Mad Scientists

What Mad Scientists does

Les Savants Fous (Mad Scientists) is a French children's science education and entertainment company that delivers hands-on, experiment-driven animations for children aged 3 to 15. The offering spans seven product lines: themed birthday parties, on-demand scientific workshops, weekly science clubs, multi-day vacation camps (stages), periscolaire TAP modules aligned to French national curriculum cycles 1-3, corporate/event scientific shows and stands, and dedicated laboratory facilities where customers attend in person. Under the Les Savants Fous Tech sub-brand, the company runs age-tiered robotics and coding workshops (Mini'Tech 3-6, Pass'Tech 7-11, Archi'Tech 12-15) using Scratch-based visual programming as the technical substrate.

The core technology is a proprietary pedagogical method combining experiential learning with a catalog of more than 600 scientific experiments across 100+ thematic topics (chemistry, physics, biology, human body, water, space, flora and fauna, light, medieval history, environmental science). All activities are delivered by diploma-holding animators who complete an exclusive in-house training program; the model guarantees each child performs at least one hands-on manipulation per session. Delivery is dual-format: mobile/nomadic animators travel to homes, schools and event venues, while fixed "Nos Labos" laboratory locations host recurring clubs, camps, and parties.

Commercially, Les Savants Fous operates as a master franchise system with 26+ independent franchisees across metropolitan France plus an overseas location in La R\u00e9union. The central brand entity captures franchise fees and royalties layered on top of franchisee-level revenue from one-off events, recurring club subscriptions, school/ALSH contracts, and corporate event engagements. Customer acquisition is primarily through the central website, franchise-level Facebook and Instagram accounts, a dedicated franchise opportunity microsite, and the Bookeo centralized booking platform, supplemented by word-of-mouth and direct sales to schools and corporate committees. Founder Gr\u00e9goire Triquet is identified as the content author/editor; the company is private, has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public revenue disclosure.

Name

Mad Scientists

Legal name

Les Savants Fous

Website

https://lessavantsfous.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Les Savants Fous is a French children's science-education franchise delivering hands-on experiment animations, robotics/coding workshops, birthday parties, school TAP modules, and corporate science shows through 26+ franchise locations across France and La R\u00e9union.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Science Education & Entertainment

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

Keywords

• Children's science education
• Science birthday parties
• STEM workshops
• Robotics education
• Educational entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices25 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Birthday Party Services: One-time event services for children's birthday parties with themed science activities, professional animator, and hands-on experiments. Can take place at customer location (home) or franchise lab location.
2. Weekly Science Clubs: Recurring weekly sessions where children participate in different science themes each week. Provides predictable recurring revenue through subscription-like weekly fees.
3. Vacation Science Camps (Stages): Multi-session intensive programs during school holidays covering specific scientific themes over 3-5 consecutive sessions.
4. School and Leisure Center Workshops: On-demand workshops for schools and ALSH (accueil de loisirs sans hébergement) centers, aligned with educational programs.
5. Corporate and Event Entertainment: Scientific shows and interactive stands for corporate events, family days, town festivals, and public events.
6. Lab Rental and Dedicated Sessions: Revenue from dedicated laboratory facilities where children attend activities on-site, complementing mobile/nomad services.
7. Franchise Fees: Master franchisor revenue from individual franchisees operating under the Les Savants Fous brand across France.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Les Savants Fous operates a franchise network across France delivering interactive science entertainment and education for children aged 3-15. Services include themed birthday parties, on-demand scientific workshops, weekly science clubs, vacation camps, after-school TAP programs, robotics and coding workshops (Mini'Tech, Pass'Tech, Archi'Tech), and corporate event shows delivered through both mobile services and dedicated laboratory locations.

Product overview

Les Savants Fous operates a multi-format children’s science education business combining hands-on experimentation, robotics, and interactive entertainment. The core offering spans birthday party animations, on-demand scientific workshops, weekly science clubs, intensive science camps, periscolaire activities (TAP), and robotics/programming courses under the Les Savants Fous Tech sub-brand. Events services include interactive science shows and exhibition stands. Key products include the age-differentiated robotics programs Mini'Tech (3-6 years), Pass'Tech (7-11 years), and Archi'Tech (12-15 years), all using Scratch-based programming. Activities are delivered both at the company's own laboratory spaces (Nos Labos) across 26+ French cities and on-site at schools, homes, and event venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Les Savants Fous Tech: A sub-brand specializing in robotics and coding activities for children, featuring products like Mini'Tech for ages 3-6, Pass'Tech for ages 7-11, and Archi'Tech for ages 12-15.

