What MathsWorldUK does

MathsWorldUK is a registered charity (no. 1155010) and company limited by guarantee (no. 8370409) founded in 2013 and headquartered in Leeds, UK, whose stated mission is to establish the UK's first National Mathematics Discovery Centre. The charity operates MathsCity, a hands-on interactive mathematics experience built around more than 40 physical exhibits (including the Ring of Fire laser exhibit, giant bubble and kaleidoscope installations, and a library of mathematical puzzles), originally launched in October 2021 at Trinity Leeds shopping centre and relocated to 4 Canal Wharf in October 2025, alongside a new 500+ sqm MathsWorld London venue opened on the South Bank in October 2025. A touring exhibition extends the same exhibit platform to schools, festivals, and partner museums across the UK and internationally.

The underlying technology is intentionally low-tech and physical — designed-for-purpose exhibit installations built with Yorkshire design studio WorkHaus, organized into themes (Code Breaking, Chaotic Earth, Chance and Risk) and, at the planned national centre, ten zones spanning Problem Solving, Numbers, Shape, Design and Engineering, Code Breaking, Digital and AI, Medical Research, Planet Earth and Outer Space. Digital distribution is limited to a YouTube channel, a twice-yearly email newsletter, and social media. There is no software platform, no API, and no AI/ML capability disclosed.

The business model is multi-stream charitable income rather than commercial revenue: pre-booked visitor tickets via mathscity.co.uk (with discounted school group rates), individual donations through lovegiving.co.uk plus tiered Friends memberships (£50/year Friend, £500 Lifetime Friend), three-tier corporate sponsorship packages (Prismatic £20k/year, Archimedean £50k/year, Platonic £100k/year), matched fundraising appeals (the £125k Norton Appeal target was reached in 2019), and grant funding including Local Growth Fund investment via West Yorkshire Combined Authority for the City of Maths programme. Cumulative disclosed fundraising includes £105k raised in one year, a £1 million conditional pledge from Michael Norton and trustees, and £700k+ anticipated for the touring exhibition. Customers are primarily UK school groups, families, and general public visitors, with corporate partners and individual donors as secondary segments; a 2025-2026 hiring push for a London Deputy Manager, Leeds PR/Centre Manager, and a City of Maths project team indicates active scaling.

Name

MathsWorldUK

Legal name

MathsWorldUK

Website

https://mathsworlduk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MathsWorldUK is a Leeds-based UK charity operating MathsCity and MathsWorld London — hands-on interactive mathematics discovery centres — and the City of Maths cultural programme, serving school groups, families, and the general public with the goal of establishing the UK's first National Mathematics Discovery Centre.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mathematics Discovery Centre

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Math Games, Puzzles & Recreational Math Programs (EDAMAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Math Circles & Mathematical Communities (EDAMAEAC), Problem-Solving & Enrichment Classes (Non-competition) (EDAMAEAB)

Keywords

• Mathematics education
• Science discovery centres
• Interactive exhibitions
• Public engagement
• STEM outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Public donations through lovegiving.co.uk platform. Individuals can also become Friends (£50/year) or Lifetime Friends (£500 one-time) of MathsWorldUK.
2. Visitor Tickets: Revenue from pre-booked online tickets for MathsCity visits. School groups and families have special booking rates. Tickets must be pre-booked online due to health and safety limits on visitor numbers.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate support packages at three levels: Platonic (£100,000/year), Archimedean (£50,000/year), Prismatic (£20,000/year). Benefits include profile building, hospitality, employee benefits, employee pipeline development, and special events.
4. Matched Funding Campaigns: Matched fundraising campaigns where benefactors pledge to match donations pound-for-pound. Reached initial target of £125,000. Norton Appeal aiming for £1 million with trustee pledges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MathsWorldUK operates interactive mathematics discovery centres where visitors engage with over 40 hands-on exhibits that make mathematical concepts tangible and accessible. The charity runs MathsCity Leeds (opened October 2021, relocated to 4 Canal Wharf in October 2025) and MathsWorld London (opened on London's South Bank in October 2025), serving as pilot venues on the path to a planned UK National Mathematics Discovery Centre. Core offerings include visitor experiences, school group programmes, a touring exhibition, the City of Maths cultural intervention, the Maths Miniatures schools competition, and supporting educational digital content.

Product overview

MathsWorldUK is a registered charity (no. 1155010) working to establish the UK's first National Mathematics Discovery Centre. Its core product is MathsCity, a hands-on interactive mathematics experience that serves as a pilot for the planned national centre. MathsCity features over forty interactive exhibits in Leeds and a new London venue opened in October 2025. Supporting programmes include the City of Maths cultural intervention project, the annual Maths Miniatures short film competition for schools, and a travelling exhibition that brings mathematical exhibits to venues across the UK. The organization also produces educational video content through its YouTube channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MathsCity: A thrilling hands-on interactive experience devoted entirely to mathematics and its applications, located in Leeds. It opened in October 2021 in Trinity Leeds shopping centre and has since moved to 4 Canal Wharf. MathsCity features over forty interactive exhibits including puzzles, the Ring of Fire laser exhibit, bubble and kaleidoscope experiences.

