Amazing Explorers AcademyFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Amazing Explorers Academy franchise requires a total initial investment of $568K – $5.1M, including a $100K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $666K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $568K – $5.1M
- 58th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $666K
- 28th pct Education
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 17th pct Education
- Units
- 13
- 29th pct Education
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
At 0.2x revenue per dollar invested, this system underperforms the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Franchised units fell from 5 to 3 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $568K – $5.1M including a $100K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $666K/year.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 49/100.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- AEA DEV LLC
- Parent company
- AEA Franchising, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Amazing Explorers LLC
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 13495 Veterans Way, Suite 320, Orlando FL 32827
Overview
About
Amazing Explorers Academy operates STEM/experiential learning centers for children, combining hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math activities with exploratory play. Franchisees manage day-to-day operations including enrollment, class scheduling, instructor training, facility management, and parent communication while adhering to curriculum and brand standards. Revenue derives primarily from tuition, membership fees, summer camps, and ancillary programs.
- CEO
- Marcello Spinelli
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Feenot refundable | $100K | $100K | |
| Real Estate Feenot refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Construction Management Feenot refundable | $150K | $500K | |
| Real Estate Acquisition or Lease Deposit | $30K | $520K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $3.0M | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $25K | $400K | |
| Lease Guarantee | $0 | $20K | |
| Lease Guarantee Payment | $0 | $3K | |
| Development or Soft Costs | $80K | $350K | |
| Technology Fee | $0 | $5 | |
| Insurance | $2K | $5K | |
| Training (travel and living expenses) | $3K | $5K | |
| Signage | $20K | $30K | |
| Utility/Security Deposits | $2K | $5K | |
| Pre-Opening Advertising and Grand Opening Expenses | $25K | $30K | |
| Pre-Opening Operating Expenses | $25K | $30K | |
| Licenses and Permits | $2K | $10K | |
| Professional Fees (Legal, Accounting) | $5K | $10K | |
| Additional funds (Three months)not refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Area Development Feenot refundable | $150K | $500K | |
| Total initial investment | $693K | $5.6M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$100K
15.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
3%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
29.3 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $568K – $5.1M
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $50K – $100K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $100K – $100K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Gross Revenue · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 13.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $5 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 13.0% of rev |
At 13.0% total fee load, roughly $87K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $666K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Transparency
- 0 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 237 Education brands
Revenue is only 0.2x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
vs Education averages
How Amazing Explorers Academy Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 13
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +18.2%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +62.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 23 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Caution-to-High Risk: Undisclosed financials, franchisor going concern issues, tiny unit count, and extreme investment variance create visibility problems that prevent informed ROI assessment.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation or other dispute resolution required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 49 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosure (average revenue and net income not provided) — impossible to assess ROI or payback period
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial instability at franchisor level, raising sustainability questions
- 03MINORExtreme investment range spread ($567.5K–$5.1M, 806% variance) suggests highly variable unit economics or lack of standardization
- 04MINOROnly 13 total units with modest 18.2% YoY growth — small system size limits brand recognition and support infrastructure
- 05MED7% royalty on undisclosed revenue means franchisees cannot model profitability or compare against industry benchmarks
- 06HIGHNo litigation disclosed is positive, but combined with other red flags suggests possible brand immaturity rather than strength
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | demographics |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 5 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 30 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation or other dispute resolution required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 80 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Your Academy Location
- Field support
- 40 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- ProCare Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ProCare Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
29 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Amazing Explorers Academy · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Amazing Explorers Academy franchise?
The total investment to open a Amazing Explorers Academy franchise ranges from $568K – $5.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $100K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Amazing Explorers Academy franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Amazing Explorers Academy FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $666K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Amazing Explorers Academy's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Amazing Explorers Academy (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Amazing Explorers Academy franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Amazing Explorers Academy has 13 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Amazing Explorers Academy a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Amazing Explorers Academy as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 49 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.