STEMatch

What STEMatch does

STEMatch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2017 by Chris Zannetos and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that operates a two-program model to address the STEM talent pipeline gap in the United States. The organization's Career Days program delivers 3-hour hands-on events at technology companies for sixth-grade students from rural, lower-income, and other underserved communities, aiming to increase STEM visibility and interest — programs claim a 75%+ increase in STEM interest among participants. The COMPETE workforce development program, launched in March 2023, provides community college students with skills training, professional mentorship, and paid internship placements in software development, cybersecurity, IT support, and related fields, creating a pathway to tech jobs that does not require a four-year degree.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; it functions as a nonprofit intermediary coordinating between three stakeholder groups: technology companies (employer partners), community colleges, and students. Its technology stack is minimal — primarily a Squarespace-hosted website and standard communication tools — with no disclosed APIs, proprietary platforms, or software products. The Industry Advisory Board of senior technology executives (CISOs, CTOs) provides strategic guidance and serves as the primary partnership-development channel.

STEMatch's business model is funded through charitable donations, government grants (notably from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which funded both the 2020 pilot and 2024 scaling), and in-kind support from employer partners. The organization states that 100% of donations are invested in programs, and both Career Days and COMPETE are delivered at no cost to student participants. Employer partners gain access to a curated, diverse talent pipeline, while community colleges gain industry connections for their students. The customer base includes 21 employer partners (as of 2026) such as Salesforce, Amazon Robotics, Red Hat, Microsoft, General Dynamics, Federal Reserve Bank Boston, and Mimecast, and 10 community college partners across Massachusetts and Maryland.

Name

STEMatch

Legal name

STEMatch, Inc.

Website

https://stematch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

STEMatch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2017 that operates the COMPETE workforce development program for community college students and Career Days events for middle schoolers, connecting underserved communities with technology employer partners in Massachusetts and Maryland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF), STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL), STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

Keywords

• STEM workforce development
• Career pathway programs
• Industry education partnerships
• Nonprofit talent pipeline
• STEM career exploration

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, STEMatch is funded through charitable donations and government grants. The organization states that 100% of donations are invested in programs.
2. Program Services: STEMatch operates workforce development programs (COMPETE) that bridge education and industry, providing value to both employer partners seeking talent and educational institutions seeking career pathways for students. While direct fees are not mentioned, the organization likely receives program support from grant funding tied to Commonwealth of Massachusetts partnerships.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

STEMatch runs two core programs: COMPETE, which delivers work-skills training, career mentorship, and paid internship/co-op placement for community college students pursuing software development, cybersecurity, IT support, and related tech careers; and Career Days, which are 3-hour hands-on events hosted at technology companies for 6th-grade students from rural, lower-income, and underserved communities. Both programs are offered at no direct cost to participants and operate through partnerships with community colleges, employer partners, and middle schools.

