Aicad Business School

What Aicad Business School does

Aicad Business School S.L. is a Spanish private online education provider founded in 2010, headquartered in Madrid with operations in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The company delivers 5,000+ educational programs through a Campus Virtual learning management system, including 510+ official master's degrees certified jointly with Italy's Universidad Guglielmo Marconi (recognized by MIUR), proprietary titles, diploma programs, expert programs, and short specialized courses across 30+ subject areas spanning business, technology, AI, cybersecurity, and digital marketing. Its core differentiator is the Convenio de Prácticas internship system, which connects students with 8,000+ partner companies across Spain, Europe, and Latin America, with 80% of interns reportedly hired by their host company.

The platform operates 100% online with 24/7 access, live virtual classes, recorded session archives, online examinations, and a virtual assistant. Aicad monetizes primarily through tuition and program fees (€120-€4,200+ per program, with scholarships up to 80% and promotional discounts), installment financing intermediation via SeQura, an affiliate and student ambassador referral system, and corporate training delivered through FUNDAE (Spanish State Foundation for Employment Training) subsidies. The company serves working professionals seeking career advancement, recent university graduates, Spanish corporate clients, and Latin American students, with 150,000+ enrolled students from 21+ countries. Notable credentials include consecutive Forbes Best Business School recognition (2023, 2024), QS World University Rankings Excellence Award, ISO 9001, and partnerships with PECB, Bureau Veritas, the UN Global Compact, and CaixaBank.

Name

Aicad Business School

Legal name

Aicad Business School S.L.

Website

https://aicad.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Aicad Business School is a Spanish private online education provider offering 5,000+ programs including 510+ EU-accredited official master's degrees, with an integrated internship system connecting 150,000+ students to 8,000+ partner companies across Spain, Europe, and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs) (EDAHALAD), International Business & Global Management Schools (EDAHAHAJ), Professional & Executive Short Courses (Non-Degree, International) (EDAIAIAH)

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Master's degree programs
• Professional certification courses
• Corporate training subsidies
• Internship placement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Palmas De Gran Canaria

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Revenue from enrollment fees for official master's degrees, diploma programs, proprietary titles, specialization courses, and certifications. Programs range from 25-hour courses to 1,500-hour master's degrees. Pricing varies widely by program type, duration, and official vs. proprietary status. Example: Specialist video editing course priced at €350 (reduced from €650); International Business Master's at €2,100 (reduced from €4,200).
2. Financing Intermediation: Partnership with SeQura enables installment payment plans (3, 6, or 12 monthly installments) for students, generating referral or processing revenue. Available for Spanish residents.
3. Affiliate Program: Aicad operates an affiliate system where partners and alumni earn commissions by promoting the 510+ official master's programs. Affiliates generate supplemental income by driving enrollments.
4. Corporate Training and FUNDAE Subsidies: Companies in Spain can apply training subsidies through FUNDAE for employee education. Aicad manages the subsidy process, enabling corporate clients to partially or fully fund employee training, creating a B2B revenue channel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Aicad Business School delivers an online higher education ecosystem offering 510+ official master's degrees (jointly certified with Universidad Guglielmo Marconi for EU recognition), proprietary diplomas, specialization courses, and expert programs delivered through a 100% online Campus Virtual. All programs integrate a Convenio de Prácticas (Internship Convention) system connecting students with 8,000+ partner companies across Spain, Europe, and Latin America, enabling academic-to-employment pathways.

Product overview

Aicad Business School operates as a comprehensive digital education ecosystem offering over 5,000 programs across multiple formats: Official Master's degrees (510+), university diplomas, proprietary titles, specialized courses, and expert programs. The platform centers on a Campus Virtual providing 24/7 online learning access with live classes, recorded sessions, and virtual tutoring. The institution partners with Universidad Guglielmo Marconi to certify official master's degrees valid across the European Higher Education Area. Beyond core academic offerings, the ecosystem includes internship management services (Practicas en Empresas with 8,000+ company agreements), the Fundacion AICAD scholarship program, an affiliate marketing system, alumni ambassador programs, executive clubs, a webinar/event platform, and the Aicad Jobs recruitment portal. Programs span diverse fields including Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Marketing, Finance, Business Administration, Cloud Computing, Healthcare, and Education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fundación Aicad: Foundation providing scholarships (becas 100%) for students, supporting education and professional development.

Products and services

• Official Master's Degrees (Másteres Oficiales)

