Mad ScienceFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Mad Science franchise requires a total initial investment of $132K – $192K, including a $49K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $388K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 14.7% charge-off rate across 34 loans[1]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $132K – $192K
- 36th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $388K
- 19th pct Education
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 31st pct Education
- Units
- 70
- 52nd pct Education
- SBA default
- 14.7%
- system-wide median varies by category
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
Franchising since 1995. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $132K – $192K including a $49K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $388K/year (median $323K).
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 98/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 14.7% across 34 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Mad Science Group Inc.
- Parent company
- 3908160 Canada Inc.
- Incorporated in
- Canada
- HQ
- 8360 Bougainville Street, Suite 201, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4P 2G1
- Auditor
- Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.4M
- vs $4.6M prior year
Overview
About
Mad Science franchisees deliver hands-on STEM education programs (chemistry, physics, engineering experiments) to children through school partnerships, birthday parties, summer camps, and corporate events. Day-to-day operations involve scheduling mobile lab visits, managing equipment inventory, recruiting/training instructors, and marketing programs to schools and parents.
- CEO
- Ariel Shlien
- Founded
- 1993
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 21
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49K | $49K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $14K | $21K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $70K | $122K |
| Total initial investment | $132K | $192K |
Source: Mad Science 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
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
$50K
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
28%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3.6 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $132K – $192K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $14K – $21K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $49K – $49K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- Gross Revenues · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $388K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $323K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 57 units
- vs category median 14 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $85K→$1.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 237 Education brands
vs Education averages
How Mad Science Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 70
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 12
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 83%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +1.8%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -1.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 5
Last reporting year only, multi-year history not disclosed in this brand's FDD.
Item 20 · 18 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.
- Total loans
- 34
- Loan volume
- $3.2M
- Median loan
- $54K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 14.7%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 85.3%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 18
- Defaults
- 5
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Mad Science's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 3 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 3 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Mad Science presents elevated risk due to non-disclosed profitability, stagnant unit growth, going concern status, active litigation, and regulatory history that collectively suggest a struggling franchise system with unclear franchisee economics.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 98 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — franchisor may have solvency or operational viability issues
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19 — unable to verify profitability claims; only $388k average revenue provided
- 03MINORMinimal unit growth (1.8% YoY) — system is essentially stagnant with only ~70 locations
- 04HIGHOngoing Paris litigation (2020) with competitor alleging reputation damage and network disruption — material reputational risk
- 05MINORFDD registration violation in Maryland (2012) with consent order — compliance/governance red flag
- 06MEDHigh franchise fee ($49k) relative to slow growth and undisclosed margins — ROI unclear
- 07MINOR8% royalty on $388k avg revenue = ~$31k annual fee — materially impacts unit economics with unknown net profitability
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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Geographic |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Quebec |
| Litigation count | 2 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 80 hrs
- POS system
- QuickBooks
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
27 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Mad Science · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Mad Science franchise?
The total investment to open a Mad Science franchise ranges from $132K – $192K, with an initial franchise fee of $49K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Mad Science franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Mad Science FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $388K. The median is $323K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Mad Science's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Mad Science has a charge-off rate of 14.7% across 34 loans, meaning 14.7% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Mad Science franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Mad Science has 70 total units in the United States, including 59 franchised units and 12 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Mad Science a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Mad Science as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 98 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.
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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.