Mad Science of Maine

What Mad Science of Maine does

Mad Science of Maine is an available, currently non-operational franchise territory within the Mad Science franchise system, which is owned by Mad Science Group Inc. and operated under the franchise parent 2Inspire Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Mad Science Group Inc. was founded in 1985 by brothers Ariel and Ron Shlien, initially around laser light shows in Montreal, and began franchising in 1995 with offices in Toronto and Miami. The system now spans 150+ franchise locations across more than 20 countries, reaching over 1 million children annually and reportedly over 5 million children in total, with documented access to 25,000+ schools and 350,000+ teachers.

The core product is hands-on STEM enrichment for children ages 3-12, delivered through after-school programs, birthday parties, workshops, special events, and summer camps. Curriculum comprises 200+ hours of proprietary programs, training videos, and lesson plans developed by an in-house R&D team. Franchisees receive a basic tech suite (local website, e-commerce platform, scheduling/operations management, digital asset management), plus training, marketing collateral, and a dedicated account manager. The system also operates Crayola Imagine Arts Academy, a parallel art-enrichment franchise launched in 2016 via joint venture with Crayola and franchised since 2019. Strategic content partnerships include a Space Act Agreement with NASA dating to 2006.

The business model is franchising. Prospective franchisees pay a one-time franchise fee of $30,000 (Standard territory, up to 1.5M population), $40,000 (Medium, 1.5M-2.25M), or $50,000 (Large, 2.25M-3M), with total initial investment ranging $114,331-$313,959 covering the fee, equipment package, and three months of working capital. Ongoing franchisor revenue derives from royalties and managed support services. The end-customer base is parents of children 3-12, schools/educational institutions, and local businesses/community organizations, served at the local franchisee level rather than by the franchisor directly.

Name

Mad Science of Maine

Legal name

Mad Science Group Inc.

Website

https://maine.madscience.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mad Science of Maine is an available franchise territory within the 2Inspire/Mad Science franchise system, which delivers hands-on STEM enrichment to children ages 3-12 via 150+ franchise locations across 20+ countries, supported by a proprietary curriculum and NASA and Crayola partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's STEM Enrichment Services

akta.pro primary industry

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL)

Keywords

• STEM education franchise
• Children's enrichment programs
• Science education services
• After-school programs
• Franchise business opportunities

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Mad Science generates revenue through franchise fees ranging from $30,000 to $50,000 depending on territory size (Standard, Medium, or Large), plus initial investment costs of $114,331 to $313,959 covering franchise fee, equipment package, and 3 months operational costs.
2. Ongoing Franchise Support Revenue: Franchisees receive ongoing support from dedicated account managers, personalized training, marketing assistance, and access to marketing collateral and tech tools.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Mad Science of Maine is an available franchise territory under the Mad Science brand that delivers hands-on STEM enrichment experiences to children ages 3-12 through after-school programs, birthday parties, workshops, special events, and summer camps. Franchisees are supported with over 200 hours of proprietary curriculum content, a tech suite (e-commerce, scheduling, digital asset management), personalized training, and dedicated account management. The franchise fee ranges from $30,000 to $50,000 by territory size, with initial investment from $114,331 to $313,959.

Product overview

Mad Science operates as a franchise-based educational enrichment company offering two primary programs: Mad Science (science enrichment) and Crayola Imagine Arts Academy (art enrichment). The company provides franchisees with a suite of tech tools including an e-commerce platform, scheduling and operations management, and digital asset management. Programs target children ages 3-12 and include after-school programs, birthday parties, workshops, special events, and summer camps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crayola Imagine Arts Academy: A children's art enrichment concept created in partnership between Mad Science Group Inc. and Crayola in 2016. Focuses on teaching traditional art techniques combined with real-world applications for kids ages 5-12 through after-school programs, birthday parties, camps, and community workshops.

Products and services

• Mad Science STEM Enrichment Programs Hands-on STEM science enrichment experiences delivered to children ages 3-12 through after-school programs, birthday parties, workshops, special events, and summer camps, supported by 200+ hours of proprietary curriculum developed by an in-house R&D team.
• Crayola Imagine Arts Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches over 1 million children annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CrayolacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Crayola Imagine Arts Academy was created through a strategic alliance between Crayola and Mad Science Group Inc. The partnership combines Mad Science's expertise in children's enrichment and franchising with Crayola's brand recognition in art education. The goal was to develop an art enrichment concept for kids integrating Crayola products and focusing on critical thinking skills and traditional art techniques.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Mad Science established a NASA/Mad Science collaboration through a Space Act Agreement (SAA) designed to enhance and expand NASA's ability to involve students, parents, and informal and formal educators in the vision for US Space Exploration. The ongoing relationship with NASA dates back to 2006 and provides unique educational content and credibility to the franchise program.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sylvan Learning: Sylvan Learning is a national supplemental education franchise brand offering tutoring, STEM, and enrichment programs at scale — a broader incumbent that overlaps with Mad Science's parent-purchased enrichment segment.
• Kumon: Kumon is the largest supplemental education franchise globally, with math and reading after-school programs that compete with Mad Science for the same parent-scheduled enrichment dollar.

Direct peers

• IDEA Lab Kids: IDEA Lab Kids is a STEAM enrichment franchise offering after-school programs, camps, and birthday parties in science, engineering, art, and technology — directly competitive with both the Mad Science and Crayola Imagine Arts Academy concepts.
• Engineering For Kids: Engineering For Kids is a STEM enrichment franchise offering engineering, coding, and robotics programs for ages 4–14 in after-school, camp, and birthday-party formats — a near-direct franchise competitor to Mad Science.
• Bricks 4 Kidz: Bricks 4 Kidz operates a LEGO-based STEM enrichment franchise for ages 3–13+ delivered through after-school programs, camps, and birthday parties — directly comparable to Mad Science's school and party channel.
• Young Rembrandts: Young Rembrandts is a children's art education franchise offering drawing-focused after-school programs, workshops, and camps — comparable to the Crayola Imagine Arts Academy side of the Mad Science franchise portfolio.
• Snapology: Snapology is a children's STEAM enrichment franchise offering after-school programs, camps, and birthday parties using LEGO-style bricks and technology — the closest direct competitor to Mad Science in the in-person STEM enrichment franchise category.
• Abrakadoodle: Abrakadoodle is a children's art education franchise delivering mobile art programs, camps, and birthday parties — the closest direct franchise analog to Mad Science's Crayola Imagine Arts Academy sub-brand.
• Club Scientific: Club Scientific is a science enrichment franchise delivering hands-on experiments and STEM curriculum through after-school programs, camps, and birthday parties — overlapping directly with Mad Science's core offering for the same age band.
• Code Wiz: Code Wiz is a children's coding and STEM education franchise offering after-school classes, camps, and birthday parties — competing with Mad Science for the same parent and school-district buyers in the enrichment channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mad-science-of-maine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Mad Science of Maine