International Brain Bee

What International Brain Bee does

International Brain Bee (IBB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that operates the world's largest neuroscience competition for high school students. Founded in 1998 by Dr. Norbert Myslinski at the University of Maryland and formally incorporated in 2018, the IBB runs a three-tiered competition structure: Local Brain Bee competitions within countries, National Brain Bee competitions in 50+ participating nations, and an annual IBB World Championship that convenes one national champion from each country. The flagship World Championship is held virtually in conjunction with the Society for Neuroscience's annual meeting and assesses competitors through written exams, neuroanatomy, neurohistology, and patient diagnosis components, culminating in a Live Judging Session. Top winners are then invited to IBB NextGen, an in-person educational experience hosted at rotating partner conferences including the FENS Forum and the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

The organization is governed by five international neuroscience and educational bodies — the American Psychological Association (APA), the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS), the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), and the Alzheimer's Association — whose senior representatives populate the IBB Board. A small operational team (~23 people across Executive Director, Academic Director, Project Manager, IT Consultant, Coordinator, and Social Media Coordinator roles) runs the program with the support of hundreds of volunteers globally. The IBB's proprietary assets include the registered "Brain Bee" trademark, an archive of competition content and study materials, and an expanding network of National Brain Bee chapters.

IBB's business model is donation-dependent: participation for students is free, and the organization is funded through grants (notably from the Dana Foundation), contributions from its Governing Partners, and individual donations. Distribution is primarily through its own website (thebrainbee.org), social media channels (Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook), an email newsletter, and the marketing channels of its Governing Partners. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and serves a globally distributed student base with no commercial monetization, no venture capital backing, and no publicly disclosed revenue.

Name

International Brain Bee

Legal name

International Brain Bee

Website

https://thebrainbee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Brain Bee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the world's largest neuroscience competition for high school students across 50+ countries, structured as Local, National, and World Championship tiers and governed by five major international neuroscience organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education and Neuroscience Competition

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

akta.pro primary industry

National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies (EDADAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Project-Based/Inquiry-Based Learning (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAN)

Keywords

• Neuroscience competition
• Stem education programs
• Youth science contests
• High school outreach
• Brain science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Virtual / Global

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grant Funding: The IBB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that depends on donations to support its educational programs. The organization receives support from governing partners and program sponsors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The International Brain Bee (IBB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs a three-tiered global neuroscience competition for high school students: Local Brain Bee, National Brain Bee, and the annual IBB World Championship. The competitions cover written exams, neuroanatomy, neurohistology, and patient diagnosis assessments. The organization also runs the IBB NextGen program, an in-person follow-up educational experience for top winners held at major neuroscience conferences.

Product overview

International Brain Bee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that operates a three-tiered global neuroscience competition for high school students. The structure consists of Local Brain Bee competitions, National Brain Bee competitions, and the annual IBB World Championship. The organization also runs the IBB NextGen program for top winners. Competitions cover neuroscience topics including brain anatomy, neural pathways, neurological disorders, and neuroscience research. Founded in 1998 and formally incorporated in 2018, the IBB is governed by five international neuroscience organizations (APA, FENS, IBRO, SfN, Alzheimer's Association) and supported by hundreds of volunteers across over 50 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IBB NextGen: A tailored in-person educational experience hosted at governing partner conferences for top five winners of the World Championship.

