What First Scandinavia does

First Scandinavia is a Norwegian non-profit foundation (org nr 982587190), founded in September 2000 in Bodø by Per-Arild Konradsen, that delivers STEM education programs to children and youth aged 4-16 across Scandinavia and an expanding international footprint. The foundation operates two core concepts: Newton, a curriculum-based hands-on STEM education model delivered through specialized Newton Rooms owned and operated locally by municipalities and integrated into regular school operations, with curriculum modules developed since 2003 in collaboration with Norwegian school experts; and FIRST LEGO League, a robotics and tournament program organized in three tiers (Discover for ages 4-6, Explore for 6-9, and Challenge for 10-16) under license from FIRST, with nearly 700 tournaments and several Open European Championships hosted since 2000.

The organization's commercial distribution layer sits in two wholly-owned subsidiaries — FIRST Scandinavia Partner AS (Norway, est. 2010) and FIRST Scandinavia Partner AB (Sweden) — which serve as authorized distributors of LEGO Education solutions and offer programming courses to teachers. Newton instruction is delivered through approximately 20 locally-owned Newton Rooms in Norway plus international sites, while FLL reaches participants through school- and community-organized teams competing in regional, national, and international tournaments. The organization is founder-led, employs roughly 22 staff across Bodø and Malmö, and reports cumulative reach of over 690,000 young learners across 13 countries.

The revenue model combines hardware distribution (LEGO Education kits sold via Partner AS/AB to schools and preschools aligned with Norwegian and Swedish curricula), professional services (teacher programming courses), and a managed-services component embedded in municipal Newton Room operations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and Newton Rooms are funded locally by municipalities rather than via direct tuition. Geographic reach has expanded from Norway into Denmark (2015), the Netherlands (2018, via Pop-Up Newton Rooms with Boeing), and additional countries including UAE, Turkey, Greenland, Lithuania, Iceland, and Central Europe.

Name

First Scandinavia

Legal name

FIRST Scandinavia

Website

https://firstscandinavia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Norwegian non-profit foundation operating two STEM education concepts for children and youth ages 4-16: Newton Rooms (municipality-owned hands-on STEM spaces) and FIRST LEGO League (tournament robotics program). Distributes LEGO Education products via wholly-owned subsidiaries in Norway and Sweden, active across 13 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

LEGO / Block-Based Robotics Programs (EDAMADAD), STEM & Educational Toys Distribution (CRAOAMAF)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Robotics tournaments
• Educational product distribution
• Teacher training services
• Curriculum-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Bodø

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. LEGO Education Distribution: FIRST Scandinavia Partner AS and AB operate as authorized distributors of LEGO Education solutions in Norway and Sweden respectively, offering educational solutions, lesson plans, activity tips, and teacher support from preschool to high school.
2. Teacher Training Services: Programming courses conducted for teachers as part of the LEGO Education distribution services.
3. Newton Room Operations: Newton Rooms are owned and operated locally by municipalities and county municipalities in Norway. The rooms can be situated on or near schools or in connection with business entities. Newton instruction is integrated into regular school operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Scandinavia operates two core STEM education concepts: Newton (hands-on STEM education delivered through locally-owned Newton Rooms using curriculum-based Newton Modules) and FIRST LEGO League (tournament robotics program for children aged 4-16 in three tiers: Discover, Explore, and Challenge). Through subsidiaries FIRST Scandinavia Partner AS (Norway) and AB (Sweden), the organization also serves as an authorized distributor of LEGO Education solutions, offering teaching aids and programming courses for teachers.

Product overview

FIRST Scandinavia operates two core STEM education concepts: Newton and FIRST LEGO League. Newton provides hands-on STEM education through locally-owned Newton Rooms using Newton Modules aligned with school curricula. FIRST LEGO League is a tournament program for children aged 4-16 with three tiers (Discover, Explore, Challenge). FIRST Scandinavia Partner AS, established in 2010, handles distribution and is an authorized LEGO Education distributor in Norway and Sweden, offering curriculum-aligned teaching solutions and teacher programming courses. Together, these products serve as a comprehensive provider of engaging educational concepts in natural sciences, technology, and STEM for over 690,000 young learners since 2000.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Newton: Hands-on STEM education led by Newton Teachers in specialized STEM rooms called Newton Rooms, established and owned locally by municipalities.
• FIRST LEGO League

