Ultimate Education

What Ultimate Education does

Ultimate Education is a Russian holding company operating seven specialized online schools in the Additional Professional Education (ДПО) segment: Bang Bang Education (design), XYZ School (game development), Psychodemia (psychology), Moscow Digital School (digital law), MAED Academy (digital marketing), Fashion Factory (fashion industry), and MIIN (integrative nutrition). Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Moscow, the holding serves adult professionals seeking career transitions and skill upgrades, with a cumulative base of 800,000+ students and a community of 2.9 million members across the seven verticals. Each school operates its own branded website and proprietary learning management system with gamification, and all hold ДПО licenses to issue state-recognized professional retraining diplomas; MAED additionally holds the only Russian NIMA (Dutch Institute of Marketing) accreditation.

The holding's core platform technology includes the Ultimate Career interactive platform (career-center.ultimate-education.ru), which delivers video lectures, webinars, career consultations, and job placement support to students across all schools, plus a dedicated mobile app for nutritionists (MIIN). The business model is direct-to-consumer course fees supplemented by B2B channels: each school sells individual course enrollments and corporate training, the career center facilitates hiring with 30+ partner employers (Sberbank, VK, Ozon, Avito, VTB, Alfa-Bank, Qiwi), and the holding offers accredited online master's degrees through partnerships with ION RANEPA and Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis. Master's programs are priced at 160,000-175,000 rubles per semester, with government-subsidized 3% education loans available. FY2024 revenue was 2.7 billion rubles (approximately $30M USD) with 50% year-over-year growth and EBITDA of 851 million rubles.

The holding is controlled by AO «AE Holding» (AE Holding JSC) and operated through OOO «Altimeyt Edyukeyshn» (the bond-issuing entity) and OOO «Sistema Upravleniya» (career center operator). In 2024 it obtained a BBB (RU) credit rating with positive outlook from ACRA, and in July 2025 completed a 600 million ruble debut bond placement on Moscow Exchange at a 19.75% coupon — the first public bond issuance in Russia's online education sector.

Name

Ultimate Education

Legal name

OOO «Sistema Upravleniya» (LLC "System Management")

Website

https://ultimate-education.ru

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Ultimate Education is a Moscow-based EdTech holding company operating seven specialized online schools in design, game development, psychology, law, digital marketing, fashion, and nutrition, serving 800,000+ adult professional learners in the Russian ДПО segment through proprietary LMS platforms and a unified career center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Professional Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Online professional education
• Design training courses
• Game development school
• Digital marketing education
• Additional professional training

Headquarters

HQ city

Moscow

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course fees for additional professional education (DPO): Revenue is generated from course fees paid by students for professional retraining and skill development programs. Each of seven schools (Bang Bang Education, XYZ, Psychodemia, Moscow Digital School, Fashion Factory, MAED, MIIN) sells courses directly to individuals and corporate clients. The company reported revenue of 2.7 billion rubles in 2024, with 50% YoY growth, and EBITDA of 851 million rubles.
2. Higher education programs (distance learning magistracy): The holding partners with leading Russian universities (ION RANEPA, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis) to offer online master's programs at price points of 160,000–175,000 rubles per semester, with government-supported education loans at 3% interest.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ultimate Education is a holding company operating seven niche online schools in Russia's Additional Professional Education (DPO) segment, delivering professional retraining and upskilling courses in design (Bang Bang Education), game development (XYZ School), psychology (Psychodemia), law (Moscow Digital School), digital marketing (MAED), fashion (Fashion Factory), and nutrition (MIIN). The company issues state-recognized DPO diplomas and supports career transitions through a unified career center serving over 3,000 participants.