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of students who complete internships are hired by the host company
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Universidad Guglielmo MarconicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023AICAD Business School has a collaboration agreement with Universidad Guglielmo Marconi (Italy's first accredited online university, recognized by MIUR) to jointly certify 490 official master's programs. These official master's degrees carry EU recognition across the European Higher Education Area. The programs include integrated internships at companies in Europe and LATAM, targeting 10,000+ professionals from 21 countries over 3 years. Students receive dual institutional credentials from both AICAD and Marconi.
• CaixaBankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaixaBank is a major Spanish bank (founded 2011 from la Caixa) that partners with AICAD on large-scale projects. The partnership involves financial support and co-development of educational initiatives targeting financial services professionals.
• BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBBVA is a partner for franchise-related programs, offering banking services and potentially channeling employee training through AICAD's programs. The bank operates across offices, ATMs, and online banking platforms.
• Universidad de NavarramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of Spain's most prestigious universities, partnering with AICAD for the joint development and delivery of postgraduate and master's programs. The partnership leverages Navarra's academic reputation and AICAD's digital distribution capabilities.
• FUNDAE (Fundación Estatal para la Formación en el Empleo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICAD is an authorized training provider registered with FUNDAE, the State Foundation for Employment Training. This enables Spanish companies to apply training subsidies for AICAD programs under ORDEN TAS 2307/2007, Real Decreto 395/2007, and Law 30/2015. AICAD manages the complete subsidy application process including adhesion agreements and filing.
• PECB (Professional Evaluation and Certification Board)majorTechnology or IntegrationAICAD is an authorized PECB partner. PECB is an ISO/IEC 17024 accredited certification body operating in over 100 countries. The partnership enables AICAD to offer PECB-certified training programs in information security, quality management, and other professional domains.
• United Nations (Global Compact)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICAD is a participant in the UN Global Compact, committing to universal principles on human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption. This affiliation positions AICAD as a socially responsible institution aligned with international sustainability frameworks and provides access to UN resources for curriculum development.
• Bureau VeritasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection, and certification company. The partnership provides third-party quality assurance and certification of AICAD's educational processes and standards, enhancing institutional credibility.
• AEEN (Asociación Española de Escuelas de Negocios)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Spanish Association of Business Schools promotes quality and excellence in professional training across Europe. AICAD's membership provides access to a network of business schools and industry standards for business education.
• EAIE (European Association for International Education)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Association for International Education (founded 1989) is the leading European center for expertise, networks, and resources in higher education internationalization. EAIE membership supports AICAD's international student recruitment and cross-border program delivery.
• EUPHE (European Union of Private Higher Education)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEUPHE promotes networking and mediation among European private higher education institutions through synergies and shared standards. AICAD's membership connects it to a network of private higher education providers across Europe.
• Res.es (Universidad Española)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRes.es is a consortium of prestigious Spanish universities for the joint development and delivery of postgraduate and master's degree programs. The partnership enables AICAD to offer university-accredited degrees across multiple disciplines.
• Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICO is a public bank under the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. Provides public financing backing and institutional credibility to AICAD's programs.
• Gobierno de Canarias — Programa Acelera PymeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Government of Canarias Transparency Portal provides institutional backing and supports AICAD's operations in the Canary Islands region. The Acelera Pyme program provides resources for SME digitalization.
• SEPE (Sistema Nacional de Empleo de España)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Spanish National Employment System provides the regulatory and policy framework for internship agreements and employment-related training programs. SEPE oversight ensures AICAD's internship programs comply with national employment regulations.
• Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICAD is a mentor company for the EU Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program (created in 2009), which facilitates European mobility for entrepreneurs. AICAD hosts foreign entrepreneurs for business development exchanges, bringing international exposure and diversity to its community.
• Foro Generación Igualdad (ONU Mujeres)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICAD participates in the Generation Equality Forum convened by UN Women and co-organized by the Governments of Mexico and France, supporting gender equality initiatives in education and professional development.
• Unión Europea — Programa Acelera PymeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Union's Acelera Pyme program provides digital resources and support for SMEs. AICAD's participation connects it to EU-wide digitalization support for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IEBS Digital School: Spanish online business school offering master's degrees and postgraduate programs targeted at working professionals and entrepreneurs. Highly comparable in business model, target market (Spanish-speaking professionals), and online-first delivery.
• OBS Business School: Online business school (part of Planeta Formación) offering official master's degrees in Spanish with international focus. Directly comparable in online master's catalog, Spanish-speaking market focus, and corporate training partnerships.
• IMF Business School: Spanish online business school offering master's, postgraduate, and specialization programs. Closely comparable in online delivery model, master's catalog breadth, and corporate training/B2B offerings including FUNDAE-funded programs.
• Euroinnova Formación: Online education provider in Spain offering master's degrees, postgraduate courses, and vocational training with heavy discounting and FUNDAE-aligned offerings. Comparable in catalog breadth, online delivery, and discount-driven go-to-market approach.
• FUNIBER (Fundación Universitaria Iberoamericana): Ibero-American foundation offering online master's and specialization programs with strong Spain and Latin America focus. Directly comparable in Spanish-language online master's delivery and Latin American student recruitment.

Broad incumbents

• ESIC Business & Marketing School: Established Spanish business school offering both in-person and online master's and MBA programs. Comparable in business school category and Spanish market but with stronger traditional brand and broader program delivery formats.
• IE University: Prestigious Spanish business school with online MBA and master's programs serving global professional audiences. Comparable in business education and online master's delivery but with significantly stronger premium brand positioning.
• Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC): Catalonia's fully online public university offering accredited master's degrees and postgraduate programs. Comparable in online-first degree delivery but with stronger public university brand and direct degree-granting authority.
• UNED (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia): Spain's national distance learning university offering a wide range of accredited online degrees. Comparable in online master's delivery and Spanish-speaking market but with public university scale and direct degree-granting authority.
• Coursera: Global online education platform partnering with universities to deliver courses, certificates, and degrees at scale. Comparable in online degree delivery and university partnership model but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@aicad
• Facebookfacebook.com/AicadBusinessSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/aicad-business-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/aicadbusinessschool
• Xx.com/abusinessschool

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Aicad Business School