What Embark Corporation does

Embark Corporation, founded in 1995 and headquartered at One World Trade Center in New York, is a private SaaS provider of online application and admissions software for educational institutions. The company operates the Embark Campus platform, with verticalized solutions for undergraduate, graduate, fellowship, PreK-12, music program, and study abroad / volunteer abroad admissions. Embark has processed approximately 16-17 million applications across thousands of programs and holds specialized compliance expertise across FERPA, GDPR, and COPPA.

The underlying platform supports configurable application workflows, branching logic, video interviews, integrations with student information systems (notably PeopleSoft) and CRM systems (notably Salesforce), and a growing AI feature set. AI Tools launched in 2024 add applicant-guidance chat, AI-assisted transcript verification, and automated reviewer prioritization, while a rebuilt modern tech-stack platform and a FAFSA service were introduced in 2025. Founding investors were mission-oriented and included a major teachers' pension plan; the company filed to go public in 2000 before remaining private.

Embark generates revenue through quote-based, multi-year enterprise SaaS contracts. Customers range from large universities and scholarship programs (Harvard Law School, NYU Stern, IESE, University of California, Rhodes Scholarships, Rotary International, the Obama Foundation) to K-12 systems such as the NYC Department of Education, and specialized programs such as RADA and the Las Casas Foundation. In December 2017, Embark acquired DecisionDesk's client base, expanding its installed footprint.

Name

Embark Corporation

Legal name

EMBARK CORP

Website

https://embark.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Embark Corporation provides online application and admissions software for educational institutions, serving thousands of undergraduate, graduate, fellowship, K-12, music, and study abroad programs globally. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in New York, it operates the Embark Campus platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Admissions Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Enrollment Management & Admissions Administration (EDADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Application Intake & Processing (EDALAAAB), Enrollment Yield, Matriculation & Onboarding Platforms (EDAFAMAG)

Keywords

• Admissions management software
• Online application platform
• Student enrollment systems
• Fellowship application software
• Education technology solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Admissions Software Subscriptions: Embark provides online application and admissions software as a hosted solution to educational institutions, fellowships, and organizations. Revenue is generated through software licensing/subscription fees based on the scale of the organization and number of programs managed. The company has been in business since 1995 serving thousands of programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Embark Corporation provides online application and admissions software as a hosted SaaS platform for educational institutions, fellowship programs, K-12 schools, music programs, and study abroad organizations. The platform manages the entire admissions lifecycle from recruiting prospective applicants through enrollment and onboarding, including online applications, online review with rating and commenting, in-app video interviews, portfolio uploads, decision collection, and real-time data integration with enterprise systems. The company has been operating since 1995 and has powered more than 17 million online applications for thousands of programs globally.

Product overview

Embark Corporation offers a unified platform built around its core product, Embark Campus, which is an end-to-end online admissions software. The platform is designed with a modular architecture where sector-specific solutions (Undergraduate, Graduate, Fellowships, PreK-12, Music Programs, and Study Abroad/Volunteer Abroad) are built on top of Embark Campus, each incorporating its rich features while addressing the unique needs of their respective institution types. All solutions share common capabilities including online application management, review workflows, enrollment, and data integration. The company has also launched AI Tools as an integrated offering to assist with admissions workflows including chatbots, transcript verification, and process automation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Embark Campus End-to-end online admissions software designed to suit programs of all shapes and sizes. Manages every stage of the admissions lifecycle including recruiting, accepting online applications, running online review, enrolling and onboarding, and integrating with data systems.
• Embark Undergraduate Solution Undergraduate admissions solution designed to make the college application process easy for students, families, and institutions. Incorporates all features of Embark Campus for campus-wide undergraduate admissions, specialized admissions, and study abroad programs.
• Embark Graduate Solution Graduate admissions solution incorporating all features of Embark Campus, serving university-wide graduate programs, individual graduate school departments, fellowships, business schools, and law schools.
• Embark Fellowships Solution Online application and admissions system for fellowships, scholarships, and grant programs. Flexible architecture supports both limited application collections and broader nomination workflows with university or regional representatives.
• Embark Primary and Secondary School Solution (PreK-12) University-grade admissions platform tailored for grade schools and high schools. Handles logistics and paperwork involved in enrollment management for primary and secondary schools.
• Embark Music Program Solution Admissions solution for music non-profits, institutions, and competitions. Applicants upload music portfolios including scores, audio and video files. Supports online auditions for music, dance, and arts programs.
• Embark Study Abroad and Volunteer Abroad Solution Admissions solution for study abroad programs, volunteer abroad programs, and combined work and study abroad programs. Serves both large international exchange programs and small non-profits.
• Embark AI Tools AI-powered tools assisting with every stage of the admissions journey including a chatbot for personalized applicant guidance, transcript verification, and automated communication. Built with privacy in mind to keep sensitive information secure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% increase in applicants in first year with Embark (Las Casas Foundation)

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PeopleSoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationStudent Information System integration partner. Embark provides data export options to seamlessly transfer data to organizations' master databases or Student Information Systems including PeopleSoft.
• SalesforcecoreTechnology or IntegrationCRM integration partner. Embark integrates with Salesforce for data synchronization with client data systems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Liaison International: Provider of admissions and enrollment management solutions including TargetX (CRM) and Centralized Application Service (CAS) platforms. Directly comparable to Embark in serving graduate, undergraduate, and health professions programs with online application infrastructure.
• Common App: Operates the dominant undergraduate college application platform used by hundreds of member institutions. Direct competitor in the undergraduate admissions workflow that Embark also serves.
• Technolutions (Slate): Maker of Slate, the leading CRM and application management platform for higher education admissions. Closest direct competitor to Embark, serving graduate, undergraduate, and fellowship programs with comparable online application and review functionality.
• CollegeNET (ApplyWeb): Operates ApplyWeb, an online admissions platform widely used by graduate schools and fellowship programs. Directly comparable application-management offering targeting similar institutional buyers as Embark.

Broad incumbents

• PowerSchool: Major K-12 and broader education software provider with enrollment and admissions functionality. Broad incumbent that competes with Embark's K-12 admissions solution while offering a far wider SIS footprint.
• Ellucian: Largest higher-ed SIS provider with enrollment and admissions-adjacent capabilities. Broad incumbent whose deep institutional footprint and Banner/Colleague/Quartet installations represent a competitive integration channel versus Embark.
• Salesforce Education Cloud / Salesforce.org: Salesforce's education vertical offering, including Admissions Connect for higher ed recruitment and enrollment. A broad incumbent that integrates admissions into a much larger CRM ecosystem already used by many of Embark's prospective customers.
• College Board (BigFuture): Operates the SAT and broader college-readiness programs, including the BigFuture college planning platform. Broad incumbent touching the applicant journey that competes for institutional attention in the undergraduate admissions funnel.
• Anthology (formerly Campus Management / Blackboard): Education technology suite spanning SIS, CRM, and student success. Broad incumbent offering enrollment and admissions workflows as part of a larger institutional software portfolio overlapping with Embark.

Emerging players

• Element451: AI-first higher education CRM and student engagement platform. Emerging competitor targeting similar admissions and enrollment use cases with a modern, AI-native approach that overlaps with Embark's recent AI roadmap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/embarkadmissions
• Xx.com/embark

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Embark Corporation