Mad Science Nederland

What Mad Science Nederland does

Mad Science Nederland is the Dutch master franchise of the Canadian-founded Mad Science Group, operating since 2004 as Mad Science Nederland Holding BV with nine independent regional offices covering all Dutch provinces. The company delivers hands-on science and technology education programs to children ages 5 to 12, encompassing in-class workshops covering 75+ themes (space travel, chemical reactions, robotics, environmental science), multi-week after-school courses with proprietary Labboek (lab book) take-home materials, summer camps, science-themed children's birthday parties, technology day events, library and after-school care (BSO) programs, and corporate events.

The business operates through three distinct go-to-market motions: direct-to-consumer bookings for parties, camps, and after-school courses via the website; B2B field sales to primary schools using free science shows as lead generation for paid workshops and multi-year Onderwijspartner contracts priced per student; and corporate event sales for company family days, exhibitions, and festivals. Pricing ranges from €38.40 per student for school partnership courses (6 lessons) and €59.50-79.50 for after-school courses, up to €160-225 per workshop session and €195-310 for birthday party packages, with corporate science shows starting from €500.

Mad Science Nederland's primary customer base is distributed across 3,200+ Dutch primary schools (approximately one in three schools nationally) and 700,000+ children reached annually. The company holds a flagship strategic partnership with ASML, funding the ASML Junior Academy, a multi-year STEM program delivering 5+ lessons per year to all primary schools within 35 km of Veldhoven and targeting 181,000 children, which reached its 500th participating school in September 2025. The company is privately held through a franchise structure; revenue is not publicly disclosed and no funding rounds or acquisitions are on record.

Name

Mad Science Nederland

Legal name

Mad Science Nederland Holding BV

Website

https://nederland.madscience.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Mad Science Nederland is a Dutch franchise organization delivering hands-on science and technology education programs (workshops, after-school courses, summer camps, and parties) to children ages 5-12, reaching 700,000+ children annually across 3,200+ Dutch primary schools via 9 regional offices and 270+ instructors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Science Education Services

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Science education programs
• STEM workshops children
• Children's birthday parties
• After-school science courses
• School workshop programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sittard

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Children's Parties: One-time service fees for birthday party packages lasting 1-2.5 hours with up to 15 children, including science demonstrations, hands-on experiments, and take-home creations.
2. After-School Courses: Multi-week courses (4-6 sessions) offered at schools, priced per student. Includes weekly themes, experiments, take-home activities, and a Lab notebook.
3. Summer Camps: Multi-day holiday camps (3-4 days) for children ages 7-11, priced per child. Includes daily themes, experiments, take-home items, and a lab coat.
4. School Workshops: In-class workshops for primary schools, available as single sessions or multi-year partnership programs. Priced per workshop with volume discounts for multiple bookings.
5. Corporate Events: Science shows, funstations, and full event programs for companies, festivals, and organizations. Custom packages based on event duration and scope.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mad Science Nederland delivers hands-on science and technology education programs for children ages 5-12, operating through 9 regional franchise offices. Core offerings include science-themed birthday parties, six-week after-school courses, multi-day summer camps, in-class workshops covering 75+ themes, full-day technology events, library and BSO programs, and corporate event entertainment. The franchise model bundles a trained "Mad Scientist" instructor, all materials, and a proprietary curriculum aligned with Dutch educational standards.

