UNIVALI - Universidade do Vale do Itajaí

What UNIVALI - Universidade do Vale do Itajaí does

Universidade do Vale do Itajaí (Univali) is a Brazilian non-profit community university (universidade comunitária) headquartered in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, founded in 1989 and governed by Fundação Univali. It operates seven physical campuses across the Santa Catarina coast — Itajaí, Balneário Camboriú, Balneário Piçarras, Biguaçu, Florianópolis, São José, and Tijucas — serving students in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, medical residency, and continuing education programs delivered through in-person, distance learning (EAD), and hybrid modalities. The institution is affiliated with the ACAFE system, a consortium of Santa Catarina community universities that administers a unified entrance examination (vestibular) for the network. Univali also operates the Colégio de Aplicação Univali, a K-12 applied school at Itajaí and Tijucas campuses.

The university's core product portfolio includes Graduação (undergraduate programs in presencial and EAD formats), Pós-Graduação (specializations, MBAs, master's, doctorates, medical residency), Cursos Livres (free and low-cost short courses), Univali Idiomas (language programs with DET/TOEFL certification), and internationalization services (dupla titulação dual degrees and exchange). Supporting ecosystem assets include the Núcleo de Inovação Tecnológica (Uniinova) technology and entrepreneurship hub, the Museu Oceanográfico, Rádio Univali FM 94.9, the Programa Acolher mental health service, the NAU accessibility center, sports programs with Bolsa-Atleta, transportation and housing assistance services, and the Univali Carreiras careers platform. The underlying technology stack consists of standard educational infrastructure: a portal.univali.br content portal, an intranet.univali.br internal portal, a Microsoft 365 / edu.univali.br email domain, centralized admissions via univali.selecao.net.br, and WhatsApp-based student communications. No proprietary AI, ML, or specialized technology platforms are documented.

The business model is non-profit tuition-based, with revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, short courses, language programs, the K-12 school, ancillary services (labs, museum, radio), partially offset by an extensive scholarship portfolio: Prouni (100% federal), Universidade Gratuita (100% state), Bolsa Enem (up to 15%), Bolsa Reingresso (50%), Bolsa Seletivo Comunitário (up to 60%), Bolsa Transferência Externa (up to 50%), Top 30 Presencial (up to 30%), and Segunda Graduação (up to 40%). Customer acquisition relies on a centralized portal, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube), WhatsApp, email, and participation in educational fairs. Geographic scope is regional (Santa Catarina), with no global footprint claim and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

UNIVALI - Universidade do Vale do Itajaí

Legal name

Universidade do Vale do Itajaí

Website

https://univali.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Univali is a Brazilian non-profit community university operating seven campuses across Santa Catarina, offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and K-12 programs through in-person and EAD modalities, plus language courses, international exchange, and student support services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Distance learning
• Community university

Headquarters

HQ city

Itajaí

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UNIVALI is a community university offering undergraduate (graduação) and graduate (pós-graduação) programs, including specializations, master's, and doctoral degrees, delivered in-person and via distance learning (EAD). It also operates short courses (Cursos Livres), language programs (Univali Idiomas), K-12 education through the Colégio de Aplicação, and cultural/community assets such as an oceanographic museum and a university radio station. Revenue is generated through tuition, course fees, and supplementary services.

Product overview

UNIVALI - Universidade do Vale do Itajaí is a community university in Santa Catarina, Brazil, offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The core offerings include undergraduate (Graduação) and graduate (Pós-Graduação) programs in various modalities (in-person, EAD, and hybrid), short courses (Cursos Livres), and language programs (Univali Idiomas). The university operates K-12 education through the Colégio de Aplicação Univali at two campuses. Supporting services include the Museu Oceanográfico, Rádio Univali FM 94.9, the Núcleo de Inovação Tecnológica (UniInova) for entrepreneurship, NAU for accessibility services, the Programa Acolher for mental health support, sports programs, transportation services, housing assistance, and comprehensive scholarship programs (Bolsa Enem, Prouni, Universidade Gratuita). International programs include dual degrees and exchange opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Museu Oceanográfico Univali: Oceanographic Museum operated by Univali, showcasing marine science and research.
• Rádio Univali FM 94.9
• Colégio de Aplicação da Univali (CAU)
• Programa Acolher
• NAU - Núcleo de Acessibilidade da Univali
• Núcleo de Inovação Tecnológica (Uniinova)
• Rádio e TV Univali
• Seção de Esportes
• Pastoral Universitária
• Moradia

