Maple Bear Global Schools
Maple Bear Global Schools is a Canadian-headquartered franchise network operating 500+ bilingual schools in 37 countries under a proprietary Canadian-pedagogy curriculum, serving over 70,000 students from infant care through high school and licensing independent entrepreneurs to deliver the brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersNorth Vancouver, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Maple Bear Global Schools does
Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd. is a Canadian-headquartered education company that operates a global franchise network of bilingual schools delivering instruction based on Canadian educational pedagogy. The company traces its origins to the Canadian Education Centre Network (CECN), a non-profit supported by the Government of Canada and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, with the first school opening in India in 2005; it reached 500 schools across 37 countries serving over 70,000 students as of April 2026. The product portfolio spans Bear Care infant care (ages 6 weeks to 24 months), Preschool, Elementary, Secondary/High School, plus the proprietary Digital Learning Community online platform launched in 2020 and the Global Connections Program for cross-border student collaboration around UN Sustainable Development Goals. Curriculum is written and continually updated by a team of Canadian educational experts, and the Maple Bear Faculty plus Instructional Coaches Program provide training and academic quality assurance to 3,000+ teachers worldwide.
The business operates a franchise/licensing model: independent entrepreneurs and investors acquire the right to operate Maple Bear schools using the company's proprietary curriculum, training, and brand under locally adapted standards, with the firm capturing licensing/royalty revenue and providing ongoing operational and academic support. Distribution is supported by a dedicated ownschool.maplebear.ca franchise funnel, an annual Global Schools Conference (the 2nd held in Whistler, BC in October 2025), and regional operational hubs in Toronto (global HQ) and São Paulo (LATAM regional HQ). Maple Bear is controlled by Grupo SEB (Sistema Educacional Brasileiro), one of the world's largest educational groups, with the Zaher family holding board chair and board member seats alongside the founding leadership of Rodney Briggs; José Henrique Melo serves as CEO.
The company pursues ongoing geographic expansion, having added Czech Republic (Olomouc, 2024), Paraguay, Uzbekistan (2024), Australia and Ghana (2025), with Bulgaria (Plovdiv, fall 2026) announced. Recent institutional partnerships with the University of Toronto and Rosseau Lake College aim to strengthen academic pathways for students. Pricing is set locally by independently owned schools, and the company does not publicly disclose revenue.
Maple Bear Global Schools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Maple Bear Global Schools
- Legal name
- Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd.
- Website
- https://maplebear.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Maple Bear Global Schools is a Canadian-headquartered franchise network operating 500+ bilingual schools in 37 countries under a proprietary Canadian-pedagogy curriculum, serving over 70,000 students from infant care through high school and licensing independent entrepreneurs to deliver the brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Maple Bear Global Schools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Childhood and K-12 Bilingual Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)
Keywords
Where Maple Bear Global Schools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Maple Bear Global Schools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Franchise Licensing: Maple Bear generates revenue through a franchise model where school owners pay licensing fees for the right to operate Maple Bear schools using the proprietary Canadian methodology, curriculum, training, and brand. The franchise model offers turnkey approach to school ownership combining academic excellence with operational expertise.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Maple Bear Global Schools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd. is a Canadian-founded franchise network that licenses its proprietary English/French bilingual curriculum and Canadian pedagogical methodology to independent school operators worldwide. The company licenses the Maple Bear brand, curriculum, teacher training systems, and quality assurance frameworks, enabling franchisees to operate preschool, elementary, and secondary schools (plus infant care) across more than 35 countries.
Product overview
Maple Bear Global Schools is a Canadian education franchise network offering bilingual education programs across 500+ schools in 37 countries. The portfolio includes early childhood programs (Bear Care for infants 6 weeks to 24 months, Preschool), Elementary, and Secondary/High School programs. Supporting the core academic offerings are the Digital Learning Community (DLC) - a proprietary online learning platform launched globally in 2020 - and the Global Connections Program for cross-cultural collaboration on sustainability. The Maple Bear Faculty provides teacher training and quality assurance through instructional coaching and academic reviewers. All programs use a proprietary curriculum developed by Canadian educational experts, with the company operating under a franchise model for school ownership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bear Care Infant Care & Early Learning Program
- Maple Bear Preschool Program
- Maple Bear Elementary Program
- Maple Bear Secondary / High School Program
- Digital Learning Community (DLC)
- Global Connections Program
- Global Connections for Sustainability Program (GCP)
Quantifiable outcome
- Canada ranks in top 10 in all three PISA domains among OECD countries since PISA's inception in 2000
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Maple Bear Global Schools
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Maple Bear Global Schools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Maple Bear Global Schools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- University of TorontoflagshipNew strategic partnership announced at the 2nd Annual Maple Bear Global Schools Conference in Whistler, BC. Marks an exciting step forward in Maple Bear's ongoing commitment to excellence and collaboration in global education.
- Rosseau Lake CollegeflagshipNew strategic partnership announced at the 2nd Annual Maple Bear Global Schools Conference in Whistler, BC. Part of Maple Bear's commitment to strengthening educational partnerships and providing pathways for students.
- Dr. Karyn GordonminorThought-provoking keynote presenter at the 2nd Annual Maple Bear Global Schools Conference, speaking on 'The Three Chairs of Leadership' exploring emotional intelligence and effective leadership.
