What ESME-Sudria does

ESME-Sudria is a private French engineering school founded in 1905 and headquartered in Ivry-sur-Seine (Paris), operating across four national campuses (Paris-Ivry, Paris-Centre, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon). The institution is organized as a declared non-profit association (association déclarée, SIREN 442 639 258) and is a member school of the IONIS Education Group, the largest private higher education conglomerate in France with 29 schools and 35,000+ students.

The school's core product is a CTI-accredited 5-year Diplôme d'Ingénieur combining a 2-year preparatory cycle and a 3-year engineering cycle, offering 18 specialization majors across 7 domains: Energy & Environment, Digital Intelligence, Connected Cities, Transport & Mobility, Robotics & Design, Biotech & Health, and Business & Finance. The pedagogical model is built on a "test before choosing" approach — students explore 6 discovery paths across 5 semesters before committing to a specialization. Complementing the engineering degree, ESME offers 6 professional Bachelor's degrees, 3 MSc programs (in Cybersecurity & Data, Energy Strategy & Business, and Aeronautical Industry Management), and 3 RNCP-certified professional titles at Levels 6 and 7. The school also delivers apprenticeship (alternance) pathways across multiple majors, including embedded systems, IoT, AI, mecatronics, and information systems architecture.

ESME's business model is primarily tuition-driven (annual subscription billing) supplemented by apprenticeship tax revenue (taxe d'apprentissage) from approximately 450 corporate sponsors. Student recruitment runs through the national Parcoursup platform and the Concours Advance entrance exam shared with other IONIS engineering schools, supplemented by campus open days and direct appointments. The school's value proposition is anchored on outcome metrics — 99% of engineering graduates find employment within 2 months at an average starting salary of €45,000 — and on regulatory-grade credentials (CTI, CGE, UGEI, CDEFI labels) plus Société à Mission status granted in 2021. The corporate ecosystem spans 450 enterprise partners across aerospace, energy, automotive, technology, construction, and finance, with flagship relationships including Airbus, Thales, Safran, EDF, ENGIE, Schneider Electric, Renault, Stellantis, Sopra Steria, IBM, and Microsoft.

Name

ESME-Sudria

Legal name

ESME SUDRIA

Website

https://esme.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

ESME-Sudria is a private French engineering school founded in 1905, offering a CTI-accredited 5-year Diplôme d'Ingénieur with 18 majors, plus Bachelor and MSc programs across 4 campuses (Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon) to 3,000+ students annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ivry-sur-seine

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: The primary revenue stream is tuition fees from students enrolled in engineering degrees, Bachelors, and MSc programs. The school operates as a private higher education institution and generates revenue from educational services.
2. Apprenticeship Tax (Taxe d'apprentissage): French companies contribute to the apprenticeship tax which funds work-study programs. ESME receives funding through apprenticeship contracts where companies sponsor student education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ESME-Sudria is a private French engineering school delivering CTI-accredited higher education programs across four campuses (Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon). Its core offerings are the five-year Diplôme d'Ingénieur with 18 specialization majors, six professional Bachelor's programs, and three MSc programs, complemented by standalone RNCP-certified professional titles in information systems management, energy transition, and aeronautical systems.