Products and services

• MathsCity Leeds Hands-on interactive mathematics discovery centre experience in Leeds with over 40 exhibits including the laser Ring of Fire, giant bubbles, kaleidoscopes and puzzles, designed to engage visitors of all ages with mathematical concepts through direct interaction. Tickets pre-booked online; school and family rates available.
• MathsWorld London 500+ square metre interactive mathematics discovery centre on London's South Bank offering interactive exhibits, galleries, and special programmes/events for visitors of all ages.
• Touring Mathematical Exhibition Mobile mathematical exhibition that travels to schools, festivals, conferences and museums across the UK and internationally. Interactive exhibits include Parabolic Bounces and Tautochrone. Available for booking with a minimum 3-week hosting period.
• Maths Miniatures Schools Competition

Quantifiable outcome

• 31% of school visitors reported feeling more interested in maths after their visit
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leeds Rhinos FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Local sports team partner for City of Maths cultural intervention. Working with communities across Leeds as part of their community charity work. Partnership aims to transform attitudes towards maths for children and young people.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025One of the largest mathematics research departments in the UK with a well-established outreach programme. Partner in City of Maths project with stakeholder engagement and expert input from maths educators and communicators.
• Leeds City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Local government partner for City of Maths project, working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on this multi-year cultural intervention.
• West Yorkshire Combined AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Regional authority partner for City of Maths project alongside Leeds City Council, providing funding through Local Growth Fund investment.
• LeedsBIDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Business Improvement District highly experienced in developing ambitious creative attractions and large-scale widely publicised events in Leeds. Original supporter of MathsCity at Trinity Leeds.
• Trinity LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Main shopping centre in the heart of Leeds. Hosted MathsCity from October 2021 to September 2025 with generous support. Location provided significant footfall and visibility.
• Northern PowerhousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019MathsWorldUK became a member of the government's Northern Powerhouse Partner Programme, recognising the contribution mathematics makes to the economy and mathematics skills' role in employment opportunities in the region. Part of over 300 businesses and organisations in the programme.
• National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2016MoMath in New York co-organised MATRIX Conference 2016 with MathsWorldUK and University of Leeds. MoMath provided inspiration for MathsWorldUK's vision. Regular discussions about potential future partnership including hosting MATRIX conferences.
• MathematikumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2014Mathematics discovery centre in Germany that inspired MathsWorldUK's vision. One of the successful maths discovery centres around the world referenced by the organisation.
• Open UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing relationship with the Open University. CEO Dr Katie Chicot was on secondment from the OU when appointed. OU provided initial funding and continues as a supporter.
• London Mathematical SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial funder of MathsWorldUK alongside IMA and Nationwide. Professional body representing mathematics community that has provided statements of support and collaborative initiatives.
• Institute of Mathematics and its ApplicationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial funder and professional body supporter. MathsWorldUK updates featured in Mathematics Today publication. Collaboration on events and initiatives.
• The Mathematics AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body providing statement of support and collaboration on initiatives.
• Association of Teachers of MathematicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body featuring MathsWorldUK developments in ATM journal. Collaboration on mathematics education outreach.
• United Kingdom Mathematics TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for Maths Miniatures short film competition, working with MathsWorldUK and University of Leeds to run annual competition for schools.
• Royal Statistical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body providing statement of support for MathsWorldUK's mission.
• Mathematics Education InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganisation providing statement of support for MathsWorldUK.
• Institute of PhysicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body providing statement of support for MathsWorldUK.
• Royal Society of ChemistryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body providing statement of support for MathsWorldUK.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Exploratorium: San Francisco-based interactive science museum and a leading global model for hands-on science engagement. Functions as a broad incumbent comparable to MathsWorldUK's interactive exhibit approach, though with a wider science remit.
• Centre for Life: Northeast England science centre combining a visitor attraction with educational programming. Comparable to MathsWorldUK in its mix of interactive exhibits and school group focus, though covers broader science rather than mathematics.
• Science Museum (London): Major UK science museum with broad public engagement remit, including mathematics-adjacent exhibits. While not focused purely on mathematics, it competes for the same family, school, and tourist audiences that MathsWorldUK and MathsCity target.
• Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum: Midlands-based science museum with interactive exhibits and dedicated school programming. Targets similar family and school audiences to MathsWorldUK and represents an established regional competitor for educational visit budgets.
• National Science and Media Museum: Bradford-based museum exploring science, technology, and media, with significant school group programming. Competes for regional Yorkshire visitor traffic and educational outreach budgets that MathsWorldUK also targets.

Emerging players

• Mathigon: Award-winning interactive online mathematics learning platform founded by MathsWorldUK trustee Dr Philipp Legner and acquired by Amplify in 2021. Represents the digital arm of mathematics enrichment comparable to MathsWorldUK's hands-on physical offering.
• NRICH: University of Cambridge-hosted online mathematics enrichment platform with free resources for students and teachers. Functions as a complementary digital channel to MathsWorldUK's physical exhibits and could be a partner or partial substitute for school group engagement.

Others

• United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT): National body running mathematics competitions and enrichment for UK school students. UKMT is already a formal partner of MathsWorldUK on the Maths Miniatures competition and represents an adjacent ecosystem participant in UK maths engagement.

Direct peers

• Mathematikum: Germany's first mathematics discovery centre in Giessen, opened in 2002 and widely cited as the inspiration for MathsWorldUK's planned National Mathematics Discovery Centre. Operates interactive exhibits on mathematics, science, and logic for general audiences.
• National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath): The only dedicated mathematics discovery centre in the United States, operating hands-on interactive exhibits in New York City. MoMath is the closest direct analogue to MathsWorldUK's mission and has an explicit partnership with MathsWorldUK including co-hosting the MATRIX Conference.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MathsWorldUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCUvIrSlmaSf1ypg3dZrUgA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mathsworlduk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 MathsWorldUK