Invent Idaho

What Invent Idaho does

Invent Idaho is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization founded in 1989 in Hayden, Idaho, that operates a progressive student invention competition program serving grades 1-12. The organization runs three regional competitions (North Idaho at Coeur d'Alene/Silver Lake Mall, Southwest Idaho at Boise/JUMP, and Southeast Idaho at Pocatello/Idaho State University) that feed into an annual State Finals hosted at the University of Idaho's ICCU Arena in Moscow. Top performers advance to the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI, and onward to the Global Invention Convention. The core offering is a curriculum and competition framework—rather than a technology product—addressing Idaho Science Standards and STEM 21st-century skills through higher-order thinking, problem solving, and authentic cross-curricular learning. Supporting services include educator professional development (with training videos and curriculum resources), participation resources (inventor logbook templates, pitch video examples, judging criteria), and patenting guidance via IPOEF's 'IP Made Easy' tutorial and USPTO referrals. The program is free for student participants, with a $25 prototype-materials cap for regionals and no cap at State Finals.

Invent Idaho's go-to-market is community- and event-led, relying on direct educator outreach, school and homeschool partnerships, and earned media (KREM 2 TV, Coeur d'Alene Press, Idaho State Journal, Ellen Show feature). Revenue flows entirely from sponsorships and donations across four tiers ($500 Sir Isaac Newton, $1,000 Einstein, $1,250 Jules Verne, $5,000 DaVinci), with named sponsors including Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Idaho STEM Action Center, Idaho Central Credit Union, Bayer USA, and the Bird Aviation Museum and Invention Center. The organization operates with a small team (1-10 employees) led by founder and State Director Beth Brubaker, supported by three regional coordinators (Rachel Schwam, Amanda Harris, Cristine Casselman). Notable alumni outcomes include a 17M+ view Ellen Show feature for the 2015 Best of Show winner, multiple National Invention Convention awards (2020, 2021, 2026), a Global Change Award (2026), and at least two issued student patents (Ali Chavez 'Bee Gone' in 2020 and Julianna Schwam, patent issued June 5, 2026). The organization's primary risk is structural: a single-state geographic footprint, dependence on a small recurring sponsor base, and a founder-led operating model that limits scalability absent a structural pivot.

Name

Invent Idaho

Legal name

Invent Idaho

Website

https://inventidaho.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Invent Idaho is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1989 that operates a free K-12 student invention competition program across Idaho, running three regional events and an annual State Finals at the University of Idaho, with winners advancing to the National Invention Convention at The Henry Ford.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Educational Competitions

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMADAB

Engineering Design & Project-Based Learning Programs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Robotics, Engineering & Makerspaces

SECONDARYEDAMADAM

Teacher Training & Curriculum Providers (Robotics/Maker Education)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Robotics, Engineering & Makerspaces

SECONDARYEDAMAHAD

Innovation & Design Thinking Programs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

Keywords

• Student invention competition
• Youth innovation program
• K-8 STEM enrichment
• Educational competition services
• Invention mentoring program

Headquarters

HQ city

Hayden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Donations: Invent Idaho is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that relies on generous donations from funding agencies and sponsors to operate. Sponsorship tiers range from $500 (Sir Isaac Newton) to $5,000 (DaVinci Level). Donations are tax deductible and may be eligible for the Idaho Education tax credit. In-kind donations such as website development or prizes are also accepted.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Invent Idaho administers a free annual student invention competition program for grades 1-8 (with some references extending to grade 12), structured as three regional competitions across Idaho (North, Southwest, Southeast) that feed into a State Finals at the University of Idaho. The program, founded in 1989 and operated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit from Hayden, Idaho, supports student inventors through competition stages, judging, and culminating recognition at the university-hosted finals. Participation is free for students, with program costs covered by sponsorships and donations.

Product overview

Invent Idaho is a single, unified educational program focused on student invention education and competition. The core offering is the Invent Idaho Invention Convention—a progressive competition structure consisting of three Regional Competitions (North, Southwest, and Southeast Idaho) that feed into the annual State Finals held at the University of Idaho. Supporting services include educator professional development, participation resources (logbook templates, pitch video examples, judging criteria), and patenting guidance. The program serves students grades 1-12, with qualifiers advancing to the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Invent Idaho Student Invention Competition Program Free annual student invention competition program for grades 1-8 (with some references to grades 1-12), structured as three regional competitions across Idaho (North, Southwest, Southeast) that feed into a State Finals at the University of Idaho. Designed for K-8 schools, teachers, homeschool families, and youth program coordinators across Idaho seeking structured, low-cost STEM enrichment for students.
• State Finals Competition at the University of Idaho The culminating State Finals competition hosted on the University of Idaho campus, where top student inventors from across Idaho's three regional competitions (North, Southwest, Southeast) advance to compete for final recognition. Open to student inventors who qualify through regional competitions.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of IdahocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts annual State Finals at ICCU Arena on Moscow campus. Provides $1000 scholarship to College of Engineering for State Finals winners. Co-hosts Engineering Design EXPO during State Finals weekend. Dr. Matthew Swenson serves as contact for State Finals questions.
• Idaho State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Southeast Idaho Regional Competition at Idaho State University campus in Pocatello. College of Engineering and Science and Idaho Museum of Natural History provide local sponsorship for regional competition.
• Jack's Urban Meeting Place (JUMP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Southwest Idaho Regional Competition at JUMP in Boise. Provides venue for young inventors from the southwestern region to compete.
• Silver Lake MallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts North Idaho Regional Competition venue in Coeur d'Alene, providing space for regional competition events.
• IPOEF (Intellectual Property Organization Education Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides IP Made Easy free online tutorial designed by an Invention Convention educator and parent of a young inventor. Resource for teachers, mentors, and parents on intellectual property basics.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Science Olympiad: Nationwide K-12 STEM competition with regional, state, and national tournaments operating on a similar volunteer-and-school-partnership model. Competes for the same teacher time and STEM enrichment slot in Idaho schools.
• Destination Imagination: Global K-12 problem-solving and STEAM competition program with regional-to-global progression. Closely mirrors Invent Idaho's local-to-national competition ladder and cross-curricular STEM focus.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): Operator of FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition for K-12. The dominant K-12 STEM competition brand with a similar competition-progression structure and corporate sponsor ecosystem.
• Invention Convention Worldwide: The national K-12 invention competition organizer housed at The Henry Ford; Invent Idaho feeds directly into its U.S. Nationals. Both programs run K-12 invention curricula and progressive competition tiers targeting the same educators and students.

Emerging players

• Lemelson-MIT Program: MIT-based invention education initiative including the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize and youth invention curriculum. Overlaps with Invent Idaho's invention-education and IP-awareness mission, particularly for older students.
• Conrad Challenge: Annual innovation and entrepreneurship competition for K-12 students producing patented inventions and startups. Targets the same high-achieving student-inventor demographic that Invent Idaho advances to nationals.
• Maker Education Initiative: National nonprofit advancing makerspace and project-based STEM learning in K-12 schools. Comparable educator-training and curriculum resources aligned to Invent Idaho's maker/invention approach.

Broad incumbents

• Junior Achievement: Large established K-12 nonprofit delivering entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy programs in schools. Operates in Idaho and competes for the same educator enrichment slot and corporate sponsorship dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/invent-idaho-inc
• Xx.com/inventidaho
• Facebookfacebook.com/InventIdahoToday

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Invent Idaho