What HHMI Biointeractive does

HHMI BioInteractive is the science education program of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), a private non-profit biomedical research organization headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Founded around 1990, BioInteractive has operated for over 25 years producing free, standards-aligned life science classroom resources for high school and undergraduate biology educators across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. According to its own 2021 Landscape Survey, 79% of US high school biology teachers, 68% of 2-year college faculty, and 60% of 4-year college faculty use BioInteractive resources.

The platform offers more than 500 free classroom resources across multiple formats — Activities, Videos, Animations, Click & Learn Interactives, Virtual Labs (e.g., Lizard Evolution, Stickleback Evolution), Storylines, Assessment Builder, Resource Playlists, Model Builder, and the Data Explorer — plus partner content from PhET Simulations and Crash Course Scientific Thinking. Content is developed in collaboration with working scientists and educators, vetted for scientific accuracy, aligned to NGSS, AP, and IB curricula, and translated into Spanish. The underlying technology is a self-serve web platform with embeddable interactive content compatible with learning management systems, complemented by a YouTube channel (260K+ subscribers, 90M+ views).

The business model is non-revenue-generating: BioInteractive distributes all resources at no cost and is funded entirely through HHMI's philanthropic endowment. Distribution is primarily product-led and community-led — educators self-serve through the website, with no paid tiers, subscriptions, or licensing fees. The organization supplements digital distribution with approximately 100 professional learning workshops annually and a 15,000+ member online educator community supported by a 127-person Ambassador network. Recent strategic activity has centered on new Storyline and video content launches (e.g., Cancer Storyline, November 2025) and continued Spanish-language and Latin American expansion.

Name

HHMI Biointeractive

Legal name

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Website

https://biointeractive.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HHMI BioInteractive is the free life science education program of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, providing 500+ standards-aligned classroom resources, virtual labs, and professional learning for high school and undergraduate biology educators across the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Content Platform

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy) (EDAMABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Open Lesson Plans & Teaching Units (K–12) (EDAGAJAI), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD)

Keywords

• Biology education resources
• Interactive science simulations
• Virtual biology labs
• Educator professional learning
• Standards-aligned curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Chevy Chase

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Free Educational Resources: As a non-profit initiative of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, BioInteractive provides all classroom resources free of charge to educators worldwide. There is no revenue generation model; the organization is funded through HHMI's philanthropic mission to advance science education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HHMI BioInteractive creates and distributes free biology teaching resources and professional learning programs for high school and undergraduate educators. The platform offers 500+ classroom-ready resources spanning videos, animations, interactive simulations, virtual labs, storylines, activities, and assessment tools, all aligned to national standards such as NGSS, AP Biology, and IB Biology. Educators can access materials directly through the website, embed them in learning management systems, and participate in workshops, self-paced courses, and online learning communities.

