raspberry Pi Foundation): Global volunteer-led network of free coding clubs for youth aged 7-17; comparable in mission (youth tech education, mentor-driven, community-led GTM) though more software-focused than Zavod 404's hardware-and-engineering emphasis.
• 4-H: Large US youth development organization with strong STEM and engineering program tracks (robotics, ag-tech, aerospace); comparable in school-network reach, mentor-driven model, and integration of competition teams, though at vastly larger scale.
• STEM Learning (UK): UK charity delivering STEM education enrichment programs to schools and young people; closely comparable in school-partnership GTM, government co-funding reliance, and structured digital-competence curricula aligned to national policy frameworks.
• LEGO Education: Provider of hands-on STEAM learning solutions (SPIKE, Mindstorms) widely used in schools; comparable in targeting K-12 STE(A)M curricula and school delivery channels, though primarily a product vendor rather than workshop operator.

Emerging players

• Arduino Education: Educational product and curriculum arm of Arduino; aligns directly with Zavod 404's electronics and programming curricula (Arduino, Python) and serves a similar K-12 and maker audience through structured kits and teacher training.

Regional players

• Science Buddies: US-based nonprofit supporting K-12 STEM project-based learning with teacher resources and competitions; comparable in mission and school-facing GTM, though primarily a content/resource provider rather than operator of a physical workshop and competition teams.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@zavod-404
• Facebookfacebook.com/404.si
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zavod404
• Instagraminstagram.com/zavod404

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Zavod 404