Product overview

ESME Sudria is a French engineering school offering a comprehensive educational portfolio of three main programs: a 5-year Diplôme d'Ingénieur accredited by CTI (with 18 specialization majors across 6 domains), 6 professional Bachelor's degrees, and 3 MSc programs. The engineering degree follows a two-year preparatory cycle followed by a three-year specialization cycle, with options for apprenticeship. The institution also offers RNCP-certified professional titles in IT management and energy sectors. Programs are delivered across 4 campuses in Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, and Lyon, with certain programs available 100% in English. The school is part of IONIS Education Group and operates a mission-driven structure (Société à Mission) since 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diplôme d'Ingénieur (Formation Ingénieur) Five-year CTI-accredited engineering degree with two-year preparatory cycle followed by three-year engineering cycle, offering 18 specialization majors across 6 domains (Energy & Environment, Robotics & Digital, Design & Innovation, Aeronautics & Intelligent Transport, Biotech & Health, Business & Finance). Designed for post-baccalaureate students.
• Bachelor Programs (6 professionalizing degrees) Six professional bachelor's degree programs including Cybersecurity & Connected Objects, Smart Tech & Connected Objects, Future Energies, Aeronautical and Space Systems, AI-Tech & Creation, and Energy Project Management. Targeted at students seeking applied, hands-on technical education with early industry exposure.
• MSc / Master of Science Programs Three specialized MSc programs: Manager Cybersecurity & Data, Strategy & Business of Energies, and Manager Aeronautical Industry. Designed for students with Bac+3/+4/+5 seeking master's-level education combining technical and management competencies.
• Titre Expert en Management des Systèmes d'Information (RNCP35284) RNCP Level 7 (grade Master) professional certification covering information systems analysis, design, deployment, validation, and digital transformation strategy. Targeted at working professionals and career changers seeking dual competence in IT and business management.
• Titre Chargé d'Études et Développements des Systèmes Aéronautiques et Spatiaux (RNCP38782) RNCP Level 6 (grade Licence) professional certification in aeronautical and space systems engineering, covering design, testing, deployment, and maintenance of avionics systems. Tuition: €7,845 total over a 2-year program with the final year conducted as apprenticeship (alternance).
• Titre Chargé de Projet en Transition Énergétique RNCP Level 6 professional certification in energy transition project management, covering data analysis, energy systems deployment, performance management, and smart building technologies. Tuition: €7,645 total over a 2-year program with the final year conducted as apprenticeship (alternance).

