Science In A Suitcase
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Science In A Suitcase does
Science In A Suitcase is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 47-4229328), founded in 2014 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, that delivers hands-on STEAM education to children in underserved communities through donated LEGO robotics kits. Its core offering is the deployment and curriculum support of LEGO robotics platforms — including LEGO WeDo, WeDo 2.0, MINDSTORMS NXT, MINDSTORMS EV3, and Technic parts — into partner schools, paired with teacher training and ongoing mentorship. Active program delivery is currently concentrated in Nanyuki, Kenya, where the organization works with Ol Pejeta Nature Conservancy, STEM Impact Kenya, and The Leo Project to operate robotics clubs in six local schools; prior programs have operated in Cambodia, India, Vietnam, and South Africa.
The organization's business model is donation-based rather than commercial. Revenue is generated through individual donations, fundraising campaigns, and in-kind contributions of used LEGO robotics kits collected via its Robot Round Up program; programs are delivered free of charge to beneficiary schools and students. Distribution is executed through direct school partnerships and NGO co-design, supplemented by a regenerative travel model (e.g., the February 2025 Kenya trip) that engages educator-volunteers and supporters. Cumulative impact to date is reported as 4,040+ students exposed to robotics, 275+ teachers and mentors trained, and 175 robots donated across program geographies.
The organization is led by Board President Nicole Richard, who previously led NI development teams for LEGO MINDSTORMS and LEGO WeDo software, alongside a small volunteer-heavy board and a Kenya-based Program Coordinator. Strategic positioning is anchored by the trademarked "Science in a Suitcase™" brand, a GuideStar Silver Seal 2024 transparency credential, and a 2030 goal of running World Robotic Olympiad programs in 30% of Nanyuki's community schools. The organization is small, privately funded, and does not disclose financial statements publicly.
Science In A Suitcase firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Science In A Suitcase
- Legal name
- Science In A Suitcase
- Website
- https://scienceinasuitcase.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Science In A Suitcase industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit STEM/STEAM Education Services
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- akta.pro primary industry
- LEGO / Block-Based Robotics Programs (EDAMADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused) (EDAMADAN)
Keywords
Where Science In A Suitcase is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Science In A Suitcase business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Science In A Suitcase is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 47-4229328) that raises funds through individual donations, financial contributions, and fundraising campaigns. Donors can contribute financially to purchase new LEGO robotics kits for children in underserved communities.
- In-Kind Donations of Robotics Equipment: The organization accepts donated LEGO robotics kits (EV3, Mindstorms, NXT, WeDo, or WeDo 2.0) which are redistributed to underserved communities. This in-kind donations program supports their mission without generating direct revenue.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Science In A Suitcase product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Science In A Suitcase is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free hands-on STEM/STEAM education programs built around donated LEGO robotics kits to children in underserved schools and communities worldwide. It runs three core programs: general STEM/STEAM education (LEGO WeDo and MINDSTORMS robotics), the Robot Round Up kit-collection and redistribution program, and the Kenya Robotics Program establishing robotics clubs in Nanyuki schools. The organization also provides teacher training, curriculum support, and volunteer-led community workshops, with all programs offered at no cost to beneficiaries.
Product overview
Science In A Suitcase is a nonprofit organization offering STEM/STEAM educational programs centered around LEGO robotics. The organization operates several core programs: (1) General STEM/STEAM education programs that provide hands-on robotics learning experiences to students globally; (2) the Robot Round Up program, which collects and redistributes donated LEGO robotics kits (EV3, Mindstorms, NXT, WeDo, WeDo 2.0) to underserved communities; and (3) the Kenya Robotics Program, a dedicated initiative in Nanyuki, Kenya, that establishes robotics clubs in local schools with the goal of developing World Robotic Olympiad competition programs. The organization also provides teacher training and mentorship, and has donated over 175 LEGO robotics kits to schools worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- STEM/STEAM Education Programs Hands-on STEM and STEAM educational programs that engage students with LEGO robotics and robotics-based learning experiences, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in underserved communities globally. Provided free of charge to beneficiary schools and students.
- Robot Round Up Program that collects donated LEGO robotics kits (EV3, Mindstorms, NXT, WeDo, WeDo 2.0) and redistributes them to underserved communities to kickstart robotics programs for children. Operates as an in-kind donation channel rather than a paid product.
- Kenya Robotics Program LEGO robotics education initiative in Nanyuki, Kenya, launched in 2023 in partnership with Ol Pejeta Nature Conservancy. Operates robotics clubs in 6 local schools, reaching 390+ children with hands-on STEM education, training 64 teachers, and donating 13 robotics kits, with a goal of implementing World Robot Olympiad programs in 30% of community schools by 2030.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4,040+ students exposed to robotics globally
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Science In A Suitcase
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Science In A Suitcase technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Science In A Suitcase partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ol Pejeta Nature ConservancycoreScience In A Suitcase partners with Ol Pejeta Nature Conservancy to build a LEGO robotics program for children in rural community schools they support in Nanyuki, Kenya. The partnership focuses on underserved youth with goals to expand STEAM education and create lasting opportunities.