Product overview

Ultimate Education is an educational holding company composed of seven leading schools in the Additional Professional Education (DPE) segment with a focus on deep industry expertise and community building. The portfolio includes: Bang Bang Education (creative industries: UX/UI, graphic design, motion graphics), XYZ School (game development), Psychodemia (psychology and coaching), Moscow Digital School (law and compliance), MAED Academy (digital marketing and e-commerce), Fashion Factory School (fashion industry), and MIIN (integrative nutrition). Supporting infrastructure includes the Ultimate Career Platform (LMS with video content and career services) and a Career Center. The company offers 245+ educational programs to 800K+ students with a community of 1.7 million participants. All schools hold DPE licensing and operate proprietary learning management systems with gamification features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bang Bang Education (BBE): Leading online design and technology school. TOP-5 online schools in ДПО segment by training quality (Smart Ranking 2022). Has its own LMS for designers, 168K+ students, 153 courses.
• XYZ School
• Psychodemia
• Fashion Factory School
• Moscow Digital School
• MAED Academy
• MIIN (Международный институт интегративной нутрициологии)
• Ultimate Career Platform

Products and services

• Bang Bang Education (BBE) Leading online school of design and creative technologies in Russia offering DPO-licensed courses in UX/UI design, graphic design, motion graphics, illustration, 2D animation, and cinema editing. Operates a proprietary LMS tailored for design education. Has 168K+ students, 153 courses, and 180K+ community members. For adult learners and career changers targeting the creative industries.
• XYZ School Leading game development school in Russia and CIS offering DPO-licensed courses in 3D graphics, concept art, 3D modeling, and game design. Operates a proprietary LMS purpose-built for game development education. Has 454K students, 560K+ community members, 407K YouTube subscribers, and 80 teachers. For aspiring and current game development professionals.
• Psychodemia Leading online school of psychological professions in Russia offering DPO-licensed courses in psychological counseling, coaching, and sexology. 200+ scientific publications, 15+ scientific awards, exclusive partner of HSE University. Has 45K students. For adults pursuing careers in psychological professions.
• Moscow Digital School (MDS)
• MAED Academy
• Fashion Factory School
• MIIN (International Institute of Integrative Nutrition)
• Ultimate Career Platform Interactive online platform combining software and databases that provides access to video lectures, articles, webinars, career consultations, and checklists. Free for students of all Ultimate Education schools. Has helped over 3,000 participants with 70% achieving their career goals. For current and former students of the holding's schools.
• Distance Master's Programs Online master's degree programs in business psychology and personality psychology delivered in partnership with ION RANEPA and Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis. Students receive state-recognized diplomas. Pricing 160,000–175,000 rubles per semester with government-supported education loans at 3% interest, eligibility for military deferment, and 13% income tax deduction. For working professionals seeking accredited graduate degrees.
• MDS UNITY Club Exclusive club for top lawyers, including heads of legal departments from major companies, with official partners Pravo.ru and ConsultantPlus providing access to legal information resources. Launched June 2023. For senior legal professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of career center participants achieved their career goals
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Pravo.ruminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 June 2023Official partner of the MDS UNITY club for top lawyers, providing marketing and content support for the club's events and activities targeting senior legal professionals.
• ConsultantPlusminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 June 2023Official partner of the MDS UNITY club, providing access to legal information resources for club members.
• hh.rucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2022Largest Russian online recruitment platform hh.ru became the strategic partner of XYZ School's 'XYZ Reality' reality show about career transitions into game development. hh.ru's expertise helps participants understand the specifics of employment in the gaming market and provides recruitment support for show contestants.
• ION RANEPA (Institute of Public Administration, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver accredited distance learning master's programs in business psychology and personality psychology. Students receive state-recognized diplomas from one of Russia's top universities. ION RANEPA is ranked TOP-4 among Russian universities for psychology training (RAEX) and TOP-1 for social environment (Interfax).
• Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis (MIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver accredited distance learning master's programs in business psychology and personality psychology. MIP is ranked TOP-5 among non-state universities in Russia (RAEX), has over 40,000 graduates, 26 years of operation, and 175 partner organizations for internships.
• SkolkovominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple UE schools (Bang Bang Education, XYZ School, MAED, Fashion Factory, Moscow Digital School) are participants in the Skolkovo innovation center, indicating access to the Russian tech ecosystem and potential funding/support.
• Netherlands Institute of Marketing (NIMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAED Academy is the only school in Russia with accreditation from the Dutch NIMA (Netherlands Institute of Marketing), allowing students to obtain international marketing certifications alongside Russian DPO diplomas.
• HSE University (Higher School of Economics)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPsychodemia is an exclusive partner of HSE University in the psychology education space, providing credibility and potential for co-developed programs.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@XYZSchool

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ultimate Education