ScienceLab

What ScienceLab does

ScienceLab e.V. is a German non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2003 and headquartered in Starnberg, Germany. The organization develops and delivers hands-on, inquiry-based STEM education programs for children aged 4-12, delivered by a nationwide network of trained course leaders in kindergartens, primary schools, libraries, museums, and community settings. Core offerings include experiment courses, holiday and weekend programs, science days (Wissenschaftstage), and parent-child workshops, supplemented by physical product lines (Forscherbücher researcher books, VersuchsMal-Box experiment boxes, Forscherkiste kindergarten kits, Forscherkoffer school cases) and specialized programs such as KI4Kids, an AI literacy curriculum for grades 4-6.

The business model blends multiple revenue streams typical of a German Bildungs-NPO: course fees (e.g., 11 sessions for 155 EUR, 3-hour holiday courses for 40 EUR), product sales (EUR 10-290 per SKU), individual and institutional membership fees (EUR 50/year and EUR 250/year respectively), and project-based funding from foundations (Deutsche Postcode Lotterie, Bayerische Sparkassenstiftung, Herzenssache e.V., Hueck-Stiftung, Roland Berger Stiftung, Clausen-Simon-Stiftung, Rivera-Stiftung) and corporate CSR sponsorships (Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim, dSPACE). Distribution is decentralized, with course leaders sourcing participants through a website-hosted course leader map and local outreach.

The organization has been recognized with an Ashoka Fellowship (founder Heike Schettler), the Phineo Wirkt! quality seal, and recognition by the Robert Bosch Foundation, and reports that 84% of revenue is reinvested into projects with children. ScienceLab also runs a structured Kursleiter-Ausbildung training program and educator professional development, institutionalizing its methodology and creating a defensible operational layer beyond any single program.

Name

ScienceLab

Legal name

ScienceLab e.V.

Website

https://science-lab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ScienceLab e.V. is a German non-profit that delivers inquiry-based hands-on STEM education programs for children aged 4-12 through a nationwide network of trained course leaders in kindergartens, schools, and family settings, funded by course fees, memberships, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's STEM Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Science & STEM Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAH), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), Teacher Training & Curriculum Providers (Robotics/Maker Education) (EDAMADAM), STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL)

Keywords

• Children's STEM education
• Hands-on science programs
• Early STEM learning
• Inquiry-based learning
• Science course network

Headquarters

HQ city

Starnberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course fees: Parents pay for ongoing courses (e.g., 11 sessions for 155 EUR in Duisburg), holiday programs, and family workshops. Pricing varies by course leader and location.
2. Product sales (books and materials): Sale of researcher books (10-14.99 EUR), VersuchsMal experiment boxes (29 EUR), and research kits for kindergartens (290 EUR) and schools (from 178.50 EUR)
3. Membership fees: Individual membership from 50 EUR/year, institutional membership from 250 EUR/year. Includes donation receipts and regular project updates.
4. Donations and grants: Project-based funding from foundations (Deutsche Postcode Lotterie, Bayerische Sparkassenstiftung, Hueck-Stiftung, Roche, etc.) and individual donations. Funds specific educational programs and materials.
5. Corporate partnerships and CSR programs: Companies sponsor holiday programs, kindergarten projects, and employee family events as part of CSR initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ScienceLab e.V. delivers inquiry-based, hands-on STEM courses, holiday programs, parent-child workshops, and science days for children aged 4–12 across Germany through a decentralized network of trained course leaders operating in kindergartens, schools, and community settings. The organization also publishes and sells a portfolio of researcher books, experiment boxes (VersuchsMal-Boxen), and research kits (Forscherkiste/Forscherkoffer) for use at home and in educational institutions, and offers course-leader training plus educator professional development. Specialized projects include KI4Kids, an AI literacy program for grades 4–6.

Product overview

ScienceLab e.V. is a nonprofit organization offering hands-on STEM (MINT) education programs for children aged 4–12 across Germany. The core offering consists of experiment courses, holiday programs, parent-child workshops, and science days delivered by trained course instructors in kindergartens, schools, and family settings. The product portfolio also includes published experiment materials and books — the Forscherbücher (researcher books) series, VersuchsMal-Boxen (experiment boxes), a Forscherkiste (research box) for kindergartens, and Forscherkoffer (research cases) for elementary schools — all sold as physical products for use at home and in educational settings. Special programs include KI4Kids, an AI literacy project for grades 4–6. The organization also provides instructor training and educator professional development as supporting services. The overall model is a platform of in-person educational programs complemented by physical product sales and training services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KI4Kids: AI project days for primary schools (grades 4-6) providing age-appropriate, creative, and critical access to Artificial Intelligence, combining technical understanding, creative media work, and critical reflection.

