Simon Fraser University

What Simon Fraser University does

Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university established in 1965 under the University Act of British Columbia, headquartered in Burnaby with two additional campuses in Surrey (opened 2006) and Vancouver (Harbour Centre, established 1989). The university serves more than 37,000 enrolled students (2023) including 8,290 international students from 133 countries, supported by over 7,000 faculty and staff and more than 1,000 faculty members (400+ international). Its core activity is post-secondary education across eight faculties - Applied Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Business, Communication, Education, Environment, Health Sciences, and Science - alongside the new SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine launching in Surrey.

SFU's technology and research portfolio is anchored by large-scale infrastructure including the Cedar Supercomputing Centre and the Vancouver Quantum Network (QVaN), supported by 60+ research centres and institutes. The university has produced multiple proprietary AI systems with published performance advantages: the HALLO AI whale-movement forecaster, the Lean Finder semantic search engine (over 30% higher accuracy than GPT-4 on Lean theorem retrieval), and ShapeR (2.7x improvement on multimodal 3D reconstruction). Strategic research areas include quantum error correction (with novel continuous-variable schemes achieving over 20% infidelity suppression), clean hydrogen (joint MoU with Siemens Canada), biomanufacturing (via the CIEBH hub with UBC), AI and quantum communications for defence (PacifiCan-funded), and smart agritech (with Windset Farms and Wageningen University).

The revenue model is a hybrid of public funding, tuition, research grants, and philanthropic donations. Domestic undergraduate tuition is approximately CAD $7,673 per year, while international students pay approximately CAD $38,944 per year - a roughly 5x spread that materially subsidizes domestic education. The university also earns through residence and meal plans (CAD $15,014/year), co-op employer services (freemium), research grants from federal agencies (CIHR, NSERC, CFI, PacifiCan), provincial base operating grants tied to enrollment, and major philanthropic gifts (most recently a $40M Stephens family donation in June 2026, the largest in SFU history). The institution is governed by a Board of Governors and Senate under provincial legislation and is not a privately held or publicly traded entity.

Name

Simon Fraser University

Legal name

Simon Fraser University

Website

https://sfu.ca

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Simon Fraser University is a public research university in British Columbia serving 37,000+ students across Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver campuses, offering undergraduate, graduate, medical, and continuing education programs. Its research spans AI, quantum communications, clean energy, and health sciences, supported by 7,000+ staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD), Quantum Education, Workforce Development & Academic Centers (HDAGAMAM), Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Research university
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnaby

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Domestic Undergraduate Tuition: Tuition and fees for Canadian undergraduate students, approximately $7,673 per year for 10 courses plus additional fees including transit pass.
2. International Student Tuition: Higher tuition rates for international students, approximately $38,944 per year for 10 courses, significantly subsidizing domestic education.
3. Research Grants: Federal and provincial research funding through agencies like Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada Foundation for Innovation, and Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) for defense innovation and infrastructure.
4. Government Funding: Base operating funding from provincial and federal governments based on enrollment, research output, and institutional priorities.
5. Philanthropic Donations: Major donations from individuals and families, such as the $40 million Stephens family donation for the medical school, representing significant capital contributions.
6. Co-op Program Services: Free job posting and recruitment services for employers, with administrative costs absorbed as part of career services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Simon Fraser University is a public research university that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across eight faculties, continuing education certificates, and a new medical school in Surrey, BC. The university also operates extensive research infrastructure (Cedar Supercomputing Centre, Vancouver Quantum Network, AI research tools) and industry partnership programs including co-op work-integrated learning for employers. Educational delivery is supported via the Canvas learning management system across three campuses in Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver.

Product overview

Simon Fraser University operates as a comprehensive research university offering educational programs across undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education levels. The university's technology portfolio includes research tools and infrastructure such as the Vancouver Quantum Network (QVaN) for quantum communications, the HALLO AI system for whale movement forecasting, Lean Finder for mathematical theorem discovery, and ShapeR for 3D object reconstruction. SFU also maintains significant research infrastructure including the Cedar Supercomputing Centre and participates in national supercomputing initiatives. Educational delivery is supported through the Canvas learning management system. The institution recently launched the SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine and the $20-million SFU Innovates Venture Fund to support spin-off companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SFU Beedie School of Business: Faculty of business education offering undergraduate and graduate business programs
• SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine
• SFU Surrey
• SFU Vancouver
• Segal Graduate School of Business
• VentureLabs
• UniverCity

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs across eight faculties for Canadian and international high school graduates, transfer students from colleges, and mature students.
• Graduate Degree Programs Master's and doctoral programs across all faculties, administered through the Faculty of Graduate Studies with program-specific admission requirements.
• Continuing Education and Professional Development

