What ACE Education does

ACE Education is a French private higher-education group headquartered in Paris (69 rue Barrault, 75013) that consolidates seven specialized schools under a single network brand: AMOS Sport Business School, ESBS European Sport Business School, CMH École de Management Hôtelier International de Luxe, ESDAC École supérieure de Design, ENAAI École des Arts Appliqués & de l'Image, ESAT École Supérieure d'Art et de Technologie (Valencia), and EIDM École Internationale de Mode & Luxe. The group trains students in passion-driven verticals spanning sport management, international luxury hospitality, design, illustration/animation, gaming/creative technology, and fashion/luxury business, delivering Bachelor through MBA-level programs across 46 campuses in France and Spain to approximately 9,000 students. The group is privately held and PE-backed by Oakley, having acquired EIDM in May 2022 as part of an ongoing consolidation strategy.

ACE Education monetizes primarily through tuition fees for its multi-year, recurring programs (Bachelor, Master, MBA), with a secondary revenue stream from enterprise partnerships that channel companies into recruitment, apprenticeship contracts, co-branded events, and pedagogical projects. Apprenticeships and work-study placements are a meaningful component, formalized through Pôle Alternance and the Mentor Goal job platform (which intermediated 6,204 job offers and 2,203 apprenticeship contracts in 2024/25). The underlying technology stack is conventional: a Miracle/Hubspot CRM, the ACE Connect student mobile application for account and campus access, the Mentor Goal internal job platform, and an Espace Pro portal for employer engagement; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The operational footprint is anchored by marquee employer partnerships with luxury houses (Hermès, Chanel, Christian Dior Couture), hospitality groups (Accor, Four Seasons, Relais & Châteaux), and sport organizations (PSG Féminines, L'Équipe, Valencia CF, LNH, Fédération Française de Tennis), which form the primary distribution and recruitment moat.

Name

ACE Education

Legal name

ACE Education

Website

https://ace-education.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ACE Education is a Paris-based, PE-backed higher-education group operating seven specialized schools (sport, luxury hospitality, design, gaming, fashion) across 46 campuses in France and Spain, serving roughly 9,000 students via tuition-driven Bachelor-to-MBA programs and employer-mediated apprenticeships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition fees across multiple schools and programs including Bachelor, Master, and MBA levels in Sport Management, Design, Animation, Illustration, Hotel Management, Fashion, and Gaming disciplines.
2. Enterprise Partnerships: Partnership collaborations with companies including recruitment partnerships, event organization, co-branding campaigns, and pedagogical projects generating revenue through various engagement models.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACE Education operates a network of seven specialized higher education schools across France and Spain, offering Bachelor, Master, and MBA-level programs in passion-driven industries including Sport Management, Luxury Hotel Management, Design, Animation, Illustration, Gaming and Creative Tech, and Fashion & Luxury Business. The group enrolls approximately 9,000 students across 46 campuses and integrates professional work-study (apprenticeship) pathways, an internal employment platform (Mentor Goal), and partnerships with 4,000 companies to support graduate placement.

Product overview

ACE Education operates as a unified global education network comprising multiple specialized schools (AMOS, ESBS, CMH, ESDAC, ENAAI, ESAT, and EIDM) offering higher education programs across Sport Management, International Hotel & Luxury Management, Design, Animation & Illustration, Gaming & Creative Tech, and Fashion & Luxury Business. The network spans 46 campuses with 9,000 students and partnerships with 4,000 companies and 40 universities. The group provides a student mobile application (ACE CONNECT), an internal job platform (Mentor Goal), and a work-study division (Pôle Alternance). In 2022, ACE Education acquired EIDM to expand into fashion and luxury education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMOS Sport Business School: Sport Management education institution with 16 campuses in France and abroad
• ESBS European Sport Business School
• CMH École de Management Hôtelier International de Luxe
• ESDAC École supérieure de Design
• ENAAI École des Arts Appliqués & de l'Image
• ESAT École Supérieure d'Art et de Technologie
• EIDM École Internationale de Mode & Luxe
• ACE CONNECT

Products and services

• AMOS Sport Business School Sport Management school training future leaders in the sports industry, with 16 campuses in France and abroad, over 3,000 students, 250 lecturers, and 34 international partner universities. Programs prepare students for careers across the sport business ecosystem with major sports organization partnerships.
• ESBS European Sport Business School Sport business school based in Spain, ranked 3rd best international masters in sport management in Europe by SportBusiness 2022. Operates 2 campuses in Spain and serves students across international sport business programs.
• CMH École de Management Hôtelier International de Luxe International luxury hotel management school founded in 1975, with 5 campuses, over 500 students, and partnerships with 1,600 companies including Accor, Hermès, Cartier, and Four Seasons. Programs prepare students for managerial roles in the hospitality and luxury sectors.
• ESDAC École supérieure de Design Graduate school of design with 13 campuses in France, offering product design, graphic design, and applied arts programs with 4 teaching specializations and 150 creative projects per year.
• ENAAI École des Arts Appliqués & de l'Image School of applied arts and image based in Chambéry, France, specializing in illustration and animation with 26 instructors delivering creative arts education.
• ESAT École Supérieure d'Art et de Technologie School of art and technology located in Valencia, Spain, ranked 1st video games school in Spain in 2024 by GAMEducation and 6th globally. Offers programs in programming, artistic development, illustration, design, and production for the video games and creative technology sector.
• EIDM École Internationale de Mode & Luxe International fashion and luxury business school ranked 1st French School of Fashion and Luxury according to CEO World 2022 ranking, with over 550 students and 17 international university partnerships. Offers programs in image, styling, art direction, communication, and marketing for the fashion and luxury sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,203 apprenticeship contracts signed in 2024/25
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• EIDM (École Internationale de Mode & Luxe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2022ACE Education acquired EIDM to integrate fashion and luxury domains into its educational offerings, expanding the group's portfolio to include international fashion business education.
• Le Groupe L'EquipecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sports media group partnership with AMOS Sport Business School for student recruitment, events, and professional development in sports management.
• Ligue Nationale de Handball (LNH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational handball federation partnership with AMOS for sports business education and professional opportunities.
• PSG FémininescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Paris Saint-Germain women's team for sports business education and career opportunities.
• Fédération Française de TenniscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Tennis Federation partnership providing sports business education connections and professional opportunities.
• Valencia CFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESBS partnership with Valencia football club for sports business education and professional development.
• AccorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMH partnership with Accor hospitality group for luxury hotel management education and graduate recruitment.
• Four Seasons Hotels and ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Four Seasons for luxury hospitality education and professional placement opportunities.
• HermèsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIDM partnership with Hermès for fashion and luxury business education, including internship and graduate placement opportunities.
• ChanelmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIDM partnership with Chanel for fashion and luxury business education collaboration.
• Christian Dior CouturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIDM partnership for fashion education including internship placements in sales and retail operations.
• Galeries LafayettecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Galeries Lafayette for fashion business education and retail career pathways.
• Paris Design WeekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESDAC partnership with Paris Design Week for design education, student projects, and industry exposure.
• Fashion Green HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for sustainable fashion education and green initiatives across ESDAC and EIDM schools.
• SONY Computer Entertainment EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESAT partnership with Sony for gaming education and creative technology collaboration.
• GSIC powered by MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationESBS partnership with Microsoft-powered Global Sports Innovation Center for sports technology education.
• Relais & ChâteauxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMH partnership with Relais & Châteaux luxury hotel association for hospitality education.
• Monte Carlo Fashion WeekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIDM participation in Monte Carlo Fashion Week for fashion business education and industry networking.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ace-education-groupe

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ACE Education