Product overview

HHMI BioInteractive is a free life science education resource platform offering over 500 classroom resources for high school and undergraduate biology educators. The portfolio includes diverse resource types (Videos, Activities, Animations, Interactives/Virtual Labs, Storylines, Assessment Builder, Resource Playlists), featured collections (Model Builder, PhET Simulations, Crash Course Scientific Thinking), and professional learning programs (Workshops, Courses, Learning Communities). The platform is complemented by an Online Community for educator collaboration and an Ambassador Community program. Resources are available in English and Spanish, aligned to curricular standards (AP Biology, NGSS, IB Biology, etc.), and developed in collaboration with scientists and educators with scientific rigor and accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Activities Hands-on, classroom-ready educational activities that guide students through biology concepts using real data and scientific practices, for high school and undergraduate educators.
• Videos Award-winning short films showcasing scientists in action and real-world biological phenomena, including audio descriptive versions for accessibility, for high school and undergraduate biology classrooms.
• Animations Animated explorations of complex biological processes and structures such as photosynthesis and cellular mechanisms, for classroom instruction.
• Interactives (Click & Learn) Interactive digital modules exploring biology topics with 3D models, simulations, and embedded assessment questions, for high school and undergraduate classrooms.
• Virtual Labs Digital laboratory simulations such as the Lizard Evolution Virtual Lab and Stickleback Evolution Virtual Lab that allow students to conduct experiments virtually.
• Assessment Builder Tool that helps educators adapt, implement, and assess BioInteractive resources in their own classrooms, supporting evidence-based teaching.
• Storylines Phenomenon-based lesson sequences that guide students through complex biological concepts, with the Cancer Storyline as a featured example, for classroom use.
• Resource Playlists Curated collections of BioInteractive resources organized by topic or theme for educator use in the classroom.
• Model Builder Interactive tool for building and exploring scientific models, supporting student engagement with biological concepts.
• Workshops for Educators Online and in-person workshops facilitated by expert educators exploring BioInteractive resources, with approximately 100 conducted annually at schools, districts, and conferences.
• Courses for Educators Self-paced online courses to deepen science content and pedagogical knowledge, including the Evolution Course.
• Learning Communities (FoLCs) Semester-long, participatory online learning communities where educators explore BioInteractive resources and evidence-based teaching strategies together.
• Ambassador Community Network of expert high school and undergraduate educators (102 in US/Canada, 25 in Mexico/Puerto Rico) who promote and support evidence-based science teaching practices on behalf of BioInteractive.
• Spanish-Language Resources Site Dedicated Spanish-language site at biointeractive.org/es offering translated BioInteractive resources for Spanish-speaking educators in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and US Spanish-language programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% of US high school biology teachers use BioInteractive resources
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Khan Academy: The largest free online learning platform, covering K-14 subjects including biology. Khan Academy overlaps with BioInteractive on free biology instructional content for high school students, though its scope extends across all subjects and is much broader.
• Discovery Education: Major commercial K-12 digital content provider with science curricula. Overlaps with BioInteractive on biology instructional content for K-12 educators, but operates as a paid, broad incumbent across all subjects rather than free, biology-focused.

Direct peers

• Lumen Learning: Provider of open educational resources and courseware for higher education, including biology. Comparable to BioInteractive on free, standards-aligned, customizable science content for undergraduate biology instructors.
• PhET Interactive Simulations: University of Colorado Boulder's free interactive STEM simulations, explicitly listed as a BioInteractive partner product. PhET is the closest direct comparable — both provide free, standards-aligned interactive science learning content to educators with self-serve distribution.
• Crash Course: Educational video series by Complexly; BioInteractive explicitly partners with Crash Course for "Scientific Thinking" content. Both produce free, high-quality educational video content for high school and undergraduate audiences, distributed via YouTube and embedded into curricula.
• OpenStax: Rice University's open educational resources initiative producing free, peer-reviewed textbooks. OpenStax overlaps with BioInteractive on providing free, standards-aligned high-quality educational content to high school and undergraduate biology students and educators.
• iBiology: UCSF-produced free biology videos featuring leading scientists — directly comparable to BioInteractive's scientist-filmed Videos product. Both provide free, research-grounded biology content to educators and students with YouTube-led distribution.
• LabXchange: Harvard's free online platform for science education, providing virtual labs and interactive learning content. Directly comparable to BioInteractive on free, standards-aligned science learning content with virtual lab and interactive simulation offerings.

Emerging players

• Bozeman Science: Paul Andersen's long-running free AP Biology video resource widely adopted in high schools. Overlaps with BioInteractive on free, educator-recommended AP Biology video content, though narrower in scope and creator-led.
• Amoeba Sisters: Popular YouTube channel producing free biology animations and resources for high school students, with millions of subscribers. Overlaps with BioInteractive on free, accessible biology video content for high school classrooms, though it is a creator-led channel rather than institutional.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/biointeractive
• Facebookfacebook.com/biointeractive
• Instagraminstagram.com/biointeractive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biointeractive

Compliance2 records

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 HHMI Biointeractive