KnowledgeLink

What KnowledgeLink does

KnowledgeLink is a private educational consultancy founded in 2012 in Massachusetts, USA, that operates as an intermediary between US independent schools and Chinese partner schools. The company establishes and manages dual-diploma programs, branch campuses, and student exchanges, primarily in China, with a network spanning 10+ Chinese cities including Chengdu, Ningbo, Cixi, Nanchang, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Pinghu, Chongqing, and Jiangxi. KnowledgeLink serves three primary customer segments: US independent schools seeking international expansion into China without navigating regulatory complexity and UBIT issues, Chinese partner schools seeking American curriculum expertise and US university admissions support, and expatriate families seeking American-style education through its own branded school. The company's go-to-motion is enterprise field sales combined with strategic channel partnerships, anchored by multi-year contracts with educational institutions.

KnowledgeLink's core service involves facilitating operational partnerships between established US schools (notably St. Mary's School of Medford, Oregon since 2012, with 8 China campuses, and Barstow School of Kansas City, Missouri since 2014, with 3 campuses) and Chinese host schools. Beyond the partnership model, KnowledgeLink operates its own branded KL International School of Chongqing Bashu (KLISCB), a non-profit K-8 American-style school opened in August 2015 with a College Board-authorized curriculum. The portfolio of programs includes short-term educational experiences such as the Leadership Development Program (7-day intensive in Boston/Cambridge), College Head Start Program hosted at Harvard University, ESL Camps, summer exchange programs, cultural and language immersion programs, and the Emerging Global Leaders Conference. Programs have reportedly served over 1,000 students globally since 2012, with graduate outcomes including 100+ university admissions and 25%+ placement at US News Top 50 National Universities.

KnowledgeLink generates revenue through professional services fees for facilitating and managing institutional partnerships, with multi-year contracts negotiated directly with educational institutions. The company also derives revenue from tuition at its branded international school (KLISCB) and program fees for short-term educational experiences. The firm maintains 101-250 employees distributed across its Boston headquarters (101 Federal Street) and multiple Chinese campuses, with bilingual staff experienced in both US and Chinese educational systems serving as the operational backbone. Ownership is private and founder-led (President May Zhou; founder Steven Gao), with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership.

Name

KnowledgeLink

Legal name

KnowledgeLink Group Inc.

Website

https://kleducation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KnowledgeLink is a private educational consultancy that facilitates partnerships between US independent schools and Chinese schools, operating dual-diploma programs, branch campuses, and student exchanges across 10+ Chinese cities, plus its own branded K-8 international school in Chongqing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (61171), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Branch Campus & Offshore Program Partnerships (EDAIABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic Support, Tutoring & Language Support for Enrolled Overseas Secondary Students (EDAIAHAK), Virtual/Blended Exchange (COIL) Partnerships (EDAIABAH), Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

Keywords

• International education consulting
• Dual diploma programs
• Branch campus management
• School partnership services
• Cross-cultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Waltham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Consulting and Partnership Services: KnowledgeLink charges for facilitating partnerships between US schools and Chinese institutions, managing dual-diploma programs, establishing branch campuses, and providing ongoing operational support for international education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KnowledgeLink is an educational consultancy that establishes and manages US-China school partnerships, operating dual-diploma branch campuses for US independent schools (St. Mary's School, Barstow School) across China. It also runs its own branded American-style school (KL International School of Chongqing Bashu) and short-term programs including Leadership Development, College Head Start, ESL camps, and cultural exchange.

Product overview

KnowledgeLink is an educational consultancy operating as a platform of international education services. The core offering consists of establishing and managing partnerships between US and international schools, enabling dual-diploma programs, branch campuses, and student exchanges primarily in China. KnowledgeLink's own school brand includes KL International School of Chongqing Bashu. The portfolio includes program offerings such as the Leadership Development Program (7-day intensive in Boston), College Head Start Program at Harvard, ESL Camps, Summer Exchange Programs, Cultural Exploration Program, Language Immersion Program, and Experiential Learning Program. Partnership networks include St. Mary's School (5+ campuses since 2012) and Barstow School (3 campuses since 2014), both offering K-12 dual-diploma programs. Online Learning services round out the educational delivery options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leadership Development Program: A program integrating cross-cultural competencies with leadership skill training for middle and high school students, focusing on debate and public speaking, creativity and critical thinking, civic engagement, and team management.
• KL International School of Chongqing Bashu (KLISCB)

