Brand Dossier

Lightbridge Academy

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Lightbridge Academy costs $834,868 to $1,409,735 to open (FDD Item 7), with a 7% royalty plus 3% ad fund (9% total ongoing) and an average unit volume of $2,640,681 (median $2,558,986) disclosed in FDD Item 19. Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure, Unit Economics, and Term & Exit Terms, Strength on Litigation History, In Line on Operator Validation. Independent analysis, no commissions, no franchisor revenue.
Rank #129 on Entrepreneur 2026Children's BusinessesFDD source not yet confirmed
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
About the Brand

About Lightbridge Academy

Lightbridge Academy franchises child care centers, known as Lightbridge Academy Centers, that enroll students from the general public and are staffed on-site by a Center Director and Assistant Director. Each Center operates from a single approved location using company-prescribed curriculum and operating standards, classrooms equipped with tablets and interactive displays, and a Parent View/Watch Me Grow classroom monitoring system, and must pursue and maintain Accreditation status. Centers receive no exclusive territory and may face competition from other Lightbridge Academy franchisees, company-owned locations, or other channels of distribution the franchisor controls.

Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$834,868 to $1,409,735
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$50,000
Development fee: $0 separate development fee disclosed for single-unit franchise.
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
9%
9% of Gross Revenues plus minimum $6,000 per quarter local advertising expenditure, based on visible current Royalty Fee 7% plus current Brand Development Fund 2%; Royalty is reduced to 4% during first six months open.
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Yes
Average Unit Metric $2,640,681. Median Unit Metric $2,558,986.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 0 actions disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $50,000. (Item 5, p.6) FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee $0 separate development fee disclosed for single-unit franchise. FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee 7% of Gross Revenues; reduced to 4% of Gross Revenues during the first six (6) months the Center is open for business. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $834,868 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $1,409,735 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Yes: Average Unit Metric $2,640,681 / Median Unit Metric $2,558,986 FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 68 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 24 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) +11 FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Fee load is source-backed from Item 5 and Item 6, with royalty or royalty-equivalent obligations separated from marketing/ad fund obligations.

Unit Economics
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

The FDD gives a clean All row for mature centers, but the cohort mixes franchised and company-owned schools.

Litigation History
Strength
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

Source-reviewed FDD Item 3 discloses 0 actions. The legal-context read remains locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
In Line
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

Item 20 system health is populated from the FDD data layer with latest system count, franchised count, company-owned count, and net-change context.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

The initial term is fifteen years with two additional renewal terms available if conditions are met. Transfer consent rights, a franchisor right of first refusal, and a post-term non-compete are disclosed; a separate multi-unit operator agreement carries its own terms.

Five Reads In. The Reasoning Is Locked.
You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Item 19 earnings data is disclosed for Lightbridge Academy. The full disclosure is free below; Zorzee's read of what it means stays in Pro.

What the Claim Discloses
Average Unit Metric
$2,640,681
Median Unit Metric
$2,558,986
Sample Size & Coverage
See notecoverage detail
Page 63 All row: 62 mature centers; mixes franchised and company-owned centers. Gross revenue, not profit.
High / Low Range
$1,195,121 to $4,941,941
Met or Beat the Average
Not disclosed.
What the Disclosure Excludes
Expenses, net income, owner compensation
Gross revenue is not profit
What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
Earnings Read Locked
Pro turns the disclosed fields into a read: whether the average is trustworthy, what the disclosure leaves out, and the year-one revenue number Zorzee would underwrite.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System Still Expanding

Total Units
92
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Franchised
68
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
24
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
+11
As of 2025, FDD Item 20
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
73
2023
81
2024
92
2025

Lightbridge Academy trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

0 actions disclosed in source-reviewed FDD Item 3.

Source Status
Item 3 litigation detail not yet sourced
Not yet sourced. No zero-action conclusion has been loaded for this brand.
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters long before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on Lightbridge Academy: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what Lightbridge Academy costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
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FAQ

Lightbridge Academy Franchise Questions, Answered

How much does a Lightbridge Academy franchise cost?

A Lightbridge Academy franchise costs $834,868 to $1,409,735 to open, disclosed in FDD Item 7 of the current filing, covering the franchise fee, buildout, equipment, and working capital to breakeven. No commissions, no franchisor revenue, independent analysis only.

What are the royalty and fees for Lightbridge Academy?

Lightbridge Academy charges a 7% royalty plus a 3% brand and ad fund, a 9% total ongoing fee burden, disclosed in FDD Item 6.

What does Lightbridge Academy disclose in FDD Item 19?

Item 19 for Lightbridge Academy discloses an average unit volume of $2,640,681 (median $2,558,986) in the current FDD. The figure is gross sales, not profit. Zorzee's read of what it excludes is in the Pro dossier.

What is Lightbridge Academy's average unit volume?

Lightbridge Academy's average unit volume is $2,640,681 (median $2,558,986) in the current FDD. The figure is gross sales, not profit. Zorzee's read of what it excludes is in the Pro dossier.

Does Lightbridge Academy have any lawsuits or litigation?

Lightbridge Academy's FDD Item 3 discloses no legal actions in the current filing.

Is Lightbridge Academy a good franchise investment?

Zorzee does not rate franchises good or bad; it reports what the filing discloses so you can judge fit. Lightbridge Academy shows Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure, Unit Economics, and Term & Exit Terms, Strength on Litigation History, In Line on Operator Validation. Whether it fits depends on your capital, your market, and your operating style. Independent analysis, no franchisor revenue.