Embark

What Embark does

Embark Student Corp. is a Canadian private corporation that operates a fully digital Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) platform serving individual families, expecting parents, and corporate employer groups. The company's core product, the Embark Student Plan, applies a Glidepath age-based investment strategy that automatically reallocates between equity and fixed-income ETFs (managed by BMO Asset Management Inc.) as the beneficiary approaches post-secondary education; a secondary Embark Select Conservative Plan emphasizes capital preservation with a 75%/25% fixed-income/equity mix. Supporting features include a real-time RESP dashboard, a digital gifting platform that lets friends and family contribute directly via secure links, an Expecting Parents plan activated upon the child's SIN, and education-planning tools such as an RESP calculator, a Career Kickstart Quiz, and a Career and School Matcher.

Embark generates revenue primarily through a 1.65% Management Expense Ratio (MER) on assets under management, applied across both core plans, with no minimum contributions and a low entry price point (marketed at $5/week). The company reports managing $6.5 billion in AUM for 1.2 million+ families and supporting 60,000+ students annually through withdrawals. Distribution is digital-first and direct-to-consumer through embark.ca, supplemented by a corporate RESP channel, referral partnerships (e.g., Tangerine), and brand partnerships (e.g., CFL). All marketing, onboarding, and account servicing are conducted online with no branch network, differentiating Embark from incumbent bank RESP providers.

The company is wholly owned by the Embark Student Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1965 that has awarded nearly $57 million in scholarships and grants to Canadians. This foundation ownership means Embark is neither venture-backed nor publicly listed, with profits reinvested into scholarships and community programs such as the 2023-launched Major Grant Program funding post-secondary institutions. The structure provides a distinctive trust positioning versus traditional bank competitors but constrains capital-raising flexibility for fast-scaling M&A or geographic expansion.

Name

Embark

Legal name

Embark Student Corp.

Website

https://embark.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Embark Student Corp. is a Canadian foundation-owned digital RESP (Registered Education Savings Plan) provider serving 1.2 million+ families with a Glidepath age-based investment strategy, 1.65% MER on $6.5 billion AUM, and a fully online onboarding and gifting platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Registered Education Savings Plans

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Post-Secondary Transition Planning & Coordination (EDAKANAA)

Keywords

• Registered education savings
• RESP management services
• Education savings plans
• Investment savings plans
• Education planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Management Expense Ratio (MER): Embark charges 1.65% MER annually plus applicable taxes on assets under management. This is deducted directly from plan earnings, or from contributions if earnings are insufficient. The company is owned by a not-for-profit foundation (Embark Student Foundation) that reinvests profits into scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Embark provides Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs) for Canadian families through a fully digital, branch-free platform. Core products include the Embark Student Plan (age-based Glidepath strategy) and the Embark Select Conservative Plan (capital-preservation allocation), both offering tax-free growth and government grant matching up to $7,200 per child. The platform also delivers a Corporate RESP program for employers offering RESPs as employee benefits, a unique gifting feature for family contributions, and digital planning tools.

Product overview

Embark operates as a unified digital RESP (Registered Education Savings Plan) platform offering two core investment plans (Embark Student Plan with age-based Glidepath strategy and Embark Select Conservative Plan for capital preservation), supplemented by Corporate RESP for employer benefits, RESP Gifting for family contributions, planning tools (RESP Calculator, Career Kickstart Quiz, Career and School Matcher), and the Money Major financial literacy content program. All products are managed through a single digital platform with no branch visits required.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Money Major: Newsletter and podcast providing tips on education planning, student potential, RESPs, and financial literacy.
• Embark Student Foundation

Products and services

• Embark Student Plan Primary Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) for Canadian families, applying a Glidepath investment strategy that automatically shifts from growth-oriented equity to capital-preservation fixed income as the beneficiary approaches post-secondary education. Offers government grant matching up to $7,200 per child through CESG and tax-free investment growth.
• Embark Select Conservative Plan Conservative Registered Education Savings Plan focused on protecting savings, with a 75% fixed income / 25% equity allocation in the growth phase that shifts toward preservation as post-secondary studies begin. Designed for families closer to the beneficiary's post-secondary age who prioritize capital preservation.
• Corporate RESP Employee benefits program enabling Canadian companies to offer RESPs as part of their benefits package. Includes dedicated account management, employee self-enrollment, and source deduction capabilities so employees can save for their children's education with up to $7,200 in government grants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ online RESP withdrawals processed per year with real-time tracking
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BMO Asset Management Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationBMO Asset Management Inc. serves as the portfolio manager for Embark Student Plan, managing the ETF-based investments that underpin the RESP offerings. The Glidepath strategy relies on BMO's asset management capabilities to execute the age-based allocation shifts.
• CFL (Canadian Football League)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship partnership with the Canadian Football League, featuring lockers and branded content showcasing the Embark and CFL partnership. Primarily a brand visibility and awareness play targeting Canadian sports fans who are parents.
• TangerineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Tangerine bank for referral of RESP services, expanding distribution reach to Tangerine's banking customer base.
• JUMP MathminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with JUMP Math (a Canadian charity helping children reach their full potential in mathematics) to support educational outcomes for students.
• University of TorontominorOthersEmbark Student Foundation Major Grant Program recipient. University receives funding to support innovative programs and initiatives benefiting student experiences.
• Algonquin CollegeminorOthersEmbark Student Foundation Major Grant Program recipient. Part of the foundation's initiative launched in 2023 awarding millions to post-secondary institutions.
• York UniversityminorOthersEmbark Student Foundation Major Grant Program recipient supporting student programs and initiatives.
• Queen's UniversityminorOthersEmbark Student Foundation Major Grant Program recipient supporting student programs and initiatives.
• BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology)minorOthersEmbark Student Foundation Major Grant Program recipient supporting student programs and initiatives.
• Memorial University (MUN)minorOthersEmbark Student Foundation Major Grant Program recipient supporting student programs and initiatives in Atlantic Canada.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EmbarkCanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/EmbarkCAN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/usci
• Instagraminstagram.com/embarkcanada
• TikToktiktok.com/@embarkstudentcorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Embark