The Lab Drawer

What The Lab Drawer does

The Lab Drawer is a Detroit-based, privately held STEAM education company founded in 2018/2019 by scientists Dr. Alecia Gabriel (Ph.D., Chemistry) and Deirdre Roberson (M.S., Chemistry). It designs and ships hands-on, NGSS-aligned educational kits covering science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics for learners roughly ages 5-14, with culturally relevant curriculum that centers diverse STEAM professionals. The product line spans six individual kits ($24.99-$34.99 each), three classroom kits for 25 students ($875 each), and a catalog of B2B services including custom curriculum design, teacher training, multi-location logistics, and assessment tools.

The business operates a dual go-to-market: a self-serve DTC e-commerce storefront for parents and home learners, and an enterprise B2B sales motion targeting K-12 schools, school districts, nonprofits, youth organizations, and corporate partners. Named institutional customers include DC Public Schools, LA Unified School District, Alexandria City (VA) Public Schools, Wayne State University, and Louisiana State University. Distribution is direct-to-consumer globally via UPS/USPS (kits have shipped to at least 8 countries including the US, Canada, Jamaica, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Germany), with institutional fulfillment governed by contract terms.

The company operates with 1-10 employees from a headquarters inside the Durfee Innovation Society in Detroit's Dexter-Linwood neighborhood, supported by a single disclosed $50,000 Motor City Match grant (2022). It has shifted from an initial monthly subscription model to one-time purchases plus institutional bulk and custom solutions, and has earned WBE and NMSDC certifications, BET ON Black media features, and a TEDx Detroit speaking slot for the co-founders. Cumulative impact metrics cited by the company include 60,000+ kits shipped globally, 10,000+ students served, and 85% of kits going to BIPOC students.

Name

The Lab Drawer

Legal name

The Lab Drawer

Website

https://thelabdrawer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Lab Drawer is a Detroit-based STEAM education company that designs and ships culturally relevant, NGSS-aligned hands-on science kits and curriculum to K-12 schools, districts, nonprofits, corporations, and individual families, with products priced from $24.99 for individual kits to $875 for 25-student classroom sets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEAM Educational Kits

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Instructional Equipment & Classroom Tools (Whiteboards, Lab Kits, Manipulatives) (EDAEAIAB)

Keywords

• STEAM educational kits
• Hands-on science kits
• STEM curriculum design
• Classroom learning kits
• Culturally relevant education

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual STEAM Kits: One-time purchase model for individual educational kits sold directly to consumers via e-commerce storefront. Kits include materials and instructions for hands-on STEAM experiments.
2. Classroom Kits: Bulk classroom kit sales for schools and organizations. Kits designed for 25 students with lesson plans and materials. Higher price point for institutional buyers.
3. Custom B2B Solutions: Custom curriculum design, STEAM materials and kit production, teacher training, and turnkey implementation services for schools, districts, nonprofits, and corporate partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Lab Drawer designs, produces, and ships hands-on STEAM educational kits for children ages 10-14. It sells individual kits ($24.99-$34.99) to families and bulk classroom kits ($875 for 25 students) to schools, alongside custom B2B solutions including NGSS-aligned curriculum design, kit production, teacher training, and multi-location logistics for districts, nonprofits, youth organizations, and corporate partners.

Product overview

The Lab Drawer offers STEAM educational kits and curriculum solutions through a dual-model approach. Individual STEAM kits (The Body Box, The Brain Box, BasquiART Kit, Understanding DNA, The Science of Singing Kit, Galaxy Gleaux) are priced at $24.99-$34.99 and sold directly to families and home learners. Classroom kits (The Body Box Classroom Kit, The Brain Box Classroom Kit, Galaxy Glow Classroom Kit) are priced at $875 and designed for 25 students with NGSS-aligned lesson plans. The company also provides B2B services including custom curriculum design, teacher training, multi-location logistics, and assessment tools for schools, districts, nonprofits, youth organizations, and corporate partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Body Box

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of kits sent to BIPOC students demonstrating commitment to equitable access
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Durfee Innovation SocietyminorOthers · 1 January 2019Company headquarters located inside the Durfee Innovation Society in Detroit's Dexter-Linwood neighborhood, a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
• DC Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with DC Public Schools to provide STEAM educational kits and curriculum for K-12 students in Washington D.C. area schools.
• LA Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Los Angeles Unified School District to deliver STEAM educational kits and curriculum to California students.
• Alexandria City (VA) Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia to provide STEAM educational kits and curriculum.
• Wayne State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership with Wayne State University in Detroit for STEAM education initiatives.
• Louisiana State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership with Louisiana State University for STEAM education collaboration, aligning with co-founder Dr. Alecia Gabriel's alma mater.
• Motor City STEAM FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProceeds from Lab Drawer kit sales help support the Motor City STEAM Foundation, a nonprofit supporting STEAM education in Detroit.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MEL Science: Subscription-based chemistry and science experiment kits with VR lessons, targeting families and schools. Closely comparable product concept (hands-on science kits) and similar dual consumer/institutional GTM.
• KiwiCo: Subscription and one-off STEAM/STEM kits for kids and teens, originally launched as a monthly crate. Most direct competitor in product format, age band, and DIY hands-on model.
• Steve Spangler Science: Science experiment kits and curriculum supplies for K-12 classrooms and consumers, with classroom-grade lesson plans. Overlaps directly with The Lab Drawer's classroom kit and curriculum business.
• Little Passports: Subscription educational kits for children spanning science, geography, and world cultures. Comparable monthly-box format and age band, though with broader topical scope.
• Young Scientists Club: Subscription and single-purchase science kits for children, packaged around themed experiments. Direct overlap in product format and target demographic of elementary-to-middle-school learners.

Emerging players

• Mad Science Group: Franchise-based provider of in-school science assemblies, after-school programs, and experiment kits. Comparable target customers (K-12 schools) and overlapping hands-on science concept, but delivered as programming rather than kits.

Broad incumbents

• Lakeshore Learning: Large educational supplies retailer and publisher of K-8 STEM kits and manipulatives. Sells complementary classroom kits to schools and districts at greater scale.
• Crayola Education: Arts-and-creativity-focused educational products with STEAM lesson plans for K-12. Overlaps with The Lab Drawer's STEAM-and-arts integration and serves the same school procurement channels.
• LEGO Education: STEAM and robotics kits for K-12 with curriculum-aligned lesson plans and educator training. Larger incumbent competing for the same district STEAM budgets with deeper resources.
• STEMfinity: Distributor and retailer of STEM kits, robotics, and lab equipment for K-12 schools. Competes with The Lab Drawer in supplying classroom STEAM materials, though as a multi-brand reseller rather than content creator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=REDKoxQl2gA
• Facebookfacebook.com/thelabdrawer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-lab-drawer
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelabdrawer/?hl=en
• Xx.com/thelabdrawer

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Lab Drawer