Centre Of The Cell

What Centre Of The Cell does

Centre of the Cell is a UK-registered nonprofit science education centre operated as Queen Mary University of London's flagship biomedical science public engagement and outreach project. Founded in 2009 and located within the Blizard Institute at QMUL's Whitechapel campus in London, it operates from a single physical site described as the first science education centre in the world to be located within working biomedical research laboratories. The organisation delivers interactive biomedical and STEM education to three primary audiences: schools and groups (curriculum-linked STEM Pod experiences, workshops, and shows), the general public and families (holiday events, venue hire), and young people aged 14-19 (a free Youth Membership Scheme providing work experience, mentoring, summer school, and careers guidance). Two flagship physical experiences anchor the offer: the STEM Pod (opened 2009) and the Neuron Pod (opened 2018), with capacities of 40 and 55 people respectively. Beyond on-site programming, the centre runs an outreach programme delivering shows and workshops to schools, maintains a digital content library (online science games including Skinvaders developed with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, researcher-authored stories updated twice monthly, recorded lectures, and a microscopy gallery), and operates a shop and venue-hire service.

Name

Centre Of The Cell

Legal name

Centre of the Cell

Website

https://centreofthecell.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centre of the Cell is a London-based nonprofit science education centre embedded within Queen Mary University of London's Blizard Institute, delivering interactive biomedical STEM education to schools, families, and 14-19 year olds through immersive on-site experiences, outreach, and free digital content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Education

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy) (EDAMABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Science & Medical STEM Programs (Pre-Med, Public Health) (EDAMABAJ), STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• Science education
• STEM learning
• Interactive exhibits
• Youth programmes
• Biomedical outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Services and Bookings: Revenue from school group bookings, public event bookings, and outreach programs. Schools and groups pay via invoice with 30-day payment terms. Individual event bookings are paid at time of booking via credit/debit card.
2. Venue Hire: Revenue from hiring out unique event spaces including the STEM Pod and Neuron Pod for private events
3. Shop Sales: Revenue from science-inspired and educational products sold through the Centre of the Cell shop
4. Donations and Grants: Funding from institutional donors including Wellcome Trust, university partnerships, charitable foundations, and corporate sponsors

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centre of the Cell is a nonprofit science education centre that delivers curriculum-linked biomedical science learning through the STEM Pod Experience and Neuron Pod immersive environments, presenter-led workshops and shows, an outreach program that brings activities to schools, a free Youth Membership Scheme for 14-19 year olds, online science games and stories, and venue hire of its unique pod spaces. It is operated as Queen Mary University of London's flagship public engagement project from within the Blizard Institute in Whitechapel, London.

Product overview

Centre of the Cell is Queen Mary University of London's flagship science education centre, operating as a unique interactive science learning facility. It offers a portfolio of experiential education products: the STEM Pod Experience (opened 2009) and Neuron Pod (opened 2018) as its flagship immersive environments; workshops and shows for schools and groups; an outreach program bringing science shows to schools; and a free Youth Scheme Membership for 14-19 year olds providing work experience, mentoring, and careers guidance. Additional offerings include science-themed games (Skinvaders), stories articles, watch-and-listen video content, a scientific image gallery, venue hire, and a shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STEM Pod Experience An immersive interactive experience where visitors engage with cutting-edge cell biology and biomedical science topics within a state-of-the-art pod environment featuring multimedia, sound, film, and interactive elements.
• Neuron Pod A second learning environment offering interactive science education experiences and workshops focused on neuroscience and brain science for visitors.
• Workshops and Shows Interactive presenter-led science shows with demonstrations and hands-on workshops featuring challenges and tasks for groups, covering topics related to cells and the human body, delivered on-site and through outreach.
• Outreach Program Science shows and workshops delivered at schools and organisations, providing curriculum-linked multimedia activities focused on cells and human body topics outside the centre.
• Youth Scheme Membership Free membership programme for 14-19 year olds offering work experience, volunteering, summer school, mentoring, and careers advice sessions for those interested in science and healthcare careers.
• Venue Hire Rental of Centre of the Cell's unique spaces including STEM Pod and Neuron Pod for private and corporate events.
• Shop Online shop offering a range of science-inspired and educational products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free access to all youth activities removing financial barriers to STEM engagement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Queen Mary University of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution and flagship biomedical science, public engagement, and outreach project. Located at the Blizard Institute within QMUL. Provides research partnership and institutional support.
• Barts and the London School of Medicine and DentistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical education partner providing academic connections and student involvement
• Blizard InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution providing the working biomedical research laboratory environment that makes Centre of the Cell unique

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Techniquest (Cardiff): Wales's leading science discovery centre delivering STEM shows, workshops, and outreach to schools. Comparable in size, school audience focus, and outreach-driven revenue model.
• Glasgow Science Centre: Major UK science centre with immersive exhibits, school workshops, and outreach. Comparable operating model as a regional science centre with similar capacity and programme mix.
• Wellcome Collection: Wellcome Trust's public venue combining biomedical-themed exhibitions, events, and digital content. Closest peer given shared biomedical focus and overlapping Wellcome funding source.
• Science Museum (London): London's flagship science museum delivering interactive STEM learning experiences to school groups and families. Direct comparator on audience, funder base, and curriculum-linked programming, though operating at far greater scale.
• Eureka! The National Children's Museum: UK children's museum in Halifax focused on hands-on STEM learning for school groups and families. Comparable on audience demographic, hands-on exhibit philosophy, and curriculum-linked school programmes.
• Manchester Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI): Major UK science museum delivering interactive exhibits and school workshops. Comparable on immersive STEM experiences, school booking model, and outreach programming.
• Royal Institution: Historic London science engagement organisation running family lectures, schools workshops, and the Christmas Lectures. Comparable on STEM public engagement, London base, and school programming.
• We The Curious (Bristol): Bristol-based interactive science centre offering immersive experiences, school programmes, and public events. Closely comparable in scale, philosophy, and UK science centre positioning.
• Natural History Museum (London): Major London science institution offering school workshops, public engagement, and curriculum-linked biology content. Comparable on school bookings, public programming, and grant-funded education model.

Broad incumbents

• The Franklin Institute: Philadelphia-based science education institution with immersive exhibits, a youth research programme, and strong school partnerships. Comparable on immersive STEM experiences, youth research engagement (e.g., STEM Scholars), and biomedical content emphasis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-of-the-cell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre Of The Cell