What The Little Engineer does

The Little Engineer (TLE) is a private, founder-led STEM education company established in March 2009 in Beirut, Lebanon, by Rana El Chemaitelly, a mechanical engineer and former AUB instructor. The company delivers hands-on, project-based learning programs to children and teens aged 4-16, covering robotics, coding, renewable energy, aviation, automotive, space industries, IoT, AI, and 3D modeling, with the explicit goal of preparing youth for the fourth industrial revolution. Its flagship commercial asset is the Airbus Little Engineer program, a 2012 co-development partnership with Airbus Middle East (globalized in 2016 via the Airbus Foundation) that has reached more than 25,000 students across 20+ countries through A380 Assembly, Space, and 3D Modeling workshops.

The company operates a hybrid B2C/B2B model. The B2C arm, branded TLE STEM Centers (tlestemcenters.com), runs summer camps, after-school programs, workshops, and birthday parties out of owned centers in Beirut, Riyadh, Dubai, and Lagos. The B2B arm, branded TLE STEM Solutions (tlestemsolutions.com), licenses curriculum, runs teacher training, and partners with ministries of education in MENA, Africa, and the USA. A nonprofit subsidiary, The Lifetime Education Foundation, handles CSR and humanitarian programming, while a TLE Online Store for spare parts and educational toys is under construction. Distribution is supplemented by a franchise model and a regional partner network (STEM360, STEM-METS, RegulusSpacetech, African 99s, Travelling Telescope, and others).

TLE has no disclosed institutional funding, no public revenue figures, and an estimated headcount of 11-50 employees. Pricing for summer camps and workshops is quoted on request rather than published, consistent with B2C seat-based pricing and B2B curriculum licensing arrangements. The business is founder-owned, with Rana El Chemaitelly serving as Founder and CEO, and is positioned as a regional edutainment brand with multinational reach anchored on the Airbus partnership.

Name

The Little Engineer

Legal name

The Little Engineer

Website

https://thelittleengineer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Little Engineer is a private STEM education company founded in 2009 that delivers hands-on robotics, coding, AI, and aerospace programs to youth aged 4-16 through owned centers in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Nigeria, plus an Airbus Foundation co-branded workshop program operating in 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering Design & Project-Based Learning Programs (EDAMADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Math & STEM Learning Technology (incl. Coding/Robotics Platforms) (EDAJAMAG), 3D Printing, CAD & Digital Fabrication Programs (EDAMADAH), Engineering Design & Applied STEM Challenges (Non-Robotics) (EDAMABAK)

Keywords

• Stem education programs
• Robotics education
• Coding workshops
• 3d modeling courses
• Renewable energy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Beirut

HQ country

Lebanon

HQ region

Middle East

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2C Educational Programs: Summer camps, after-school programs, workshops, and birthday parties for students and parents. Programs include robotics, coding, renewable energy, AI, 3D modeling, game design, and more.
2. B2B Curriculum and School Solutions: Curriculum licensing, teacher training, and school club programs for educational institutions. Collaborations with ministries of education in MENA, Africa, and USA.
3. Online Store (TLE Store): E-commerce platform for spare parts and educational toys under construction.
4. Airbus Partnership Programs: Aerospace and aviation STEM workshops delivered through Airbus Foundation partnership, operating in 20+ countries across MENA and Africa.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Little Engineer is an education institution delivering hands-on STEM programs for children and teens aged 4-16 through company-owned STEM Centers (B2C) and a B2B STEM Solutions arm offering curriculum licensing, teacher training, and school-club programs to schools and ministries of education in MENA, Africa, and the USA. Programs cover robotics, coding, renewable energy, aviation, space industries, IoT, AI, and 3D modeling, and include a flagship Airbus Little Engineer partnership that delivers A380 assembly, space, and 3D-modeling workshops across 20+ countries.