Product overview

STEMatch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering two core programs: COMPETE, a workforce development program for community college students that provides work skills training, career mentorship, and paid internships/co-ops in software development, cybersecurity, and IT support; and Career Days, 3-hour experiential events at tech companies for middle school students to inspire interest in STEM careers. Both programs are designed to close the opportunity gap by connecting underserved communities to tech job pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• COMPETE A workforce development program that provides skills training, career mentorship, and paid internship placement for community college students pursuing software development, cybersecurity, IT support, and related tech careers. Operates through partnerships with community colleges and employer partners; students participate at no direct cost.
• Career Days 3-hour hands-on experiential events held at technology company sites where 6th graders from rural, lower-income, and underserved communities learn about STEM career opportunities through practical projects hosted by employer volunteers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of COMPETE 2025 interns rated as employable by employer partners
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• RapDevstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026New employer partner. RapDev is a fast-growing process automation engineering services company based in Boston that hosted its first Career Day for Chelsea students.
• MimecastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026COMPETE employer partner for cybersecurity and IT interns. With Mimecast's agreement, 100% of 2025 COMPETE partners have now signed to partner again in 2026.
• InstroncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2026COMPETE 26 employer partner. Instron is a leading manufacturer of tensile, compression, fatigue, impact, rheology, and structural testing machines. The signing brought the program to 21 employer partners, a 200% increase from 2025.
• COMSO/CISPointstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025First Maryland employer partner. CISPoint to provide mentoring to Maryland COMPETE students and interview students for paid internships.
• Bristol Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2025Partnership agreement to promote COMPETE training and internship program to cybersecurity, IT, and computer science students at Bristol, expanding reach to Massachusetts' South Coast region.
• Anne Arundel Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2025STEMatch and Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland partnered to promote the COMPETE program to Anne Arundel cybersecurity students, providing additional work skills training, mentoring, coaching, and internship opportunities to start careers in cybersecurity. This is the first Maryland college partner.
• Cybersecurity Association of MarylandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025Partnership to bring the award-winning COMPETE workforce development program to Maryland. The two organizations jointly work to recruit employer partners to provide mentoring and paid internships/co-ops for Maryland community college cybersecurity students.
• Quinsigamond Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Partnership to provide work skills training, coaching/mentoring, and internship opportunities to Quinsigamond students in cybersecurity, electronics engineering, and Information Technology, expanding COMPETE to Central Massachusetts.
• Gordon BrothersstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2025COMPETE employer partner. Gordon Brothers has been providing asset management services to operating companies, investors, and advisors since 1903.
• InruptstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2025COMPETE employer partner. Inrupt provides digital wallet infrastructure for data and agentic wallets, founded by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web.
• TripadvisorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2025COMPETE employer partner providing 6 software development and IT interns. Long-term partner since 2017 with multiple Career Day hosting events.
• Federal Reserve Bank BostoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 December 2024COMPETE employer partner for mentoring and hiring software and cybersecurity interns. One of the original pilot program partners in 2020.
• MimecastcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2024COMPETE 25 employer partner. One of the companies involved in the original COMPETE pilot program, providing mentoring and internships to community college students.
• Draper LabsstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2024COMPETE 25 employer partner. Draper Labs is the country's premier independent, non-profit engineering innovation company, providing software development and cybersecurity interns.
• Middlesex Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2024Expansion from 3 to 6 college partners for COMPETE 25. Computer science, cybersecurity, electrical engineering, CAD, networking/user support, and digital forensics students eligible for the program.
• Franklin Cummings Techcore24 October 2024COMPETE program participant for the 3rd year. Computer science, mechatronics, industrial electronics, and cybersecurity students gain additional work skills training, career mentoring and paid internship opportunities.
• ButcherBoxminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2024COMPETE 2025 cohort participant, mentoring and providing internships for computer science students.
• Bunker Hill Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2024Agreement enabling students studying for Associate's Degrees to participate in STEMatch's 2025 COMPETE program cohort.
• MassBay Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2024Foundation community college partner for the award-winning pilot project whose learning led to the creation of the COMPETE program. Signed for COMPETE 25.
• Commonwealth of MassachusettscoreOthersGrant funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to scale COMPETE workforce development program and support initial pilot with MassBay Community College and eight technology companies.
• Industry Advisory Board MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior technology executives provide strategic guidance and facilitate employer partnerships. Members include CISOs and CTOs from Maximus, Tripadvisor, Black Duck, Gordon Brothers, EY, Advarra, athenahealth, Point32Health, BellXcel, and others.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Per Scholas: Nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training and career placement to adults from underserved communities. Closely comparable to STEMatch on the IT/cybersecurity training and employer partnership model.
• i.c.stars: Nonprofit workforce development program providing technology training and leadership development to underserved young adults. Comparable community-based tech training and employer placement model.
• LaunchCode: Nonprofit offering free coding education and paid apprenticeship pathways into tech careers for underrepresented talent. Closely aligned on tech talent pipeline mission for non-traditional learners.
• Year Up: National 501(c)(3) workforce development nonprofit providing skills training and corporate internships for low-income young adults. Directly comparable to STEMatch's COMPETE model for community college students seeking tech career pathways.
• Apprenti: Nonprofit tech apprenticeship program matching underrepresented talent with IT careers at major employers. Closely comparable to STEMatch's internship-to-hire motion in cybersecurity and software development.
• Genesys Works: Nonprofit providing high school students from underserved communities pathways into professional careers through skills training and corporate internships. Comparable youth-focused workforce development mission.
• Workforce Opportunity Services: Nonprofit workforce development organization providing skills training, mentoring, and job placement for underrepresented populations. Comparable employer-college-student intermediary model.
• NPower: Nonprofit offering free tech training, certifications, and job placement for veterans, military spouses, and unemployed/underemployed adults. Comparable workforce development focus on cybersecurity and IT support roles.
• Pursuit (formerly C4Q): Nonprofit training underrepresented adults in software engineering and connecting them to high-paying tech jobs. Closely aligned with STEMatch's tech apprenticeship and employer partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: Large 501(c)(3) focused on expanding access to computer science education in K–12 schools. Comparable STEM education nonprofit mission but operates at much larger scale and younger age band than STEMatch.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/STEMatch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stematch

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 STEMatch