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of engineering graduates find employment within 2 months of graduation
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• IONIS Education GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1980IONIS Education Group is the parent organization of ESME Sudria. Founded in 1980 by Marc Sellam, IONIS is the largest private higher education group in France with 29 schools, 35,000+ students, and 100,000+ alumni. ESME benefits from group resources, cross-school networking, shared events, and the group's reputation in French higher education.
• 101 International University PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESME maintains partnerships with 101 universities worldwide across 75 countries. These partnerships enable student exchanges, double degree programs, and international academic collaboration. Students are required to spend at least one semester abroad as part of their engineering degree.
• 450 Partner CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESME has established relationships with approximately 450 companies that participate in student projects, provide internships, recruit graduates, and engage in collaborative research. These partnerships span multiple industries including aerospace, energy, automotive, technology, and finance.
• Sopra SteriaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSopra Steria is the main partner for the Digital Transformation major. The partnership includes company visits, collaborative case studies, and curriculum input to ensure alignment with industry needs. Sopra Steria is a major player in digital transformation consulting.
• Schneider ElectriccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchneider Electric collaborates with ESME on mecatronics and robotics projects, notably the ChessRobot project where students enhanced an existing robotic cell using Pacdrive3 technology. Schneider Electric is a leader in energy management and automation.
• AlstomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlstom partners with ESME for embedded systems and intelligent transport projects. Students work on real-world transportation challenges in collaboration with Alstom engineers.
• Dassault AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDassault Aviation collaborates with ESME on aerospace engineering projects, providing industry expertise and project opportunities for students in embedded systems.
• EADS/Airbus GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirbus Group partners with ESME for aerospace engineering projects, contributing to student education in avionics, embedded systems, and defense technologies.
• ValeocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValeo collaborates with ESME on intelligent transport and automotive engineering projects, providing expertise in electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies.
• ContinentalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinental partners with ESME for automotive engineering projects, contributing to student projects on vehicle systems and intelligent transport.
• Renault GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenault partners with ESME for electric vehicle and intelligent transport projects, providing industry collaboration and internship opportunities.
• PSA Group (Stellantis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSA Group collaborates with ESME on automotive engineering projects, providing project opportunities and recruitment for students in motorization and intelligent vehicles.
• ENGIEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENGIE partners with ESME for IoT and energy projects, contributing to student education in smart connected devices and energy technologies.
• EDFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDF collaborates with ESME on energy projects, providing expertise in power generation, renewable energy, and nuclear technologies.
• Areva (Orano)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAreva partners with ESME for energy projects, contributing to nuclear and energy engineering education.
• AxianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAxians, a VINCI Energies subsidiary specializing in ICT infrastructure, partners with ESME for information systems architecture projects.
• CiscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCisco partners with ESME for information systems and networking projects, contributing to student education in network architecture and cybersecurity.
• IBMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBM collaborates with ESME for information systems projects, contributing expertise in enterprise systems and digital transformation.
• FortinetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFortinet partners with ESME for cybersecurity and information systems projects, providing expertise in network security solutions.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft partners with ESME for information systems and cloud projects, contributing Azure and enterprise software expertise.
• SiemenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSiemens collaborates with ESME on mecatronics and automation projects, providing industry expertise in industrial automation and digitalization.
• MBDAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBDA partners with ESME for aerospace and defense engineering projects, contributing to student education in missile systems and defense technologies.
• Airbus Defence and SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirbus Defence and Space collaborates with ESME on defense and space engineering projects, providing industry expertise and project opportunities.
• EPITA, IPSA, SupBiotech (IONIS Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared campus in Lyon with three other IONIS Group schools, creating an interdisciplinary environment where students from different schools collaborate on projects and benefit from shared resources.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EPITA: Sister engineering school within IONIS Education Group focused on computer science and software engineering. Direct structural and operational peer to ESME, sharing the Concours Advance entrance exam, IONIS Group resources, and the shared Lyon campus.
• IPSA: IONIS Group aerospace and aeronautical engineering school. Directly comparable on size, CTI accreditation, multi-campus structure, and shared Concours Advance admissions pathway; relevant peer given ESME's own aerospace specialization major.
• ECE Paris: Private French engineering school offering multi-disciplinary engineering programs with strong industry integration. Comparable in size, Grande École positioning, and apprenticeship-based delivery model.
• ISEN (JUNIA): Private engineering school within the JUNIA group, with multi-campus presence (Lille, Brest, Rennes, Toulon). Comparable CTI-accredited generalist engineering diploma and apprenticeship pathways to ESME.
• INSA Lyon: Largest public INSA engineering school, offering a generalist 5-year engineering diploma. Closest public-sector analogue to ESME in curriculum structure, scale (~6,000 students), and post-bac recruitment model.
• INSA Toulouse: Public generalist engineering school offering a 5-year post-bac engineering diploma across multiple specializations. Closely mirrors ESME's structure and target student base, competing in the same L'Usine Nouvelle and Le Figaro rankings.
• EPITECH: Major French private IT and digital engineering school with multi-campus presence and a comparable CTI-accredited engineering diploma. Competes with ESME for similar post-bac students in computer science and digital majors.
• ESIEE Paris: IONIS Group engineering school specializing in electronics, IT and industrial engineering. Comparable to ESME in size, CTI-accredited engineering diploma, French Grande École model, and reliance on corporate apprenticeship partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• CentraleSupélec: Elite French public engineering school resulting from the merger of École Centrale Paris and Supélec. Competes for the same top-tier applicants as ESME but with substantially higher prestige and a research-intensive positioning.
• Arts et Métiers ParisTech: Top-tier French public engineering school with national multi-campus presence. Competes with ESME for engineering applicants and corporate partnerships, but at significantly larger scale and stronger brand recognition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ESMESudria
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ESME.Ingenieurs
• Facebookfacebook.com/ESME.Sudria.Paris
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esmeschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/esme.ingenieurs
• TikToktiktok.com/@esme.ingenieurs

Compliance7 records

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 ESME-Sudria