BABEC

What BABEC does

BABEC (Bay Area Bioscience Education Community; legal name Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 and headquartered in Burlingame, California. The organization provides an integrated biotechnology education ecosystem for K-12 science teachers, comprising four tightly coupled product lines: (1) NGSS-aligned curricula delivered under a Creative Commons license, covering topics from micropipetting fundamentals through PCR, ELISA, bacterial transformation, protein purification, and regenerative medicine; (2) pre-packaged reagent kits sized for classes of 40, sold nationwide through shopbabec.org and via direct purchase orders; (3) portable lab equipment kits (micropipettes, gel boxes, thermal cyclers, centrifuges) available for Bay Area rental or out-of-area purchase; and (4) professional development delivered through free twice-yearly workshops, 3-day Biotech Bootcamps, and site-specific trainings, with graduate credit available.

BABEC reaches schools through a community-led, event-driven GTM motion: free workshops, annual Fall conferences, and partnerships with school districts and community colleges. Cumulative reach includes 400+ schools, 5,200+ trained teachers, 450,000+ students impacted, and 1.35M+ hands-on lab experiences. The customer base is highly distributed across individual public schools; revenue is diversified across NSF and philanthropic grants (NSF, Moore Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation), corporate sponsorships (Genentech, ThermoFisher, Amgen, Bio-Rad, New England Biolabs, Benchling, Biocom California, among others), individual donations via PayPal Giving Fund, and product sales. The five-person operations team is led by Executive Director Ying-Tsu Loh (PhD, Purdue) and includes curriculum, operations, logistics, and pathways leads, several of whom are former K-12 biotech teachers.

The organization is currently expanding its scope beyond the Bay Area: it leads the NSF-funded InnovATEBIO Supply Chain BioManufacturing Hub and High School Pathways Hub, runs BioSCOPE (a community college biomanufacturing training program producing low-cost educational bio-materials), and operates the Futurelab+ initiative with Genentech. A 30th-anniversary celebration is scheduled for September 19, 2026 at Skyline College. BABEC has no parent company, no private equity backing, and operates under a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status with EIN 91-1826766.

Name

BABEC

Legal name

Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium

Website

https://babec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BABEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides NGSS-aligned biotechnology curricula, reagent kits, lab equipment, and teacher professional development to K-12 schools. It has reached 400+ schools and trained 5,200+ teachers, funded by NSF grants, industry sponsors, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biotechnology Education (K-12 + Community College)

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• Biotechnology education
• K-12 science curricula
• Lab reagent kits
• Teacher professional development
• NGSS-aligned curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlingame

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 91-1826766), BABEC primarily operates through charitable donations from individuals and organizations. They receive grants from organizations like NSF and industry sponsors.
2. Equipment Rental Fees: Portable lab equipment kits are available for rental to local Bay Area schools who also order reagents. Standard rental period is 2 weeks.
3. Reagent Kit Sales: BABEC sells reagent kits through their online shop (shopbabec.org) with nationwide shipping. They also process purchase orders directly with school districts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BABEC provides NGSS-aligned biotechnology curricula paired with hands-on lab reagent kits and portable equipment, delivered alongside free teacher professional-development workshops. Its BioSCOPE and InnovATEBIO programs extend into community-college workforce training and a national biotech education network. Revenue is earned through national reagent kit sales, Bay Area equipment rentals, and is sustained by donations and grants from NSF and biotech industry sponsors.

Product overview

BABEC (Bay Area Bioscience Education Community) is a nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive biotechnology education ecosystem. The core offerings include biotechnology curricula organized into lesson series (introducing biotechnology, biomanufacturing, genetic engineering, DNA analysis via PCR, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine), paired with reagent kits and lab equipment for hands-on learning. Professional development workshops support teachers in implementing the curricula. The organization also operates NSF-funded programs including BioSCOPE (supply chain biomanufacturing training) and InnovATEBIO (national biotechnology education network), as well as the Wolbachia Database for student research data sharing. All materials are distributed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Biotechnology Curricula Comprehensive NGSS-aligned curriculum series covering biotechnology topics for K-12 classrooms, including lesson series on introducing biotechnology, biomanufacturing, drug discovery, genetic engineering, regenerative medicine, and DNA analysis using PCR. Materials are licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND and intended for teacher use.
• Reagent Kits Pre-packaged laboratory reagent kits for hands-on biotech lessons including micropipetting, food dye electrophoresis, DNA forensics, bacterial transformation, ELISA, protein purification, and PCR variants (Alu, mtDNA, Wolbachia, GMO, K9). Each kit serves a class of 40 students working in pairs or groups of four, with nationwide shipping.
• Lab Equipment Kits Portable laboratory equipment kits including micropipette sets (p20, p200, p1000), electrophoresis gel boxes, power supplies, thermal cyclers, centrifuges, and dry heat baths. Available for 2-week rental to Bay Area schools that also order reagents, or for purchase by schools outside the Bay Area.
• Professional Development Workshops Free biannual Fall and Spring workshops (full or half-day Saturday immersives) for Bay Area teachers focused on BABEC lessons, plus customized Biotech Bootcamps (3-day intensive focusing on fundamental biotech lab bench skills) and district/site-specific professional development sessions. Graduate units are available upon implementation.
• BioSCOPE (Supply Chain BioManufacturing Hub) Collaborative NSF-funded project between Bay Area community colleges providing students with skills-based job training through production of low-cost educational bio-materials and kits in compliance with quality and GMP standards, with SOPs, batch records, flow charts, and presentations delivered via Canvas.
• InnovATEBIO (High School Pathways Hub and Supply Chain Hub) NSF-funded national biotechnology education center offerings led by BABEC, including the Supply Chain BioManufacturing Hub and High School Pathways Hub, addressing biotech workforce needs and supporting underrepresented populations in STEM careers.
• Wolbachia Database Interactive online database where students can track and share insect and Wolbachia infection-rate data with the scientific community worldwide, featuring an interactive map with student data points.

