The Algae Foundation
The Algae Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers free, NGSS-aligned algae-based STEM education, kits, and workforce development programs to K-12 students, educators, and collegiate learners across all 50 U.S. states and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersWentzville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Algae Foundation does
The Algae Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Wentzville, Missouri, that operates an algae-focused STEM education and workforce development platform. Founded in 2014, the Foundation delivers a portfolio of free educational programs serving K-12 students, collegiate learners, and educators across all 50 U.S. states plus Puerto Rico and multiple international markets, with cumulative reach of 360,000+ students. Its core products include Algae Academy (an NGSS-aligned K-12 curriculum with hands-on kits containing four species of live algae), Cultivate (an AFNR-aligned high school agriculture curriculum co-developed with USDA-NIFA and National FFA), the Summer Algae Science Institute (SASI, educator professional development), the Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC, collegiate MOOCs and certifications co-launched with the National Laboratory of the Rockies), AlgaePrize (a student research competition co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy), and the Mary Rosenthal Memorial Student Travel Grant scholarship program. The Foundation also co-developed the Industrial Algae Measurements v. 8.0 technical standards document with the Algae Biomass Organization.
The Foundation operates on a donations-and-grants revenue model as a registered 501(c)(3) (Tax ID 46-2312083), with donor tiers ranging from $50 to $1,000 supporting defined student kit counts. All K-12 STEM programs are provided at zero cost to educators and students, with kits shipped directly to classrooms. The organization is led by a small staff team (CEO Dr. Ira 'Ike' Levine, Senior Director Marissa Nalley, Senior Programs Manager Serena Chen, Manager of Operations Sydni Higbee) under a Board of Directors chaired by Jesse Traller Ojeda, with strategic partnerships anchored by federal agencies (DOE/AFFO, USDA-NIFA), national laboratories (NLR, Bigelow Laboratory, UTEX), industry associations (ABO), and education networks (National FFA Organization). The Foundation has no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, and operates as a private, independent non-profit.
The Algae Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Algae Foundation
- Legal name
- The Algae Foundation
- Website
- https://thealgaefoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Algae Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that delivers free, NGSS-aligned algae-based STEM education, kits, and workforce development programs to K-12 students, educators, and collegiate learners across all 50 U.S. states and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Algae Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- STEM Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy) (EDAMABAF), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), Curriculum Design & Scope/Sequence (School-Led) (EDAJAFAA)
Keywords
Where The Algae Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wentzville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Algae Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Algae Foundation is primarily funded through donations from individuals, corporations, and philanthropic organizations. The Foundation's tax ID number is 46-2312083. Donation tiers support specific numbers of students with STEM supplies ($50 for ~30 students, $100 for ~100, $250 for ~250, $500 for ~600, $1,000 for ~1,250).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time/ perpetual license | All programs are offered at zero cost to educators and students. |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Algae Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Algae Foundation provides free algae-based STEM education programs and workforce development resources spanning K-12, collegiate, and professional levels. Its offerings include hands-on classroom kits with live algae cultures, NGSS-aligned curricula, educator training, collegiate MOOCs and certification, and the national AlgaePrize student competition. All programs are delivered at no cost to educators and students and are designed to build a skilled talent pipeline for the algae bioeconomy.
Product overview
The Algae Foundation operates a portfolio of educational programs focused on STEM education and workforce development within the algae industry. The core offerings include Algae Academy (K-12 STEM curriculum with hands-on kits), Cultivate (high school agriculture-focused curriculum), Summer Algae Science Institute (SASI) (professional development for educators), Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC) (collegiate/professional certification and training), and AlgaePrize (student research competitions). Supporting programs include the Mary Rosenthal Memorial Student Travel Grant scholarships and the Industrial Algae Measurements Technical Standards document. All K-12 STEM programs are offered free of charge to educators and students. The organization also maintains an Algae Foundation Store for educational products. The programs collectively reached 360,000+ students worldwide and are designed to build a skilled workforce for the algae bioeconomy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Algae Academy: Hands-on, algae-based STEM kit and NGSS-aligned curriculum for K-12 students, offered at no cost to educators
- Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC)
- AlgaePrize
- Cultivate
- Summer Algae Science Institute (SASI)
- Mary Rosenthal Memorial Student Travel Grant
Quantifiable outcome
- 360,000+ students served worldwide through algae STEM and workforce programs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use The Algae Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Algae Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Algae Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)coreNLR serves as a core strategic partner for The Algae Foundation, co-launching the Algae Technology Educational Consortium (ATEC) in 2016. NLR hosts the AlgaePrize competition finals on its campus in Golden, Colorado. Together, they work with academic institutions, national research laboratories, and industry leaders to develop innovative educational programs strengthening workforce capabilities for algal product commercialization.
