STEMpower
STEMpower is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 162 hands-on STEM Centers at universities across 49 Sub-Saharan African countries, delivering practical science, electronics, and digital skills education to over one million students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersMarblehead, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What STEMpower does
STEMpower, Inc. is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 (EIN 83-2778390) that delivers hands-on STEM education across Sub-Saharan Africa through a network of 162 STEM Centers co-located with universities in 49 countries. The organization targets secondary school students (Grades 8-12), university and government partners, and underserved populations including refugees, women, and youth, with cumulative impact exceeding 1,000,000 students reached, 17,000+ science fair participants, 59 startups spawned, and 3,600 entrepreneurship-program graduates. Country offices operate in Ethiopia (regional HQ in Addis Ababa), Rwanda, and South Sudan, supported by a Marblehead, Massachusetts US headquarters and a Fort Lauderdale donations office.
Its core technology stack centers on FabLab digital fabrication facilities equipped with 3D printers, CNC routers, laser engravers, Arduino electronics platforms, and Voltera V-one PCB manufacturing machines, complemented by a proprietary 'Smart Class' thin-client virtual computer lab architecture that reduces electricity consumption by approximately 65% and enables teacher monitoring across roughly 30 workstations served by a single server. Curriculum modules span electronics, 3D printing, mechanics, optics, PCB manufacturing, biology, chemistry, and a Chemical Microfactory program producing soap, paper, and biodiesel fuel, while a separate STEM-TV show is broadcast via Walta satellite TV to approximately 5 million viewers per episode.
STEMpower's business model is donation- and grant-driven, with primary funding from institutional partners including IBM Foundation, VISA International, and government embassies (Finland, Israel, US, Australia, New Zealand), plus multilateral and humanitarian agencies (Swiss SDC, UN-ECA, SmartAID, Light for the World, Edukans). Distribution occurs through direct on-site STEM Center access at university campuses and via satellite/YouTube media channels. A secondary revenue stream comes from direct sales of FabLab-manufactured educational science kits and industrial machines (CNC routers, pelletizers, silk screen printers) in Ethiopia, with mass production scaled to 500+ science kits across Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology. STEM Centers are free to qualifying students; FabLab product pricing is available on request.
STEMpower firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STEMpower
- Legal name
- STEMpower, Inc.
- Website
- https://stempower.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- STEMpower is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 162 hands-on STEM Centers at universities across 49 Sub-Saharan African countries, delivering practical science, electronics, and digital skills education to over one million students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STEMpower industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit STEM Education Services
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Computer Training (61142), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), STEM Lab Management & Classroom Device Integration Platforms (EDAFANAL), Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC), STEM Competitions & Olympiads (Science Bowls, STEM Challenges) (EDAMABAL)
Keywords
Where STEMpower is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marblehead
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
STEMpower business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: STEMpower is a 501c3 non-profit organization (EIN 83-2778390) that relies primarily on donations from individuals, corporations, and government/multi-lateral agencies. The organization receives restricted grants designated for specific programs from partners like IBM Foundation, VISA, embassies, and development agencies.
- FabLab Product Sales: STEMpower's FabLab in Addis Ababa manufactures and sells educational science kits (Newton's Cradle, gear ratio kits, pulley kits, etc.) and industrial machines (CNC routers, pelletizers, silk screen printers). Products are designed and manufactured locally in Ethiopia.
- Donation Processing: Organization accepts tax-deductible donations via PayPal, GoFundMe, checks, and Benevity workplace giving platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free STEM Center Access |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | FabLab Educational Products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
STEMpower product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STEMpower is a non-profit organization that operates 162 hands-on STEM Centers at universities across 49 Sub-Saharan African countries, providing free access to professional-grade lab equipment including 3D printers, CNC routers, laser engravers, electronics workstations, and Arduino-based training. It also runs a FabLab in Addis Ababa that manufactures and sells educational science kits and industrial machines, complemented by programs such as STEM-TV satellite broadcasting, science fairs, entrepreneurship training, and digital skills training.
Product overview
STEMpower is a non-profit educational organization that operates a multi-component STEM education ecosystem across sub-Saharan Africa. The core offerings include: (1) STEM Centers - hands-on engineering labs at universities providing access to equipment in robotics, electronics, 3D printing, and related disciplines; (2) FabLab - digital fabrication workshop for prototyping and manufacturing; (3) Science Kits - educational kits for physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology covering topics from Newton's Cradle to logic gates; (4) Industrial machines including CNC Router, Pelletizer, and Silk Screen Printer; and (5) Programs including Smart Classes, STEM-TV broadcast show, Science Fairs, and Entrepreneurship/Incubation initiatives. The portfolio spans educational programs from basic computer literacy through advanced PCB manufacturing and biology research, serving students from grades 8-12 to university level across 49 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- STEM-TV: A bi-weekly TV show produced by STEMpower featuring various STEM-related stories, beamed by Walta satellite to millions of students and families, with episodes also available on YouTube worldwide.