Product overview

The Little Engineer is an education institution offering a portfolio of STEM programs with both B2C (Students & Parents via STEM Centers) and B2B (Teachers/Schools via STEM Solutions) channels. The core offerings include hands-on courses in robotics, coding, renewable energies, aviation, automotive, space industries, IoT, AI, and 3D modeling. The company operates through specialized sub-brands: TLE Online Store (spare parts and educational toys), and The Lifetime Education Foundation (CSR arm). The company also delivers Airbus Little Engineer workshops in partnership with Airbus Foundation, including A380 Assembly, Space, and 3D Modeling programs operating in 12+ countries. Short-term programs include Hi-Tech Camps for Champs in Mauritius, Dubai Summer Camps, and Catch the Wheel of Technology workshops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Students & Parents (B2C) - TLE STEM Centers Hands-on STEM courses for children and teens aged 4-16 delivered through company-owned centers in Beirut, Riyadh, Dubai, and Lagos, including summer camps, after-school programs, workshops, birthday parties, and online workshops. Topics cover robotics, coding, renewable energies, aviation, automotive, space industries, IoT, AI, and 3D modeling.
• Teachers / Schools (B2B) - TLE STEM Solutions B2B STEM education solutions sold to educational institutions and ministries of education in MENA, Africa, and the USA, including curriculum licensing, teacher training, in-school club programs, and curriculum implementation partnerships aimed at bridging theory and practice and linking schools with universities.
• The Lifetime Education Foundation (CSR Arm) Not-for-profit foundation arm delivering CSR educational programs, community empowerment, and educational humanitarian initiatives.
• TLE Online Store Online store selling spare parts and educational toys related to TLE STEM programs.
• Airbus Little Engineer A380 Assembly Workshop Robotics workshop for learners aged 12+ introducing the aviation industry via A380 airplane development, covering manufacturing phases and final assembly in Toulouse or Hamburg.
• Airbus Little Engineer Space Workshop Robotic workshop for learners aged 11+ introducing space industry concepts including Ariane 5 rocket design and Mars exploration technologies spanning power, telecom, and space-rocket applications.
• Airbus Little Engineer Online Workshop (3D Modeling) Online 3D modeling program for learners aged 10+ using TinkerCad from Autodesk to design airplane and rocket models, with access to the Airbus Discovery Space platform and Moon Camp Challenge.
• Catch the Wheel of Technology Workshop 3D modeling workshop for students aged 10+ introducing design and innovation concepts and teaching learners to design a house, an airplane, and a rocket using two different 3D design platforms.
• Expo 2020 Robotics Workshop Robotics workshop delivered at Expo 2020 that introduces students to flow chart programming using line-following blocks, having them build code to solve missions by counting left and right intersections.
• Dubai Summer Camps 4-day summer camp in Dubai covering Coding, Creativity, AI, Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity, Game Design, Web Design, Robotics, Renewable Energy, and 3D Modeling, run Monday-Thursday from 9 AM to 4 PM.
• Hi-Tech Camps for Champs Summer edutainment program for students aged 12-16 in Mauritius lasting 6 nights and 7 days; combines education and entertainment through robotics, 3D modeling, machine learning, entrepreneurship, renewable energy, cybersecurity, financial literacy, game development, and web design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25,000 students have participated in Airbus Little Engineer programs across 20+ countries since 2012

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Airbus FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Flagship partnership delivering Airbus Little Engineer aerospace and aviation STEM programs. Programs include A380 Assembly Workshop (ages 12+), Space Workshop (ages 11+), and 3D Modeling Online Workshop (ages 10+). Operating in 20+ countries across MENA, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia since 2012. Over 25,000 students have participated. Expanded globally in 2016.
• Airbus Middle EastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partnership established in 2012 with Airbus Middle East to deliver regional workshops for youth across the Middle East and Africa.
• GFPA FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner listed in partnership section, focused on youth development initiatives.
• STEM360minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for STEM education distribution in Asia.
• STEM-METSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner for STEM education in Africa.
• African 99sminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfrican network partner for STEM education outreach.
• Travelling TelescopeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based partner for astronomy and space education programs.
• Dare to Dream (Botswana)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBotswana-based partner for youth STEM education.
• European Space AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Moon Camp Challenge through Airbus Foundation Discovery Space platform.
• Ministries of Education (MENA, Africa, USA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with ministries of education to bridge the gap between theory and practice and between schools and universities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST runs global robotics competitions (FLL, FTC, FRC) for youth ages 4-18, making it a direct peer in STEM-competency building for kids via robotics and a potential partner/competitor for TLE's robotics curriculum.
• iD Tech: iD Tech runs in-person STEM summer camps, after-school programs, and online private lessons for kids and teens in coding, robotics, AI, and game design—directly comparable to TLE's B2C STEM center and summer camp model, including franchise-like multi-city delivery.
• Code Ninjas: Code Ninjas operates a franchise network of coding centers for children, mirroring TLE's franchise-based growth strategy and center-based delivery of hands-on STEM education for youth.
• Engineering For Kids: Engineering For Kids delivers franchise-based STEM enrichment programs for kids including robotics, coding, aerospace, and 3D printing—essentially the same franchise-driven kids' STEM enrichment model TLE is pursuing globally.

Broad incumbents

• VEX Robotics: VEX Robotics provides educational robotics kits and runs the VEX IQ and VEX Robotics Competition ecosystems worldwide—a broader incumbent supplying both curriculum content and competition infrastructure similar to what TLE layers with its robotics workshops.
• LEGO Education: LEGO Education provides STEM kits, lesson plans, and teacher training for K-12 robotics and engineering—broadly comparable to TLE's curriculum content and B2B school licensing, though it operates at much larger scale across more subjects and geographies.

Emerging players

• Tynker: Tynker is a self-paced online coding platform for kids used in schools and homes—comparable to TLE's coding curriculum offerings and a complementary/competing tool in B2B school licensing deals.
• Wonder Workshop: Wonder Workshop builds Dash, Dot, and Cue educational robots for elementary and middle school STEM—comparable as an educational robotics curriculum provider TLE could partner with or compete against for school contracts.
• Sphero: Sphero produces programmable educational robots (SPRK+, Bolt, Indi) used in K-12 STEAM programs—directly comparable as an educational robotics product that competes for school STEM budgets similar to TLE's school club programs.
• RobotLAB: RobotLAB provides educational robotics kits, curriculum, and teacher training for K-12 schools—a peer in B2B STEM curriculum licensing and hardware-included robotics program delivery at smaller scale than LEGO Education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-little-engineer-s.a.r.l

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 The Little Engineer