UBC Okanagan

What UBC Okanagan does

UBC Okanagan is a public research university campus established in 2005 as the second campus of the University of British Columbia, located in Kelowna, British Columbia. The campus operates under British Columbia's Universities Act as a government-owned institution and serves domestic and international students through 66 undergraduate and 61 graduate programs spanning arts, sciences, business, engineering, health, education, and Indigenous studies. UBC Okanagan reports 1,087 active research projects and graduates a multi-thousand student body annually, achieving a top 3% global university ranking in 2025.

Research is organized around applied, mission-oriented themes including battery innovation, AI-powered wildfire detection, microbiome therapeutics, nanoplastics filtration, eDNA-based invasive species detection, sustainable construction materials, and Indigenous language revitalization. Notable proprietary technology includes a patented engineered probiotic (modified Escherichia coli Nissle 1917) licensed to spin-off Melius MicroBiomics and entering human clinical trials in August 2026 in Australia, a two-layer membrane filtration system capturing >98% of nanoplastics, and wood-fly-ash cement substitutes delivering ~75% lower carbon footprint.

The business model is multi-stream: tuition and fees from degree programs, operating and capital grants from provincial and federal sources (notably a $4.15M Canada Foundation for Innovation Innovation Fund award in March 2026), major philanthropic donations (including $8M from the Weston Family Foundation in February 2026), and revenue from licensing patented technology to spin-off companies. Customers comprise prospective and enrolled students, research partners (e.g., BC Wildfire Service, BC Government), government and public safety agencies, and in the case of licensed technology, downstream biotech end-markets. Distribution is via direct online admissions, international recruitment, the Go Global exchange with 150+ partner universities, co-op and experiential education, and a nationwide prescribed-fire training program.

Name

UBC Okanagan

Legal name

The University of British Columbia

Website

https://ok.ubc.ca

Company type

Public

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

UBC Okanagan is a public research university campus in Kelowna, BC, offering 66 undergraduate and 61 graduate programs to domestic and international students and conducting applied research in wildfire detection, biotech, battery innovation, and Indigenous language revitalization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate research programs
• Academic research
• Professional development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelowna

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from domestic and international undergraduate and graduate student tuition across 66 undergraduate programs and 61 graduate programs.
2. Research Grants and Funding: Government and foundation funding for research including Canada Foundation for Innovation grants ($4.15 million awarded), and other research council funding.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Major donations such as the $8 million from the Weston Family Foundation supporting the Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program.
4. Technology Licensing: Licensing of patented technologies to spin-off companies such as Melius MicroBiomics for the engineered probiotic technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UBC Okanagan is a public research university campus offering 66 undergraduate and 61 graduate degree programs across eight faculties, including arts, science, engineering, management, health, and social development. The campus delivers classroom-based and experiential education, supports 1,087 active research projects, and provides non-degree training programs and technology licensing through spin-off companies.