Products and services

• Fêtes d'anniversaire (Birthday Parties) Scientific birthday party animations for children aged 5-12, featuring hands-on experiments across themed packages including Phénomènes rigolos, Complètement carbo, Drôles de réactions, Découverte Extra-terrestre, Magie et sorcellerie, and Futur génie, delivered by professional animators at the customer's home or in franchise lab locations.
• Ateliers scientifiques (On-Demand Workshops) Flexible scientific workshops delivered in schools, leisure centers, or homes, covering topics including chemistry, human body, water, space, flora and fauna, light, physics, and medieval science, with themes such as Chim'qui rit, Aïe mon dos!, Les Fusées, Biodiversité, and La force de l'air.
• Clubs de science (Weekly Science Clubs) Recurring weekly sessions where children participate in different science themes each week, developing curiosity and awakening through hands-on manipulation and experimentation.
• Stages scientifiques (Science Camps) Intensive 3-5 session programs during school holidays covering specific scientific themes including seasonal camps (Halloween, Christmas), physics and technology, chemistry, flora and fauna, air and space, and Earth science topics.
• Ateliers TAP (Periscolaire Activities) Scientific activities during Temps d'Activités Périscolaires (TAP), designed for elementary school children with modules including Inter-vacances (6-8 sessions), Trimestriel (12-14 sessions), Annuel (30-35 sessions), and custom programs aligned with school pedagogical projects.
• Les Savants Fous Tech (Robotics and Programming Workshops) Robotics and coding workshops under the Les Savants Fous Tech brand, teaching children to program robots using Scratch blocks. Includes Mini'Tech (ages 3-6, screen-free programming), Pass'Tech (ages 7-11, coding and engineering basics), and Archi'Tech (ages 12-15, advanced mechanics and robotics engineering).
• Evénementiel - Spectacles et Stands (Events and Shows) Interactive science shows and exhibition stands for corporate events, festivals, and public gatherings. Includes themed shows (Physique/Chimie, Noël, Espace, Arts et Science, Environnement) and hands-on stands covering dry ice, electricity, chemistry, light, and illusions.
• Nos Labos (Dedicated Laboratory Facilities) Physical laboratory spaces located across France (Paris, Lyon, Reims, and others) where birthday parties, science camps, and weekly club sessions are conducted in a dedicated scientific environment with professional equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children retain knowledge better when actively participating in experiments rather than passive learning
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• La Ligue de l'Enseignement: Large French education association running holiday centers, after-school programs, and youth activities. Adjacent ecosystem participant — buys from and competes with Les Savants Fous for TAP, leisure-center, and vacation-camp mandates.

Direct peers

• La Main à la Pâte: French foundation driving inquiry-based science teaching in primary schools. Competes for the same school workshop and curriculum-aligned slots, especially for TAP and in-class programs where Les Savants Fous operates.
• Science Animation: French association coordinating a network of CCSTI-like regional science-culture operators delivering workshops, shows, and events for schools and the public. Directly comparable as a multi-region French hands-on science entertainment provider.
• Mad Science: Global franchise delivering hands-on science workshops, birthday parties, and after-school programs for children. Operates the same franchise-plus-themes-plus-mobile-delivery model that Les Savants Fous runs in France, making it the closest international structural peer.
• Les Petits Débrouillards: French non-profit association running hands-on science workshops and animations for children across France. Closest direct analog to Les Savants Fous in mission, pedagogy, and target audience, with comparable school and leisure-center programming.
• Planète Sciences: French association offering science and technology activities for young people, including school workshops, vacation camps, and aerospace/robotics clubs. Overlaps directly with Les Savants Fous' workshops, stages, and Tech sub-brand.

Regional players

• Science Made Simple: UK-based provider of hands-on science shows, workshops, and birthday party animations. Closely comparable offering to Les Savants Fous but operating in a different geography (UK vs. France).

Broad incumbents

• Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie: Paris-based major science museum and exhibition venue that offers children's workshops, shows, and educational programming. Competes for family science-entertainment spend and school outings across the same target audience.
• Le Palais de la Découverte: Historic Parisian science museum (now part of Universcience) running interactive science demonstrations and workshops for children and schools. Adjacent incumbent competing for school-trips and family science-entertainment demand.
• Centre Sciences: French national CCSTI coordinating regional science-culture centers and events. Overlaps with Les Savants Fous in school and public science-animation programming but operates at a broader, institutionally funded scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LesSavantsFous.Officiel
• Instagraminstagram.com/lessavantsfous?igshid=5gol4ij8r33l
• Xx.com/lessavantsfous
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-savants-fous

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Mad Scientists