Product overview

Mad Science Nederland is a science education franchise offering science and technology programs for children ages 5-12. The company operates as a unified platform consisting of core live programming services: children's birthday parties (Kinderfeestjes), after-school courses (Naschoolse Cursus), summer camps (Zomerkamp), in-class workshops (Workshops), school-based after-school programs (Naschools Programma), technology day events (Techniekdag), library/BSO programs (Bieb/BSO), and corporate event services (Bedrijfsevenementen). Supporting offerings include the ASML Junior Academy partnership program delivering multi-year STEM curriculum to schools near Veldhoven, the Onderwijspartner education partnership for long-term school integration, the Labboek educational workbook, and dedicated Mad Science Lab facilities. The company reaches 700,000+ children annually across 3,200+ schools through 270+ Mad Scientists operating from 9 regional offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kinderfeestjes (Children's Birthday Parties) Science-themed birthday party experiences for children ages 6-12 where Mad Scientists lead experiments, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Packages range from a 1-hour basic party (€195) to a 2.5-hour extended experience (€310) for up to 15 children, with add-ons including dry ice experiments (+€15), Van de Graaff demonstrations, and rocket launches (+€10).
• Naschoolse Cursus (After-School Science Program) Six-week after-school science courses held at primary schools for children ages 5-12, with weekly themes, experiments, and demonstrations. Pricing ranges from €59.50 (4 sessions) to €79.50 (6 sessions), including a proprietary Mad Science Labboek for continued at-home experiments.
• Zomerkamp (Summer Camp) Multi-day holiday camps for children ages 7-11 featuring science experiments, themed activities, rocket launches, and hands-on making. Camps run 3-4 days from 9:00-17:00, priced at €225 for 3 days, including materials, a lab coat, and daily take-home items.
• Workshops (In-Class Science Workshops) Science and technology workshops delivered directly in primary school classrooms by Mad Scientists. With 75+ themes covering space travel, chemical reactions, robotics, and more, workshops support the regular curriculum and develop 21st-century skills for groups 1-8. Pricing: single workshop €225, 2-4 workshops €175 each, 5+ workshops €160 each per session.
• Naschools Programma (School-Based After-School Program with Lead-Generation Show) After-school science programs that partner with primary schools, providing a free science show demonstration followed by optional 4-6 week courses for participating children. Schools receive a free workshop per course group as part of the partnership.
• Techniekdag (Technology Day Events) Full-day science and technology events for schools featuring multiple shows, workshops, and activity stations. Suitable for groups of 30 to 600+ students from groups 1-8, with customizable programs including 6 science shows and 75+ workshop themes.
• Bieb/BSO Programma's (Library and After-School Care Programs) Science and technology programs for libraries and after-school care (BSO) organizations, including holiday activities, extended school day programs, and special event days. Tailored to children ages 4-12 with flexible timing and group sizes.
• Bedrijfsevenementen (Corporate Events) Science shows, funstations, and full event programs for corporate events, family days, jubilees, exhibitions, and festivals. Offerings include spectacular science demonstrations (30-45 min shows from €500 for 100+ viewers), hands-on activity funstations (€275/hour each), and custom event packages.
• ASML Junior Academy Multi-year STEM education partnership between ASML and Mad Science targeting primary schools within 35km of Veldhoven. Funded by ASML's Community Engagement program, providing all classes (groups 1-8) with 5+ STEM lessons per year from Mad Scientists plus 1 annual lesson from ASML employees, including lesson materials, training, and online resources. Reached 500th school milestone in September 2025.
• Onderwijspartner (Education Partnership) Long-term STEM education implementation partnership for schools, providing 6-8 guest lessons per class per year with curriculum-aligned themes, teacher training materials, and continuous learning from groups 1-8. Priced at €38.40 (6 lessons) or €51.20 (8 lessons) per student, based on 25 students per class, with flexible scheduling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 700,000 children reached annually across the Netherlands
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ASMLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022ASML and Mad Science partnership for ASML Junior Academy - a multi-year STEM education program targeting all primary schools within 35km of Veldhoven (Brainport region). ASML funds the program through its Community Engagement program, covering costs for participating schools. Program launched September 2022 with initial 50 schools, expanded to all schools in the region. Mad Science provides curriculum, instructors, and training. Reached 500th school milestone in September 2025. Target: 181,000 children.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Steve Spangler Science: US hands-on science education company selling curriculum, experiments, and in-school science programs aligned to educational standards. Highly comparable as a hands-on STEM content + delivery company serving primary-aged children; overlapping on curriculum alignment and educator enablement.
• Science Made Simple: UK-based provider of hands-on science shows, workshops, and after-school STEM programming for primary schools and families. Closely comparable in curriculum-driven live science delivery, school partnerships, and family entertainment offerings to Mad Science Nederland's core product set.
• Little Medical School: US franchise offering after-school STEM/health-science programs for children using a franchise model with curriculum, materials, and certified instructors. Closely comparable in franchise structure, school-channel GTM, and curated STEM curriculum delivered by branded instructors.
• Mad Science Group Inc. The Canadian parent brand operating the same hands-on science education franchise model globally. Directly comparable in product (parties, after-school courses, workshops), target audience (children 5-12), and franchise-based delivery; the Dutch operation is itself a master franchise of this entity.

Emerging players

• Code Ninjas: Global kids' coding and STEM franchise offering after-school programs, camps, and birthday parties under a franchise model. Comparable franchise structure, parent-direct party channel, after-school courses, and age band, but primarily focused on computer science rather than general science experimentation.
• Whizz Pop Bang: UK science magazine and classroom resource provider serving primary schools with experiment-linked reading materials and teacher resources. Comparable target market (primary schools and parents) and curriculum-aligned science content, though it operates primarily through print/digital rather than live instructors.

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Education: Global STEAM learning business of LEGO offering hands-on, curriculum-aligned building kits and programs for primary classrooms. Overlaps with Mad Science on in-school STEAM enrichment, age band (5-12), and curriculum alignment, but anchored in construction play rather than scientific experimentation.
• KiwiCo: US subscription-based STEM/STEAM activity kits and online courses for children across multiple age tiers. Broader incumbent in the children's STEM enrichment category; comparable on hands-on experiment content and parent-direct marketing, but delivers via subscription kits rather than in-person instructors.
• MEL Science: Subscription science kit company focused on chemistry and physics experiments for children, with VR and digital components. Adjacent incumbent in children's science engagement via hands-on experiments, but primarily a direct-to-consumer subscription model rather than in-school delivery.

Regional players

• NEMO Science Museum: Amsterdam-based science museum and education provider delivering STEM programming to Dutch primary schools and families, including school workshops and traveling programs. Regional Dutch counterpart serving overlapping school and family segments with hands-on science; differentiated by museum-based delivery versus Mad Science's franchise-led in-school model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/madsciencenl
• Facebookfacebook.com/madsciencenl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mad-science-nederland
• Instagraminstagram.com/madsciencenl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Nederland