Purdue educational startup to partner with PASCO Scientific on global distribution

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Explore Interactive, a Purdue University-related startup that markets augmented reality-powered, gamified learning sets to help students in grades 3-5 understand science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), has entered an agreement with PASCO Scientific Inc. to distribute the award-winning MindLabs product around the globe.

MindLabs, which was named by Forbes in 2020 as the STEM product with the best hands-on and AR integration, will be sold in English-language markets as part of the PASCO Blueprint packages for summer and year-long learning enrichment in the sciences. The Blueprint packages are especially of interest for schools and districts with access to ESSERIII educational grant funding within the American Rescue Plan. They are available online.

Amanda Thompson, CEO of Explore Interactive, said PASCO Scientific is the perfect partner for global distribution of the MindLabs science learning product.

"As an established leader and global innovator of educational STEM products, PASCO Scientific is the perfect partner," she said. "Together, we envision a future where high-quality digital interactions, like our MindLabs AR, are integrated with hands-on STEM experiences to maximize student learning outcomes. PASCO's global network of educators will accelerate the adoption of MindLabs worldwide, enabling us to nurture young learners everywhere."

Richard Briscoe, president and CEO of PASCO Scientific, said MindLabs is a strong addition to the company's catalog of educational products to accelerate students’ interests and abilities in the sciences.

"As a growing innovator in science education, MindLabs' creative approach is a game-changer for young learners. The integration of augmented reality into hands-on science creates a new dynamic that makes it easier for younger students to explore complex concepts, like electricity and circuits, through play," Briscoe said. "Through our partnership with MindLabs, we hope to encourage early excitement around science in students around the world while helping them develop foundational literacy in science and STEM concepts."

Thompson and her team conducted educational studies with researchers at the INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering at Purdue under SBIR funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and matching funds from Elevate Ventures.

Explore Interactive has received support and guidance from the Purdue Foundry, an entrepreneurship and commercialization hub housed in the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Purdue's Discovery Park District, adjacent to the Purdue campus.

About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park, Purdue Technology Centers and University Development Office. In 2020, the IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally in startup creation and in the top 20 for patents. The foundation received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about involvement and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.­

Writer: Steve Martin, sgmartin@prf.org 

Sources: Amanda Thompson

Richard Briscoe