Quantifiable outcome

• 450,000+ students impacted by hands-on biotech education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• GenentechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor industry sponsor supporting BABEC's educational initiatives. Genentech has collaborated on Futurelab+ curriculum development and provides ongoing financial and programmatic support.
• ThermoFisher ScientificmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor biotech industry sponsor providing reagents, equipment support, and funding for educational programs.
• AmgenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry sponsor supporting biotechnology education initiatives and programs.
• New England Biolabs (NEB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiotech reagent supplier sponsor providing enzymes and materials for educational kits.
• Bio-Rad LaboratoriesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaboratory equipment and supplies sponsor supporting educational programs.
• Skyline CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey community college partner hosting the 30th anniversary celebration and collaborating on pathway programs. Partner in High School Pathways Co-Op project.
• California Community Colleges Biotechnology ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide partner supporting biotechnology education pathways and workforce development.
• InnovATEBIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF-funded National Center for Biotechnology Education. BABEC leads the Supply Chain BioManufacturing Hub and High School Pathways Hub within this national network.
• California Life Sciences Institute (CLSI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLSI is led by Lori Lindburg, President and CEO, who serves on BABEC's board. Collaborative partner in workforce development initiatives.
• Applied Biosystems (Thermo Fisher)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBABEC's first industry partnership began in 1997 with Applied Biosystems to write curriculum and channel industry resources into schools. Dr. Frank Stephenson and Maria C. Abilock authored some of the first high school biotech curriculum.
• Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory (Wolbachia Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Seth Bordenstein and scientists at MBL developed the original materials for the Wolbachia PCR lab curriculum that BABEC adapted.
• Biocom CaliforniamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia biotechnology industry association partner and member.
• AvantorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaboratory equipment and chemicals sponsor for educational programs.
• BiotiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReagent and staining solutions sponsor for educational kits.
• LabconminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaboratory consumables sponsor providing tips and plasticware.
• Zymo ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMolecular biology reagents sponsor supporting educational programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) – Education Foundation programs: Industry-association affiliated biotech education/awareness efforts; adjacent ecosystem participant promoting biotech literacy and workforce pathways similar to BABEC's mission.
• Bio-Rad Laboratories (Education Division): Major life-science instrumentation vendor that also runs a K-12/college education program and is itself a BABEC sponsor; comparable because it competes for biotech education procurement while also being a strategic partner/supplier.

Direct peers

• Science Buddies: Nonprofit K-12 STEM resource provider offering free teacher/student project guides and kits; comparable mission and nonprofit K-12 STEM education audience.
• Amgen Biotech Experience: Amgen Foundation's free lab-based biotech education program for high schools; directly comparable because it ships free/loaner curriculum-aligned equipment and reagents to teachers — overlapping with BABEC's teacher-training and reagent-kit model.
• miniPCR: Sells low-cost PCR and electrophoresis hardware/kits paired with curriculum for STEM classrooms — directly comparable K-12 biotech kit-and-curriculum vendor with a similar teacher-support model.
• InnovATEBIO National Center: NSF-funded national biotechnology education center of which BABEC is a hub lead; peer because they share mission (U.S. biotech CTE/workforce pathways) and audience (two-year colleges and high schools).
• BioBuilder Educational Foundation: Nonprofit providing lab modules, kits and teacher training in synthetic biology/biotechnology to high schools; comparable in mission (K-12 biotech curriculum + kits + PD) and in audience (high school STEM teachers).

Broad incumbents

• Ward's Science: Established K-12 science distributor offering reagents, equipment, and lesson kits including biotech — broad incumbent competing for the same teacher procurement budgets as BABEC's reagent kits.
• Flinn Scientific: Long-standing K-12 science vendor with biotech reagents, equipment and curriculum; broad incumbent serving the same science teacher customer base as BABEC.
• Carolina Biological Supply Company: Large incumbent K-12 science supplier selling kits, reagents and curricula across biology and biotech; overlaps with BABEC's reagent-kit e-commerce but spans a far broader life/physical-science catalog.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuDj0O5cAaV6uh0VbsbnDoQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/BABEC-112601743606153
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/babec-bay-area-biotechnology-education-consortium
• Instagraminstagram.com/babec_org
• Xx.com/BABEC_org

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 BABEC