Products and services

• International Education Partnership Programs End-to-end consulting and operational support for US independent schools seeking to establish dual-diploma programs and branch campuses in China. Services cover partnership structuring, regulatory navigation (including UBIT), staffing, and ongoing program management. Target buyer: US schools and Chinese partner schools.
• KL International School of Chongqing Bashu (KLISCB) Owned-and-operated American-style international school in Chongqing, China, delivering K-8 education based on the AERO Common Core approach for expatriate families. Target buyer: Expatriate families in Chongqing.
• St. Mary's School China Partnership Network Dual-diploma branch campus network with St. Mary's School of Medford, Oregon, operating across Chinese cities including Guiyang, Pinghu, Shanghai, Shunde, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou. Target buyer: Chinese students and families seeking American-track high school credentials.
• Barstow School China Partnership Network Branch campus network with Barstow School of Kansas City, Missouri, serving grades K-12 in Ningbo, Cixi, and Jiangxi, China. Target buyer: Chinese families seeking American K-12 education.
• Leadership Development Program Seven-day intensive in Boston/Cambridge, MA for students in grades 7-12 covering debate and public speaking, creativity and critical thinking, civic engagement, and team management. Target buyer: Middle and high school students and parents.
• College Head Start Program Harvard University-hosted program teaching international students the US college admissions process and how to succeed in college once admitted. Target buyer: College-bound high school students and parents.
• ESL Camps Immersive English-as-a-Second-Language camps with peer-ambassador classrooms, team-building activities, and homestay experiences. Target buyer: International students seeking English immersion.
• Summer Exchange Programs Short-term summer exchange programs for middle and high school students offering cultural immersion experiences in the US and abroad. Target buyer: Middle and high school students and parents.
• Cultural Exploration Program Outbound youth exchange program for middle and high school students focused on cross-cultural discovery. Target buyer: Students seeking cultural exposure.
• Language Immersion Program Outbound youth exchange program focused on language immersion for middle and high school students. Target buyer: Students seeking language acquisition.
• Experiential Learning Program Hands-on experiential learning for K-12 students combining classroom instruction with real-world applications. Target buyer: K-12 schools and parents.
• College Counseling Services College admissions counseling delivered across the KnowledgeLink network of schools, supporting students targeting US universities. Target buyer: Network school students and families.
• Online Learning Online education platform providing remote learning opportunities for students across the KnowledgeLink network. Target buyer: Network school students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Ningbo Hanvos Kent School graduates entered world QS top 100 schools; 80% entered US News top 60 universities; 60% entered QS top 50 institutions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Barstow SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership with Barstow School of Kansas City, Missouri establishing branch campuses in Ningbo, Cixi, and Jiangxi, China since 2014. Barstow School serves hundreds of students in grades K-12 across its China campuses.
• Wuhan No. 2 High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Chinese partnership school for St. Mary's dual-diploma program, established in fall 2013. Wuhan No. 2 High School is a key provincial high school in Hubei with reputation for producing top-tier students.
• St. Mary's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership school collaboration between St. Mary's School of Medford, Oregon and Chinese partner schools. St. Mary's has established 8 overseas campuses in China since 2012, offering dual-diploma programs. KL provides operational support, staffing, and on-the-ground coordination for the partnership programs.
• Shanghai Jinhua Middle SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly St. Mary's partnership school collaboration that paved the way for subsequent partnerships in China.
• Guiyang No. 1 High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Mary's fifth dual diploma program opened at Guiyang No. 1 in fall 2014.
• Chengdu Shude High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Mary's-Chengdu campus location offering dual-diploma program with College Board authorization.
• Chongqing Bashu SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for KL International School of Chongqing Bashu serving expatriate families with American-style education.
• Zhejiang Province Zhenhai Middle SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChinese partner school for Barstow School of Ningbo, contributing to the integrated Chinese-Western education system.
• Hanvos Education GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong support partner for Barstow campuses in China, providing educational resources and operational infrastructure.
• Harvard UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for KnowledgeLink's College Head Start Program and Leadership Development programs conducted on Harvard campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• Youth Employment Summit (YES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge, MA nonprofit founded by Poonam Ahluwalia, providing keynote speakers for KnowledgeLink's Emerging Global Leaders Conference.
• Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (Harvard)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard center providing keynote speakers for the Emerging Global Leaders Conference.
• MITminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobotics workshop partner for KnowledgeLink's Leadership Development programs.
• SummerfuelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal leader in summer programs for high school students with over 30 years of experience, partnership for language and cultural immersion programs in Europe.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nord Anglia Education: Premium international school group operating 80+ schools globally, including multiple campuses in China offering American/British curricula. Directly comparable to KnowledgeLink in operating bilingual/international schools in Tier-1 Chinese cities and serving affluent Chinese families seeking Western credentials.
• Dulwich College International: Operator of Dulwich College branch campuses across China (Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and others), exporting a UK independent school brand into Chinese markets — the UK-international equivalent of KnowledgeLink's St. Mary's and Barstow model.
• Yew Chung Education Foundation: Non-profit operating bilingual (Chinese-English) K-12 schools across Hong Kong, mainland China and elsewhere. Closely comparable to KnowledgeLink in delivering integrated Chinese-Western curricula in China, with a long-established bilingual brand similar to KL's positioning.
• BASIS International Schools: Network of American-curriculum schools in China (Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Guangzhou) with a focus on rigorous college-preparatory education. Highly comparable to KnowledgeLink's St. Mary's and Barstow campuses in academic positioning and target segment.
• Maple Leaf Educational Systems: Publicly-listed operator of bilingual Chinese-Western K-12 schools across China, integrating Canadian and Chinese curricula. Closely comparable to KnowledgeLink in targeting Chinese families seeking Western academic credentials within China.
• Wycombe Abbey International: Operator of Wycombe Abbey-branded international schools in Hong Kong, Hangzhou and other Chinese cities, exporting a UK independent school brand — a direct structural parallel to KnowledgeLink's US-school branch campus strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Cognita Schools: Global K-12 schools group operating 100+ schools across multiple countries, including Asia-Pacific. A broader incumbent in the international schools space that competes with KnowledgeLink for premium Chinese families seeking Western-educated credentials.
• GEMS Education: One of the world's largest operators of premium K-12 schools, with a significant presence in the Middle East and Asia. Comparable to KnowledgeLink in operating international schools at scale and serving expatriate/aspirational local families.

Emerging players

• Keystone Academy: Non-profit bilingual K-12 school in Beijing offering Chinese-American integrated curriculum. Comparable to KnowledgeLink's own-branded KLISCB in operating a Chinese-Western bilingual school directly, though in a different city.

Others

• Study Group: Global provider of international student pathway programs and university preparation. Adjacent comparable to KnowledgeLink's college counseling and College Head Start programs, though focused on higher-education rather than K-12.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kleducation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7Hh
• Facebookfacebook.com/KnowledgeLinkEducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knowledgelink
• Instagraminstagram.com/kleducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 KnowledgeLink