- Nikolas BadmintonminorGlobally recognized futurist who challenged conference attendees to imagine what's next for education and how Maple Bear can continue to lead with innovation and purpose.
- UNICEF BrazilcoreMaple Bear committed $100K USD to support UNICEF Brazil's Active Search initiative targeting out-of-school children. The program uses an online tool to locate children not registered in school, capture reasons why they aren't, and follow them through enrollment. Donation supported development of training materials for adolescent engagement in vulnerable areas covering more than 1,800 municipalities.
- Casa HopecoreNon-profit organization in São Paulo, Brazil supporting families living in poverty with resources for children's cancer treatments, including food, accommodations, and classrooms. Maple Bear Brazil highlights this cause as part of their Terry Fox initiative and community giving back program.
- GRAACCminorNon-profit childhood cancer research and treatment facility in São Paulo where many children from Casa Hope receive treatments. Visited by Maple Bear during Darrell Fox's Brazil visit in 2018.
- Terry Fox FoundationcoreGlobal partnership for cancer research fundraising. Maple Bear students have raised more than $500,000 CAD since 2017. Maple Bear Global Schools made a gift of $25,000 to the Foundation. The partnership teaches students values of empathy, humility, generosity, and collaboration through Terry Fox's inspiring story.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Maple Bear Global Schools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- China Maple Leaf Educational Systems: Operates K-12 schools internationally on a Canadian-curriculum foundation with a franchised/licensed and owned-school hybrid. Maple Leaf is the closest analogue to Maple Bear by curriculum heritage, K-12 scope, and cross-border expansion model, though it is more concentrated in Greater China.
- Nord Anglia Education: Premium international K-12 school group operating 80+ schools across 30+ countries with proprietary curriculum and university partnerships (e.g., MIT, Juilliard). Directly comparable to Maple Bear in international premium K-12 positioning, though Nord Anglia operates owned schools rather than a franchise model.
- Cognita Schools: Global K-12 school group with 100+ schools across more than 20 countries, backed by Jacobs Foundation. Comparable to Maple Bear in broad international K-12 footprint and multi-curriculum portfolio spanning British, International Baccalaureate, and national systems.
- GEMS Education: One of the world's largest private K-12 operators with hundreds of schools across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, operating premium and mass-market segments. Comparable to Maple Bear on geographic breadth and premium-priced international education at scale, though GEMS is a direct operator rather than a franchisor.
- Dulwich College International: Premium international school network operated by Dulwich College (UK), with schools across Asia and beyond delivering British curriculum. Comparable to Maple Bear on international premium K-12 positioning and brand-anchored expansion, with similar focus on affluent, internationally-minded families.
- International Schools Partnership (ISP): PE-backed international K-12 group with 80+ schools across multiple regions operating British, IB, and national curricula. Directly comparable to Maple Bear as a multi-country international school platform pursuing programmatic scale and quality benchmarking.
- Inspired Schools: PE-backed international premium schools network operating across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific with British and international curricula. Comparable to Maple Bear in capital-backed international K-12 expansion and premium positioning.
- Brighton College: UK-founded premium school brand that has aggressively internationalized (UAE, Singapore, Bangkok, etc.) by exporting curriculum and brand. Comparable to Maple Bear on exporting a single-country education brand internationally to serve premium bilingual/English-medium families.
- Wellington College International: Premium UK school operating international campuses across China, Thailand, and other markets on a licensed/franchised model. Closely mirrors Maple Bear's strategy of monetizing a single-country premium brand internationally through licensing rather than corporate-owned schools.
Others
- Grupo SEB (Sistema Educacional Brasileiro): Brazilian educational conglomerate and Maple Bear's parent entity. While not a competitive peer, Grupo SEB is the only direct investable proxy to Maple Bear exposure for someone seeking access to the international bilingual K-12 segment via the Brazilian-listed parent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Maple Bear Global Schools social profiles
Digital presenceMaple Bear Global Schools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Maple Bear Global Schools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Maple Bear Global Schools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Maple Bear Global Schools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Maple Bear Global Schools
What does Maple Bear Global Schools do?
Maple Bear Global Schools Ltd. is a Canadian-founded franchise network that licenses its proprietary English/French bilingual curriculum and Canadian pedagogical methodology to independent school operators worldwide. The company licenses the Maple Bear brand, curriculum, teacher training systems, and quality assurance frameworks, enabling franchisees to operate preschool, elementary, and secondary schools (plus infant care) across more than 35 countries.
Is Maple Bear Global Schools a public or private company?
Maple Bear Global Schools is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Maple Bear Global Schools founded?
Maple Bear Global Schools was founded in 2004. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Maple Bear Global Schools based?
Maple Bear Global Schools is headquartered in North Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Maple Bear Global Schools make money?
One revenue line is on record: franchise Licensing.
Who are Maple Bear Global Schools's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are China Maple Leaf Educational Systems, Nord Anglia Education, Cognita Schools, GEMS Education, Dulwich College International, International Schools Partnership (ISP), Inspired Schools, Brighton College and Wellington College International. Grupo SEB (Sistema Educacional Brasileiro) is listed as an others.
Does Maple Bear Global Schools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Maple Bear Global Schools.
What industry is Maple Bear Global Schools in?
Maple Bear Global Schools's product category is Early Childhood and K-12 Bilingual Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJABAG, International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.). Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.