Products and services

• Experimentierkurse für Kinder (4–12 Jahre) Hands-on science courses for children aged 4–12 in which they discover scientific concepts playfully through experiments on topics including water, air, light and colors, magnetism, electricity, energy, plants, animals, the human body, bionics, robotics, programming, weather, climate, Earth, and space. Delivered locally by trained ScienceLab course leaders.
• Forscherferien & Wochenendprogramme Multi-day science and discovery programs during school holidays and weekends, individually designed by ScienceLab course instructors to give children extended hands-on research experiences.
• Wissenschaftstage Full-day science events bringing multiple experiment and research stations to schools, kindergartens, and project weeks on request.
• Eltern-Kind-Workshops Parent-child science workshops in which parents and children explore scientific topics together, combining science discovery with shared family learning experiences.
• Workshops in Kindergartens & Schools Science workshops delivered directly inside kindergartens and primary schools, tailored to early and primary education with age-appropriate hands-on experiments and scientific inquiry.
• KI4Kids AI project days for primary school classes (grades 4–6) where children explore how artificial intelligence works, create with AI tools, and critically evaluate AI outputs, combining technical understanding with creative media work and reflection on responsible AI use. Funded by the Bayerische Sparkassenstiftung.
• Kursleiter-Ausbildung Structured training program for prospective course instructors that provides an established ScienceLab concept, high-quality materials, and thorough preparation, enabling individuals without a teaching background to lead science courses for children.
• Fortbildungen für Pädagoginnen und Pädagogen Professional development workshops for educators in kindergartens, elementary, and special needs schools, including hands-on training sessions and observation projects delivered directly inside educational institutions.
• Das große Forscherbuch für Grundschulkinder Researcher book for elementary school children covering topics such as water, air, electricity, magnetism, and energy, with child-friendly explanations, experiments, games, and stories. Sold as a physical product.
• Das große Forscherbuch vom Körper Researcher book about the human body featuring experiments exploring topics such as the eardrum and the heart. Sold as a physical product.
• Experimente mit Hieronymus Frosch Researcher book featuring engaging stories, humorous explanations, and experiments for children. Sold as a physical product.
• VersuchsMal-Box Wasser Family experiment box where children playfully explore the properties of water through experiments, craft ideas, and research tasks, discovering why seawater is salty, why it rains, and how clouds form.
• VersuchsMal-Box Mensch & Ernährung Experiment box showing children how digestion, senses, and nutrition interact, with experiments and creative craft ideas for hands-on learning about the human body.
• ScienceLab Forscherkiste für Kindergärten Complete mini-laboratory for kindergarten daily routines containing high-quality materials, child-friendly experiment cards, and curiosity-sparking ideas on topics including water, light and colors, and magnetism and electricity. Sold to kindergartens.
• ScienceLab Forscherkoffer für Grundschulen Set of research cases for elementary schools enabling vivid classroom experimentation on topics such as water, air, electricity, mechanics, acoustics, and optics, developed jointly with school supplier Betzold.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 children reached per year with hands-on STEM experiences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Roland Berger StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScienceLab conducts workshops (Geolab, Magnetism & Electricity, Criminology) for Roland Berger Foundation scholarship recipients, including a criminology workshop in Erfurt.
• MPI für Physik komplexer Systeme (Dresden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInteractive experiments at the Long Night of Science (Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften) in Dresden.
• Deutsches Hygiene-Museum DresdenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop 'Our Senses' in the German Research Window (Deutsches Forschungsfenster) project.
• Stadt HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScienceLab is a cooperation partner of the city of Hamburg, participating in events like the Citizens' Festival (Bürgerfest).
• Kaiserswerther Familienakademie (Düsseldorf)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint parent-child workshops on topics like sound, electricity, and air in Düsseldorf.
• Pfarrei Heilige Familie (Altenstadt/WN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation for a two-week Bio Lab holiday program at the parish hall.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Education: Global STEM/hands-on learning provider of bricks-based kits and curriculum for primary education. Comparable in targeting primary-aged STEM enrichment and educator training, but operates as a commercial product company rather than a non-profit.
• experimenta Science Center: Major German science center in Heilbronn offering interactive exhibits and educational programming. Overlaps on hands-on STEM for children but operates a fixed-venue model at much larger scale rather than a decentralized network.

Direct peers

• Roberta – Lernen mit Robotern (Fraunhofer IAIS): Fraunhofer IAIS initiative offering structured robotics/STEM courses and a certified trainer network for children and educators across Germany. Highly comparable course-leader training model and focus on inquiry-based STEM for school-aged children.
• Wissenswerkstatt NiedersachsenMetall: Lower-Saxony initiative offering free hands-on STEM workshops for children and families in dedicated workshop venues. Comparable hands-on experimentation focus, though delivered through fixed sites rather than a mobile course-leader network.
• tjfbg (Technische Jugendfreizeit- und Bildungsgesellschaft): Berlin-based non-profit running MINT/STEM clubs, courses, and educator training for children and youth across Germany. Overlaps on out-of-school STEM enrichment, course-leader/educator training, and partnership-driven funding model.
• Stiftung Haus der kleinen Forscher: Germany's leading foundation for early STEM education in kindergartens and primary schools (ages 3-10). Closest direct peer: similar age range, similar hands-on inquiry-based methodology, similar partnership with foundations and corporates, and similar nationwide training-of-educators distribution model.
• Experimento (Bayer Stiftung): Bayer Science & Education Foundation's program delivering inquiry-based science experiment kits and educator training to schools and out-of-school learning venues worldwide. Directly comparable offering (experiment boxes + educator training), with a larger corporate-funder footprint.
• Lernort Labor: Federal association of school labs in Germany promoting inquiry-based science learning outside the classroom. Comparable mission around hands-on experimentation for school-aged children and educator capacity-building.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/sciencelaborg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ScienceLab-eV-152948974774379
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/33253150
• Instagraminstagram.com/sciencelab.ev

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ScienceLab