Product overview

UBC Okanagan is a comprehensive public research university offering undergraduate and graduate academic programs across multiple faculties. The institution provides educational services including degree programs (66 undergraduate and 61 graduate programs), research opportunities (1,087 active research projects), student support services, and various professional development offerings. Key academic units include the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, Faculty of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Management, College of Graduate Studies, and others. The university also supports technology transfer through spin-off companies like Melius MicroBiomics and conducts applied research in areas including wildfire technology, biotechnology, battery innovation, and environmental sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Degree Programs Comprehensive portfolio of 66 undergraduate degree programs and 61 graduate degree programs across faculties including Arts and Social Sciences, Creative and Critical Studies, Education, Engineering, Health and Social Development, Management, Medicine, Science, and the College of Graduate Studies. For prospective and current students seeking higher education credentials.
• Master of Biotechnology (MBtec) Course-based Master's program equipping students with laboratory training, coursework, and internships for the biotechnology industry. For students seeking graduate-level credentials in biotechnology.
• Master of Management 25-month part-time program delivered through a blended model of online studies and in-person intensives at UBC's Okanagan campus and other locations worldwide. For working professionals seeking management credentials.
• Bachelor + Master of Management Dual Degree Full-time dual degree program allowing students to earn an undergraduate UBC degree and a UBC Master of Management (MM) degree concurrently. For undergraduate students seeking accelerated management education.
• Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Program structure allowing students to work directly with faculty members across diverse disciplines, providing inter-faculty and inter-campus education. For graduate students seeking cross-disciplinary research training.
• Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program (RXFIRE) Nationwide prescribed fire training program co-developed by UBC Okanagan and funded with $8 million from the Weston Family Foundation. Aims to train practitioners across Canada, including Canadian Armed Forces, to safely plan and implement prescribed burns through regional training hubs. For fire practitioners, military personnel, and emergency management professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• No mice in treatment group developed severe colitis by 16-week mark in probiotic trials
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Melius MicroBiomicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026UBC Okanagan spin-off company co-founded by Dr. Deanna Gibson. The technology is patented by UBC and licensed to Melius MicroBiomics for commercialization of the engineered probiotic therapy. The company is pursuing human clinical trials scheduled for August 2026 in Australia.
• BC Wildfire ServicecoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2026Collaborative development of AI-powered wildfire detection cameras for early wildfire detection and monitoring. BC ministers visited UBC Okanagan to view the technology demonstrations.
• BC Government / Environmental AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026Partnership to develop mussel-detection technology using environmental DNA (eDNA) to prevent invasive quagga and zebra mussels from entering BC waters.
• Canadian Armed ForcescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Training program participants in the Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program, which aims to establish regional hubs across Canada for safe prescribed burn implementation.
• RMIT (Australia)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025International research collaboration on circular economy construction materials. RMIT developed cardboard tubes filled with rammed earth; UBC Okanagan uses wood fly ash as cement replacement.
• Shibaura Institute of Technology (Japan)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025International research collaboration on circular economy construction materials. SIT developed ground stabilization grout from geothermal energy production waste.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Simon Fraser University: Another British Columbia-based public research university of comparable size and founding era, with a similar research-intensive mandate and direct competition for BC-domiciled students and faculty. SFU's tech-focused programs and Burnaby/Surrey campuses make it the closest structural peer to UBCO within BC.
• University of Victoria: BC public research university with similar mid-sized comprehensive offering across arts, sciences, engineering, business, and health. UVic competes with UBCO for the same provincial student pool, co-op placements, and federal research funding allocations in western Canada.
• University of Waterloo: Canadian public research university of similar size and ranking tier with a strong applied-research mandate, co-op education model, and significant technology transfer track record — directly comparable to UBCO's experiential learning and commercialization positioning.
• University of Alberta: Major western-Canadian comprehensive research university with comparable breadth across engineering, health sciences, business, and natural sciences. UAlberta competes with UBCO for federal Tri-Council funding and for graduate students across western Canada.
• McMaster University: Mid-sized Canadian public research university with a strong reputation in health sciences, engineering, and business, plus significant spin-off and commercialization activity. McMaster's industry-partnered research model and Hamilton-base regional role are analogous to UBCO's Kelowna positioning.
• Queen's University: Canadian public research university with comparable size, research intensity, and undergraduate teaching reputation. Queen's competes with UBCO for international students and serves as a benchmark for Canadian comprehensive university positioning.
• University of Calgary: Western Canadian research university with strong programs in engineering, energy, medicine, and environmental science — overlapping with UBCO's battery innovation, health sciences, and applied research strengths. Comparable in size and stage of growth trajectory.

Broad incumbents

• UBC Vancouver: The flagship campus of the same UBC system, offering the same brand, governance, and academic standards but with materially larger scale, deeper research funding, broader program portfolio, and stronger global rankings. UBC Vancouver is both UBCO's parent operating unit and its primary competitor for top students and faculty in BC.
• University of Toronto: Canada's largest and highest-ranked research university, dominating federal research funding, international recruitment, and technology commercialization. UofT sets the ceiling against which all mid-sized Canadian research universities (including UBCO) are benchmarked for prestige and research output.

Regional players

• Oregon State University: US Pacific Northwest public research university with overlapping strengths in environmental science, wildfire research, marine/coastal studies, and applied engineering. Oregon State competes with UBCO for cross-border research collaborations and serves as a useful North American peer for applied environmental and sustainability research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ubcokanagan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@UBCO
• Facebookfacebook.com/ubcokanagan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ubcokanagan
• Instagraminstagram.com/ubcokanagan
• TikToktiktok.com/@ubcokanagan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UBC Okanagan