Products and services

• Graduação (Undergraduate Programs) Undergraduate degree programs offered in both in-person and EAD (distance learning) modalities, covering various academic disciplines for prospective and enrolled students.
• Pós-Graduação (Graduate Programs) Graduate education including specializations (MBA and others), Master's degrees, Doctoral programs, and medical residency programs, delivered in-person and via distance learning.
• Cursos Livres (Short Courses) Free and low-cost short courses offered in-person, online, and hybrid formats for continuous education and professional development.
• Univali Idiomas (Language Programs) Language courses including DET/TOEFL certifications, proficiency exams, placement tests, and translation/revision services for students and community members.
• Colégio de Aplicação Univali (CAU) K-12 educational institution operating at Itajaí and Tijucas campuses, with dedicated sports programs (CAU Esportes) for basic education students.
• Museu Oceanográfico Univali Oceanographic museum operated by the university, serving as a cultural and educational resource showcasing marine science and research for the community.
• Rádio Univali FM 94,9 University radio station broadcasting journalism, culture, music, and information 24 hours a day on 94.9 MHz to the regional audience.
• Núcleo de Inovação Tecnológica (UniInova) Technology innovation center promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, including the Prêmio Univali de Inovação (Innovation Award) for researchers and entrepreneurs.
• International Programs Internationalization services including dual degrees (dupla titulação), exchange programs, and international program offerings for undergraduate and graduate students.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ACAFE (Associação Catarinense das Fundações Educacionais)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnivali is part of the ACAFE system, a consortium of community universities in Santa Catarina. ACAFE manages the unified vestibular examination for member institutions, facilitating student admissions across the network.
• Ethos UniversitasminorOthersHonorary companion recognition through Ethos Universitas, associated with corporate social responsibility and ethical governance standards.
• e-MECcoreOthersOfficial government registration system for Brazilian higher education institutions, managed by MEC (Ministry of Education). Univali maintains active registration and compliance through this system.
• PROCON SCminorOthersConsumer protection agency of Santa Catarina state. Univali maintains compliance with consumer protection regulations and displays PROCON SC certification.
• Prouni (Programa Universidade para Todos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government program providing 100% scholarships for students from low-income families. Univali participates as an institution offering Prouni vagas.
• Universidade Gratuita ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government program offering free higher education. Univali participates as an official gratuita university institution.
• ODS (Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável)minorOthersUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals initiative. Univali has maintained ODS certification for 14 years, demonstrating commitment to sustainability.
• Municipal Governments (Multiple)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with municipalities for free university transportation programs. Various cities including Barra Velha, Bombinhas, Brusque, Camboriú, Canelinha, Guabiruba, Ilhota, Itapema, Luiz Alves, Nova Trento, Penha, Porto Belo, São João Batista, and São João do Itaperiú provide free transportation for university students.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC): The major public federal university headquartered in Florianópolis, overlapping directly with UNIVALI's Santa Catarina geography and competing for the same regional student pool across most disciplines.
• Ânima Educação: One of Brazil's largest private higher-education groups, owner of UNISUL and several other brands. Comparable in offering breadth and ACAFE-adjacent positioning, though at a much larger national scale.
• Yduqs (formerly Estácio): Major Brazilian for-profit higher-education group operating multiple brands across undergrad, graduate, and EAD. Comparable in product mix (multi-modality degrees) and a key competitor for Brazilian EAD learners.
• Cogna Educação: Brazilian education group (Kroton, Vasta) operating large-scale higher-education and basic-education brands. Comparable in targeting price-sensitive Brazilian students across undergrad and EAD modalities.
• PUC-Rio: Established private Catholic university offering a similar mix of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and extension programs. Comparable in mission and product breadth, though located in Rio de Janeiro.

Direct peers

• FURB - Universidade Regional de Blumenau: A community university in Santa Catarina also affiliated with ACAFE, offering similar undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education programs across multiple campuses — a like-for-like community-university comparator.
• UNISUL: Santa Catarina-based university (now part of the Ânima Educação group) operating undergraduate, graduate, and EAD programs across multiple campuses; directly comparable in scale and geographic reach to UNIVALI.
• Universidade Positivo: Private community-style university in southern Brazil offering undergrad, grad, and continuing education across multiple campuses. Comparable in multi-campus community-university model and scholarship-driven positioning.
• Universidade do Contestado (UnC): Another ACAFE-affiliated Santa Catarina community university with multi-campus presence and similar community-university positioning; directly comparable in governance, scale, and geographic scope.

Regional players

• Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR): Major public federal university in southern Brazil competing with UNIVALI for graduate, doctoral, and research-oriented students, especially in the border regions of Santa Catarina and Paraná.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/univalionline
• YouTubeyoutube.com/univalivideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/univali
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/univali
• Instagraminstagram.com/UnivaliOnline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 UNIVALI - Universidade do Vale do Itajaí