Products and services

• Newton Hands-on STEM education concept featuring specialized Newton Rooms established locally by municipalities. Curriculum-based teaching through practical activities using Newton Modules aligned with national curricula.
• Newton Rooms Specialized STEM rooms owned and operated locally by municipalities and county municipalities. Can be situated on or near schools or in business parks. Newton instruction is integrated into regular school operations. 20 Newton Rooms have been established in Norway.
• Pop-Up Newton Room Mobile and temporary Newton Room solution launched in 2018. Provides flexible delivery model for STEM education beyond permanent municipal Newton Rooms.
• FIRST LEGO League STEM tournament program for children aged 4-16 with three tiers: Discover (4-6 years), Explore (6-9 years), and Challenge (10-16 years). Teams design and program LEGO robots, research real-life challenges, and showcase work at tournaments over 8-10 weeks.
• FIRST Scandinavia Partner AS (Norway) Official subsidiary company handling distribution, service, and support for FIRST Scandinavia concepts in Norway. Authorized distributor of LEGO Education educational solutions, offering comprehensive teaching solutions including lesson plans, activity tips, and teacher support aligned with the Norwegian curriculum from grade 1 through high school. Also conducts programming courses for teachers.
• FIRST Scandinavia Partner AB (Sweden)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 690,000 young learners reached since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Technical University Delft (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018First-ever Pop-Up Newton Room event took place at Technical University in Delft, the Netherlands in 2018. This event marked the beginning of the Boeing partnership and served as proof of concept for pop-up and mobile solutions, reaching 60 students.
• BoeingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Boeing supported the Newton Aviation Summer Camp in 2013-2014, which brought together approximately 60 students from across Norway. The camp collaborated with the Bodø aviation community including the Norwegian Aviation Museum, JRCC, Wideroe Airlines, and the Royal Airforce. Boeing partnership continued into 2018 with the first Pop-Up Newton Room event in Delft, Netherlands.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000FIRST Scandinavia organizes FIRST LEGO League tournaments in Scandinavia under license from FIRST. Since 2000, nearly 700 FLL tournaments have been hosted with nearly 20 Scandinavian finals and several Open European Championships.
• LEGO EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEGO Education provides comprehensive teaching solutions including lesson plans, activity tips, and teacher support. FIRST Scandinavia Partner AS (Norway) and FIRST Scandinavia Partner AB (Sweden) are authorized distributors of LEGO Education products. Solutions are designed to facilitate teaching in accordance with Norwegian and Swedish curricula from preschool to high school.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): US-based parent organization of the FIRST LEGO League program that FIRST Scandinavia runs under license in Scandinavia. Shares the same FLL tournament model, age tiers, and mission of inspiring youth in STEM, making it the closest direct peer and licensor.
• VEX Robotics: Operates a competing school-based robotics competition ecosystem (VEX IQ, VEX V5) that overlaps directly with FLL Challenge for ages 10-16. Comparable in serving schools, running tournaments, and channeling students into robotics competition pathways.
• Science Olympiad: US-based STEM competition organization running tournament-based science and engineering events for K-12 students. Shares the model of hosting recurring competitions that engage schools and students in hands-on STEM challenges.
• Destination Imagination: Non-profit running project-based STEM, arts, and service-learning team challenges culminating in tournaments. Closely comparable in mission, tournament structure, and K-12 audience overlap with FIRST Scandinavia's FLL concept.

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Education: Core content and distribution partner providing the LEGO-based kits, lesson plans, and curriculum used across Newton Rooms and FLL tournaments. Operates broadly in educational STEM globally and is both a critical supplier and adjacent competitor in classroom STEM solutions.
• LEGO Foundation: Philanthropic arm of the LEGO brand focused on learning through play, including STEM access for children globally. Mission-aligned and adjacent as both a potential funder and a broader STEM-access peer in the same ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Science Buddies: Non-profit STEM education resource provider offering hands-on science project guidance and teacher resources for K-12, with a thematic and audience overlap with Newton's curriculum-based practical learning approach.
• Tynker: Digital STEM/coding platform for K-12 that competes for the same school STEM budgets and teacher attention as Newton Rooms and FLL. Represents the digital/online delivery model that contrasts with FIRST Scandinavia's physical-room approach.
• Wonder Workshop: Educational robotics company (Dash, Dot, Cue) selling STEM kits and curriculum directly to schools, with a meaningful overlap in hands-on robotics for elementary-aged children that intersects with FLL Discover and Explore tiers.

Regional players

• BrainStorm STEM Education: STEM education provider operating STEM labs and maker spaces in schools across multiple geographies, comparable in operating dedicated physical learning spaces and curriculum delivery to FIRST Scandinavia's Newton Rooms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FIRSTScandinavia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-scandinavia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 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 First Scandinavia