Products and services

• IBB World Championship The flagship annual global neuroscience competition for high school students, bringing together national champions from around the world to compete in written exams, neuroanatomy, neurohistology, and patient diagnosis tests, culminating in a Live Judging Session with prominent neuroscientist judges.
• Local Brain Bee Competitions Regional neuroscience competitions for high school students (typically ages 13-19) that serve as the first tier of the three-tiered competition structure, with top performers advancing to national competitions.
• National Brain Bee Competitions Country-level neuroscience competitions where winners earn the right to represent their nation at the annual IBB World Championship. Each country may have its own structure and study materials.
• IBB NextGen A follow-up educational experience for top World Championship winners, hosted at major neuroscience conferences (such as FENS Forum or Alzheimer's Association International Conference), providing networking and career development opportunities.
• IYNA Virtual Brain Bee A virtual neuroscience competition for students from countries that do not have a National Brain Bee, organized by the International Youth Neuroscience Association. The winner qualifies for the IBB World Championship.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Alzheimer's AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Alzheimer's Association joined as a Governing Partner in 2021 and hosts IBB NextGen events at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC). The Alzheimer's Association's Chief Science Officer, Dr. Maria Carrillo, serves as Board Member. AAIC 2025 in Toronto hosted the IBB NextGen event.
• American Psychological Association (APA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018APA is a founding Governing Partner of the IBB and provides strategic support and guidance on all aspects of the organization's development. APA's Deputy CEO, Dr. Jaime L. Diaz-Granados, serves as Immediate Past Chair of the IBB Board. APA hosted the 2023 World Championship at its Annual Convention in Washington, DC.
• International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018IBRO is a founding Governing Partner of the IBB and provides strategic support and guidance on the organization's development. IBRO's Executive Director, Dr. Lars Kristiansen, serves as Board Treasurer. IBRO hosted the 2019 World Championship at its World Congress of Neuroscience in Daegu, Korea.
• Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018FENS is a founding Governing Partner and hosts IBB NextGen events at the FENS Forum. FENS's Executive Director, Tasia Asakawa, serves as Board Chair. FENS hosted the 2018 World Championship at its Forum in Berlin, Germany, and the 2022 Championship at FENS Forum 2022 in Paris.
• Society for Neuroscience (SfN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018SfN is a founding Governing Partner and the primary host for the IBB World Championship, which is held virtually immediately before Neuroscience, SfN's annual meeting. SfN's Executive Director, Marty Saggese, serves as Board Vice-Chair. SfN has hosted championships at its conferences in San Diego (2025), Chicago (2024), and previously.
• Dana FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018The Dana Foundation was a founding Governing Partner and currently provides grant support to the IBB for the World Championship and IBB NextGen. The Dana Foundation advanced neuroscience that benefits society and reflects the aspirations of all people.
• International Youth Neuroscience Association (IYNA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIYNA is a global, youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to inspiring the next generation of neuroscientists. IYNA leads several programs related to the IBB preparing interested students for the competition at all levels. Students from countries without a National Brain Bee can participate in the IYNA Virtual Brain Bee to qualify for the IBB World Championship.
• Cajal ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Cajal Club, established in 1947 to celebrate neuroanatomy, supports two initiatives related to the IBB World Championship: the Cajal Club Lecture focused on the cerebral cortex, and the Cajal Club Neural Progenitor Award recognizing the winner of the IBB Live Judging Session.
• Global Talent MentoringsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Talent Mentoring connects promising individuals in STEM with expert mentors to foster skill development, innovation, and leadership. The IBB nominates National Champions for the prestigious Global Talent Mentoring Program.
• American Brain CoalitionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IBB is a member of the American Brain Coalition, a nonprofit organization uniting patient advocacy groups, professional associations, and industry leaders to advance research, awareness, and support for brain health and neurological disorders.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Science Olympiad: U.S. K-12 multi-event STEM team competition with regional, state, and national tournament structure. Most format-comparable peer to IBB: multi-tiered academic competition, volunteer-organized at the local level, national-champion advancement, and free student participation.
• MATHCOUNTS: National middle-school math competition with school, chapter, state, and national levels culminating in a live national championship. Highly comparable three-to-four tier structure, nonprofit model, and free participation.
• Center for Excellence in Education - USA Biology Olympiad (USABO): U.S. high school biology olympiad whose top performers represent the USA at the International Biology Olympiad. Closest subject-adjacent peer to IBB — both are single-discipline life-science competitions for high schoolers with national-to-international championship progression.

Peers

• Society for Science - Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS):

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ibbworldchampionship
• Facebookfacebook.com/internationalbrainbee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-brain-bee
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibb_org

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 International Brain Bee