Bell Robot's children's coding franchise collapsed nationwide, franchisees stranded

贝尔机器人编程中心 was one of China's largest children's STEAM education franchises, offering robotics and programming classes to children aged 3-16. Riding the government's push for STEM education and parents' willingness to spend on after-school enrichment, the chain grew rapidly through a franchise model that attracted hundreds of investors across Chinese cities.

By 2025, the chain had collapsed: its national headquarters ceased operations, it pulled out of markets including Sanya, and franchisees across the country shuttered classrooms or struggled to continue independently. The collapse was part of a broader franchise-education crash that saw multiple chains — including童程童美, 东方启明星, and 沃特宝贝 — meet similar fates.

The failure exposed the structural weakness of the franchise model in China's education sector: franchisors collected upfront fees and royalties but bore little responsibility when the economics of individual locations turned negative. Rising rents, increasing teacher salaries, regulatory tightening on after-school programs, and parents tightening discretionary spending combined to make the franchise math impossible.