- Algae Biomass Organization (ABO)coreABO is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 that promotes viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable products derived from algae. ABO developed the Industrial Algae Measurements technical standards document, with support from the Algae Foundation. Mary Rosenthal, the founding force and first Executive Director of the Algae Foundation, also helped champion the ABO Technical Standards Committee.
- National FFA OrganizationminorNational FFA Organization partnered with The Algae Foundation to develop the Cultivate curriculum for high school agriculture students, providing alignment with agriculture education pathways and access to FFA's national network of students and educators.
- CarlsonSV CPA AdvisorsminorListed as a partner organization on The Algae Foundation's website, providing professional accounting services to support the Foundation's financial operations.
- Wilson SonsiniminorListed as a partner organization on The Algae Foundation's website, providing legal services to support the Foundation's operations.
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences / National Center for Marine Algae and MicrobiomesminorA sponsor of the Algae Academy, providing algae cultivation expertise and algae cultures that make the hands-on curriculum possible.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Algae Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Algae Biomass Organization (ABO): ABO is the principal trade association for the algae industry and a core strategic partner of The Algae Foundation. Both operate at the intersection of algae industry workforce development and education, and they co-developed the Industrial Algae Measurements technical standards, making them the most directly comparable organization in the algae ecosystem.
- EarthEcho International: EarthEcho International is a non-profit environmental education organization that provides free STEM resources to K-12 educators and students, comparable to Algae Foundation in mission, audience (K-12 educators), and free-distribution model.
- National FFA Organization: FFA is Algae Foundation's partner on the Cultivate curriculum and a peer in youth STEM/agriculture education. Both organizations deliver no-cost, hands-on curricula to high school classrooms nationwide and build talent pipelines for the bioeconomy.
- Project WET Foundation: Project WET is a 501(c)(3) that delivers free, standards-aligned water and environmental education curricula to K-12 classrooms worldwide. It is directly comparable to Algae Academy as a free, NGSS-aligned environmental STEM education provider with similar distribution via educator networks.
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences: Bigelow Laboratory operates the National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiomes and is a sponsor of Algae Academy. It is a peer in algae-specific education and outreach, with overlapping audience of K-12 students and educators engaged in algae science.
Emerging players
- National Marine Sanctuary Foundation: The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation runs K-12 marine science education programs overlapping with Algae Academy's marine biology components. Both are non-profits providing free educational resources around ocean ecosystems and workforce development.
- Learning Undefeated: Learning Undefeated is a non-profit providing hands-on STEM education to underserved K-12 students via mobile labs and curriculum. It is comparable to Algae Foundation as a free, hands-on STEM curriculum provider for K-12 classrooms, though focused on STEM broadly rather than algae specifically.
- EcoRise: EcoRise provides K-12 sustainability and environmental STEM curricula and educator training with a national footprint. It overlaps with Algae Foundation's sustainability-education and educator PD verticals, though EcoRise is broader in scope (not algae-specific).
- Beyond Benign: Beyond Benign is a non-profit that develops and disseminates green chemistry and STEM curricula to K-12 and higher education. It is comparable as a free-curriculum provider aligned with NGSS for chemistry and biology education, overlapping with Algae Academy's life science content.
Broad incumbents
- 4-H: 4-H is a large, established youth development organization with STEM and agriculture programming reaching all 50 states. It is comparable to Algae Foundation as a national youth STEM pipeline, though 4-H is significantly broader and not narrowly focused on algae.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Algae Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Algae Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Algae Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Algae Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Algae Foundation 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 The Algae Foundation
What does The Algae Foundation do?
The Algae Foundation provides free algae-based STEM education programs and workforce development resources spanning K-12, collegiate, and professional levels. Its offerings include hands-on classroom kits with live algae cultures, NGSS-aligned curricula, educator training, collegiate MOOCs and certification, and the national AlgaePrize student competition. All programs are delivered at no cost to educators and students and are designed to build a skilled talent pipeline for the algae bioeconomy.
Is The Algae Foundation a public or private company?
The Algae Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Algae Foundation founded?
The Algae Foundation was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Algae Foundation based?
The Algae Foundation is headquartered in Wentzville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Algae Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are The Algae Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), EarthEcho International, National FFA Organization, Project WET Foundation and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Emerging players are National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Learning Undefeated, EcoRise and Beyond Benign. 4-H is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Algae Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Algae Foundation.
What industry is The Algae Foundation in?
The Algae Foundation's product category is STEM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMABAD, Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation), with a secondary code of EDAMABAF, Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.