- FabLab
- Smart Classes
- Science Shared Campus (SSC)
Products and services
- STEM Centers Hands-on engineering lab facilities providing students access to modern scientific equipment, mentorship, and curricula in robotics, electronics, 3D printing, and other STEM disciplines. Most centers are situated near or on university campuses.
- FabLab Digital fabrication workshop equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, and electronics workstations that enables students to design and manufacture prototype products, bridging STEM education with product commercialization.
- Science Kits Hands-on educational science kits covering physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology subjects. Includes kits such as Newton's Cradle, Hyperbola, Equilibrium, Pascal's Law, Gear Ratio, Binomial Expansion, Density/Mass/Volume, Pulley, Heat Capacity, and Basic Logic Gates.
- CNC Router Machine Industrial-grade CNC machine engineered for cutting, engraving, carving, drilling, and profiling across materials including MDF, solid wood, plywood, and foam board. Designed for educational institutions and manufacturing businesses.
- Pelletizer Machine Chicken/fish feed pelletizer machine that produces uniform feed pellets by compressing raw materials through heat and pressure. Suitable for small-scale farms and large feed production facilities.
- Automatic Silk Screen Printer Industrial-grade silk screen printing machine for transferring designs onto fabrics, papers, metal plates, or plastics using mesh screen, ink, and squeegee technology.
- Automatic Bell Management System Automated bell ringing system for schools, colleges, and factories using microcontroller-based scheduling to signal class changes, breaks, and shift changes.
- Smart Classes Energy-efficient computer lab design featuring thin client configuration where ~30 workstations connect to a single powerful server, reducing electricity use by ~65% and eliminating computer viruses.
- STEM-TV Bi-weekly television show featuring STEM-related stories, produced in Amharic by local talent. Broadcast on Walta satellite to approximately 5 million viewers, with episodes also available on YouTube.
- Science Fairs Locally-run science fair competitions where students showcase engineering-focused projects designed to solve national and regional challenges. Winners advance to larger competitions culminating in the National Science and Engineering Fair.
- Entrepreneurship and Incubation Program Training program in partnership with VISA covering Entrepreneurial Mindset, Entrepreneurial Skillset, and Financial Education. Targets innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs, including STEM Center students and national science competition participants.
- IBM SkillsBuild Digital Skills Training Women's Digital Skills Training program in partnership with the Embassy of Finland and IBM SkillsBuild, providing essential digital competencies including AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data analytics.
- Science Shared Campus (SSC) Secondary school STEM education initiative attracting talented public school students to dedicated science-focused schools with superior teaching staff, laboratories, and computer resources. Currently operational in four locations in Ethiopia.
- University STEM Outreach Summer break program utilizing university resources including labs, dormitories, and cafeteria facilities with guidance from professors and college students, serving hundreds of talented local students.
- STEM for Trees Environmental initiative in South Sudan focused on planting water-absorbing trees alongside roadways to reduce flooding, including tree nursery facilities and calculations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,000,000+ students impacted through 162 STEM Centers
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use STEMpower
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
STEMpower technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
STEMpower partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- IBM SkillsBuild / IBM FoundationcoreWomen's Digital Skills Training program in partnership with Embassy of Finland and IBM SkillsBuild. Exceeded target of 1,000 women with 3,160 graduates in Ethiopia. Program named 'Diligence' (ትጋት in Amharic). Covers AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data analytics. 40+ graduates secured jobs.
- VISA InternationalcorePartnership launched November 2020 for entrepreneurship and financial education training in Ethiopia. STEMpower conducts national training sessions covering Entrepreneurial Mindset, Entrepreneurial Skillset, and Financial Education. Over 3,000 young entrepreneurs trained. Selected from students who excelled in STEM Centers and national science competitions.
- DHL International GmbHmajorLogistics partner for establishing STEM Centers across Sub-Saharan Africa. DHL facilitates equipment shipping to remote locations.
- SmartAIDmajorHumanitarian technology organization partnering with STEMpower for establishing STEM Centers across Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of EducationcoreGovernment ministry partner for national STEM education initiatives. MoE supports STEM Center establishment and integration into national education system.
- Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Innovation and TechnologycoreGovernment ministry partner supporting STEM education and innovation ecosystem development in Ethiopia.