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #1 comprehensive university in Canada since 2008
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability12 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cascade InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Seequent and the Cascade Institute announced collaboration to develop the Canadian Thermal Model, a national initiative to map Canada's deep geothermal resources. SFU is one of the research partners contributing to development using Seequent's Oasis montaj software.
• Siemens CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026SFU signed a memorandum of understanding with Siemens Canada to collaborate on research and development of clean hydrogen technologies. The partnership aims to develop a hydrogen testing facility, enhance digital transformation in hydrogen production, and support Canada's energy transition goals.
• Queen s UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026SFU and Queen s University signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly design and build a national supercomputing platform. The infrastructure will be made available to government and industry across Canada to support Canada's AI Sovereign Compute strategy and foster talent in high-performance computing and AI. If successful in securing funding, the partnership would deliver Canada's first top-10 leadership class supercomputing system at Queen's and a top-25 system at SFU in British Columbia.
• Moment EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Vancouver-based battery repurposing company Moment Energy signed an MoU with SFU to deploy advanced energy storage solutions for SFU's data centers and research facilities, including a planned pilot project at the Cedar Supercomputing Centre. The collaboration focuses on clean-energy infrastructure development, R&D for AI and quantum computing storage applications, and student workforce development.
• CIRA (Canadian Internet Registration Authority)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2022CIRA's Community Investment Program provided $1.25 million in grants supporting digital equity projects including those at SFU. The grants fund initiatives focused on digital literacy, infrastructure, and cybersecurity benefiting over 200 projects since 2014.
• Windset FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmart farming initiative at Windset Farms Delta, B.C. facility combining real-time plant data, advanced analytics, and machine learning. Supported by B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation with academic partners SFU and Wageningen University & Research.
• Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partnership in smart farming research collaboration with SFU and Windset Farms, funded by B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation.
• B.C. Centre for Agritech InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment-funded center supporting agritech research partnerships including the smart farming initiative with SFU and industry partners.
• RegulateCPGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulateCPG established Canadian headquarters in Vancouver with $25 million three-year AI innovation push, leveraging partnerships with UBC and SFU to enhance its IntelliSync platform for predictive factory automation.
• HETTASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian performance running shoe brand collaborating with SFU Run Lab on research into women's biomechanics. Studies demonstrate that women's feet require distinct anatomical considerations with findings showing HETTAS shoes produce lower peak impact accelerations at the sacrum. Company has secured a three-year NSERC Alliance grant (2023-2025) for further research.
• University of British ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBC government providing $33 million for research equipment and facilities at Canada's Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH), a national initiative led by UBC with four research projects across UBC and SFU.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• University of Calgary: UCalgary is a western-Canadian comprehensive research university with a medical school and growing tech/AI profile. Competes with SFU for federal funding and is a natural regional peer in the Prairie/Western Canadian research ecosystem.
• McMaster University: McMaster is a leading Canadian research-intensive university known for medical sciences and health research. Comparable to SFU in size and mission, and competes for federal health research grants (e.g., CIHR) and medical school talent.
• University of Toronto: Canada's largest research university and a direct comparator for SFU's research-intensive positioning. UofT competes for federal Tri-Council grants, international STEM talent, and national rankings, and shares a multi-campus structure with affiliated research hospitals similar to SFU's medical school ambitions.
• McGill University: McGill is a comparable comprehensive research university with strong international student enrollment, a major medical school, and leading research output in AI/quantum. McGill is co-leading the Gen(Z)AI youth assembly with SFU, indicating a partnership alongside direct competition for global research talent and brand prestige.
• University of Alberta: U of A is a large western-Canadian comprehensive research university with strengths in AI, quantum, and energy research that overlap SFU's portfolio. It competes with SFU for federal Tri-Council grants and Pan-Canadian research network funding in similar thematic areas.
• University of British Columbia (UBC): UBC is BC's other major public research university, headquartered in Vancouver with a similar comprehensive research portfolio (medical school, quantum/AI research, large international student base). It competes directly with SFU for faculty, federal research grants, and top student applicants within the same metro and provincial funding pool.
• University of Waterloo: Waterloo is Canada's leading STEM-focused public university, with the country's largest co-operative education program and deep tech commercialization track record. It is the closest comparator to SFU's co-op + venture + quantum strategy and competes for the same pool of technical students and federal research funding.
• Western University: Western is a comprehensive Canadian research university with comparable scale, including a medical school and broad graduate research portfolio. Competes with SFU in Maclean's rankings and for federal research dollars, making it a natural comparator for institutional performance benchmarks.
• Queen's University: Queen's is a comprehensive research university with a strong co-op program and is SFU's direct partner in the national sovereign supercomputing initiative. Comparable in size, structure, and emphasis on undergraduate research, making it both a competitor for STEM students and a strategic ally on the top-10 supercomputer bid.

Regional players

• University of Victoria: UVic is BC's other public research university, also with strong co-op and computer science programs. As a BC-only regional peer, it competes with SFU for in-province applicants and provincial operating grants but has a smaller research footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sfu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SFUNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/simonfraseruniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simon-fraser-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/simonfraseru

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors7 records

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about Simon Fraser University