- STEM Impact KenyacoreKenyan-based STEM organization collaborating with Science In A Suitcase on the Nanyuki robotics program. Supports local implementation and community engagement in Kenya.
- The Leo ProjectcorePartner organization working with Science In A Suitcase on current robotics education initiatives, particularly in Kenya.
- SawasawaminorLocal partner organization in Kenya supporting community outreach and educational initiatives.
- Miracle FoundationminorPast partner organization that worked with Science In A Suitcase on educational programs.
- National Instruments (NI)minorPast partner that contributed to Science In A Suitcase programs; Board President Nicole Richard previously led NI development teams for LEGO MINDSTORMS and WeDo robotics software.
- Ponheary Ly FoundationminorPast partner organization in Cambodia that collaborated on STEM education initiatives.
- Hands-on TechminorPast partner that supported Science In A Suitcase educational programs.
- Sunflower MissionminorPast partner organization that collaborated on Science In A Suitcase programs.
- Breakthrough Central TexasminorPast Austin-based partner that worked with Science In A Suitcase on local STEM education initiatives.
- Paramount TheatreminorPast partner organization in Austin that collaborated with Science In A Suitcase.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Science In A Suitcase competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- World Robot Olympiad Association: WRO runs the global World Robot Olympiad competition that Science In A Suitcase explicitly targets for its 2030 Nanyuki goal. WRO sets the curriculum and competition framework the org is building toward, making it both a partner-channel and a strategic peer.
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST operates FIRST LEGO League, the largest global K-12 robotics competition and education program using the same LEGO robotics kits. It is the most direct peer in LEGO-based robotics education, though at vastly larger scale and with formal competition infrastructure.
- Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF): RECF operates VEX Robotics competitions and broader K-12 robotics programs in the US. While its hardware platform differs, it competes for the same school robotics-curriculum and underserved-youth funding dollars that Science In A Suitcase targets.
Broad incumbents
- Code.org: Code.org is the largest US-based K-12 computer science education nonprofit, broadly comparable in donor base and mission (expanding CS/STEM access to underserved students). It does not specialize in robotics, so the overlap is thematic rather than direct.
- LEGO Education: LEGO Education is the corporate provider of the MINDSTORMS, WeDo, EV3, and SPIKE Prime kits the org redistributes and uses. It is the upstream incumbent in the same ecosystem, with vastly larger resources, curriculum IP, and institutional partnerships.
- LEGO Foundation: The LEGO Foundation funds global play-based learning and STEAM access initiatives and is a likely funder/partner for Science In A Suitcase given shared mission and direct LEGO platform dependency. It is a much larger incumbent in the same ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Technovation: Technovation runs global technology entrepreneurship programs for underserved girls, including in Kenya and India — both Science In A Suitcase geographies. It competes for similar donor pools targeting tech access for underserved youth, though its curriculum is app-building rather than robotics.
- Iridescent: Iridescent is a STEM education nonprofit serving underserved youth through family engagement and hands-on engineering programs. It overlaps in mission and beneficiary segment (underserved youth, hands-on STEM) but focuses on different curricula and geographies.
- STEM Impact Kenya: STEM Impact Kenya is a Kenyan STEM education nonprofit and a current operational partner of Science In A Suitcase on the Nanyuki program. It serves a comparable underserved-student segment with overlapping curriculum, making it both a collaborator and a near-peer in the same geography.
Regional players
- STEM NOLA: STEM NOLA is a New Orleans-based nonprofit delivering hands-on STEM programming to underserved youth. It is comparable in operating model (community-based STEM delivery, donor-funded, free to participants) but operates in a different US geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Science In A Suitcase social profiles
Digital presenceScience In A Suitcase financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Science In A Suitcase leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Science In A Suitcase funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Science In A Suitcase M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Science In A Suitcase
What does Science In A Suitcase do?
Science In A Suitcase is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free hands-on STEM/STEAM education programs built around donated LEGO robotics kits to children in underserved schools and communities worldwide. It runs three core programs: general STEM/STEAM education (LEGO WeDo and MINDSTORMS robotics), the Robot Round Up kit-collection and redistribution program, and the Kenya Robotics Program establishing robotics clubs in Nanyuki schools. The organization also provides teacher training, curriculum support, and volunteer-led community workshops, with all programs offered at no cost to beneficiaries.
Is Science In A Suitcase a public or private company?
Science In A Suitcase is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Science In A Suitcase founded?
Science In A Suitcase was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Science In A Suitcase based?
Science In A Suitcase is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Science In A Suitcase make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are in-Kind Donations of Robotics Equipment.
Who are Science In A Suitcase's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are World Robot Olympiad Association, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF). Broad incumbents are Code.org, LEGO Education and LEGO Foundation. Emerging players are Technovation, Iridescent and STEM Impact Kenya. STEM NOLA is listed as a regional player.
Does Science In A Suitcase have an API?
No public API is recorded for Science In A Suitcase.
What industry is Science In A Suitcase in?
Science In A Suitcase's product category is Nonprofit STEM/STEAM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAD, LEGO / Block-Based Robotics Programs, with a secondary code of EDAMADAN, Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused). Its NAICS code is 61169.