- Case Western Reserve UniversitymajorAcademic partnership for Chemical Microfactory program. Students learn to produce real products (soap, paper, biodiesel fuel) from natural resources.
- Republic of Rwanda Ministry of EducationcoreGovernment partner for STEM education initiatives in Rwanda.
- Republic of Rwanda Ministry of ICT & InnovationcoreGovernment partner supporting digital skills and innovation programs.
- Republic of South Sudan Ministry of General Education and InstructioncoreGovernment partner for STEM Center operations in South Sudan.
- Walta Media and Communication Corporate S.C.coreEthiopian satellite TV broadcaster airing STEM-TV show to approximately 5 million viewers per episode.
- Ethiopian AirlinesminorTransportation/logistics partner supporting STEM Center equipment logistics.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
STEMpower competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Solar Sister: Solar Sister is a nonprofit that recruits and trains women entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa to distribute clean-energy technology. It is comparable to STEMpower in its focus on African women's economic empowerment through technology training and entrepreneurship, though in a different sector.
Direct peers
- Moringa School: Moringa School is a Nairobi-based tech training provider delivering software-development and data courses to East African youth. It is comparable to STEMpower's digital-skills training programs (notably IBM SkillsBuild) in target audience, geography, and job-placement focus.
- Ubongo: Ubongo produces localized, multi-language educational media (including STEM content) for African children via TV, radio, and digital channels. It is comparable to STEMpower in leveraging broadcast/YouTube distribution for STEM learning at scale across the continent.
- CAMFED: CAMFED is an international nonprofit supporting education for girls across multiple Sub-Saharan African countries through partnerships with ministries of education. It is comparable to STEMpower as a large international education NGO operating a multi-country network of partner schools with government and donor backing.
- Andela: Andela trains and connects African software engineers with global employers, operating across multiple Sub-Saharan African countries. Like STEMpower, it builds human-capital infrastructure on the continent, though it focuses on advanced software skills rather than K-12 STEM and maker education.
- Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST): MEST trains and funds African tech entrepreneurs through an Accra-based program with pan-African reach. It is comparable to STEMpower in combining STEM training with entrepreneurship outcomes (startup creation) and operating an Africa-wide talent-development mission.
- Tunapanda Institute: Tunapanda Institute provides design, technology, and business training to youth in East Africa, with a strong maker/tech emphasis. Like STEMpower, it operates as a mission-driven education organization equipping African youth with practical STEM and digital skills.
Broad incumbents
- African Leadership University (ALU): ALU is a pan-African higher-education institution with campuses in Mauritius and Rwanda offering STEM-focused degrees. It is comparable to STEMpower as a STEM-education provider operating across multiple African countries with employer-aligned curricula.
- Ashesi University: Ashesi is a Ghanaian liberal-arts and STEM-focused university with strong emphasis on engineering, entrepreneurship, and ethics. It is comparable to STEMpower in its mission to develop African STEM talent through hands-on learning and ethical leadership, though it operates at the university rather than secondary-school level.
Regional players
- iHub: iHub is a long-running Nairobi technology innovation hub supporting startups, makers, and engineers. While based in one city rather than 49 countries, it shares STEMpower's focus on hands-on technology capacity-building and entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
STEMpower social profiles
Digital presenceSTEMpower financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STEMpower leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
STEMpower subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
STEMpower funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STEMpower M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STEMpower
What does STEMpower do?
STEMpower is a non-profit organization that operates 162 hands-on STEM Centers at universities across 49 Sub-Saharan African countries, providing free access to professional-grade lab equipment including 3D printers, CNC routers, laser engravers, electronics workstations, and Arduino-based training. It also runs a FabLab in Addis Ababa that manufactures and sells educational science kits and industrial machines, complemented by programs such as STEM-TV satellite broadcasting, science fairs, entrepreneurship training, and digital skills training.
Is STEMpower a public or private company?
STEMpower is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was STEMpower founded?
STEMpower was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is STEMpower based?
STEMpower is headquartered in Marblehead, United States, in the North America region.
How does STEMpower make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are fabLab Product Sales and donation Processing.
Who are STEMpower's main competitors?
Solar Sister is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Moringa School, Ubongo, CAMFED, Andela, Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) and Tunapanda Institute. Broad incumbents are African Leadership University (ALU) and Ashesi University. iHub is listed as a regional player.
Does STEMpower have an API?
No public API is recorded for STEMpower.
What industry is STEMpower in?
STEMpower's product category is Nonprofit STEM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAFAL, STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics), with a secondary code of BPAGADAG, STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 61169.