What Cetrus does

Cetrus is a Brazilian medical education institution founded in 1995, headquartered in São Paulo with a secondary headquarters in Recife. The company specializes in postgraduate specialization courses, fellowship programs with hands-on training, and intensive courses across 45+ medical specialties — with a particular concentration in ultrasonography, obstetric imaging, and fetal medicine. Its operating footprint spans 50+ cities across all 26 Brazilian states, supported by a network of 150+ specialist professors and fellowship training cells in 19+ states. Cetrus is part of Grupo Sanar Cetrus following a 2022 merger with Editora Sanar S.A. (CNPJ 18.990.682/0001-92), which is the parent holding company, while Cetrus Diagnóstico Ltda (CNPJ 00.395.788/0001-82) operates the diagnostic imaging services arm.

The company delivers education through multiple modalities: in-person postgraduate and fellowship programs, distance learning (EAD) with recorded and live sessions, hybrid formats combining online theory with supervised in-person practice, and short intensive courses. Core offerings also include an online MBA in Medicine and Business (limited to 6 students per cohort), mentoring programs, exam preparation courses, and an undergraduate Hospital Management degree. Technology assets include the Educa Cetrus platform with 25 free obstetric calculators based on Fetal Medicine Foundation algorithms (gestational age, fetal growth, nuchal translucency, Doppler indices, preeclampsia risk), a self-service patient exam-scheduling portal, and a separate student area. The company also operates a daily medical news podcast (Cetrus News on Spotify) and produces free masterclasses and e-books as top-of-funnel content.

Cetrus monetizes primarily through tuition fees for postgraduate, fellowship, intensive, and online courses, priced via direct consultation through WhatsApp sales channels rather than publicly disclosed rate cards. A secondary revenue stream comes from diagnostic imaging services rendered through Cetrus Diagnóstico to 600,000+ patients cumulatively. The customer base consists of practicing physicians seeking specialization and certification (primary), OB/GYNs and radiologists seeking advanced imaging skills (secondary), healthcare management students, and patients seeking diagnostic examinations. Go-to-market combines direct sales via WhatsApp-led enrollment consultants, content-led organic acquisition through free educational resources, and community-led referrals from the 60,000+ alumni and faculty networks. No public revenue figures, funding history, or investor ownership are disclosed in available source material.

Name

Cetrus

Legal name

CETRUS DIAGNÓSTICO LTDA

Website

https://cetrus.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cetrus is a Brazilian medical education institution founded in 1995, delivering postgraduate specialization, fellowship, intensive, and online courses across 45+ specialties — with a focus on ultrasonography and fetal medicine — to physicians in 50+ cities across all 26 Brazilian states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education and Specialization Training

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Clinical Professions (CME/CE for Nurses, Allied Health, Pharmacy) (EDAAALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare & Medical Licensure Exam Prep (USMLE/COMLEX, NCLEX, Dentistry, Pharmacy, PA) (EDANAIAA), Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM)

Keywords

• Medical education
• Postgraduate medical training
• Diagnostic imaging courses
• Ultrasound specialization training
• Fellowship medical programs

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Specialization Courses: Primary revenue stream from postgraduate programs (pós-graduação), fellowship programs, intensive courses, and preparatory courses across 45+ medical specialties. Programs include hands-on practical training components at training centers across Brazil.
2. Online/EAD Courses: Distance learning postgraduate courses covering medical specialties including ultrasonography, dermatology, gynecology, cardiology, radiology, orthopedics, and neurology. Revenue from tuition fees for online programs with recorded lectures and live sessions.
3. Medical Diagnostic Imaging Services: Cetrus Diagnóstico operates diagnostic imaging services (CNPJ 00.395.788/0001-82) providing ultrasound examinations with patient scheduling through exam.cetrus.com.br.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cetrus delivers postgraduate medical specialization education in Brazil across 45+ specialties, with flagship offerings in postgraduate courses (Pós-Graduação), hands-on Fellowship programs, short intensive courses, and distance learning (EAD). The curriculum emphasizes diagnostic imaging and obstetric ultrasound, supported by 150+ specialist professors and a national network of training centers in 50+ cities. The company also operates Cetrus Diagnóstico, providing ultrasound diagnostic imaging services to patients.

Product overview

Cetrus is a medical education company offering a comprehensive portfolio of courses and programs for physician professional development. The core offering includes postgraduate specialization courses (Pós-Graduação), Fellowship programs with hands-on training focus, Intensive Courses, and Distance Learning (EAD) options. The company operates across 50+ cities throughout Brazil with headquarters in São Paulo and Recife. The product ecosystem also includes specialized offerings such as MBA in Medicine and Business, Mentoring programs, Hospital Management undergraduate degree, and exam preparation courses. Free educational resources include 25 obstetric calculators, e-books, and masterclasses. Cetrus specializes in medical imaging technologies, particularly ultrasound (ultrassonografia), with programs spanning obstetrics, gynecology, fetal medicine, cardiology, dermatology, orthopedics, and over 45 other medical specialties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pós-Graduação (Postgraduate Courses)

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ doctors trained across all medical specialties
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Editora Sanar S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company relationship where Editora Sanar S.A. (CNPJ 18.990.682/0001-92) operates alongside Cetrus under the unified Grupo Sanar Cetrus brand since 2022. Editora Sanar provides publishing, content development, and corporate infrastructure supporting Cetrus medical education operations. Both entities share common ownership and operate as a single company from the customer perspective.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BMJ Learning: BMJ Learning is one of the largest global online CME/CE platforms for physicians. Comparable as a multi-specialty medical continuing education provider with online delivery and international reach.
• Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF): FMF is the global authority on fetal medicine whose algorithms power Cetrus's obstetric calculator suite. Comparable as the international reference body for fetal medicine education and certification that Cetrus aligns its curriculum to.
• Medscape Education: Medscape Education is a leading global free CME/CE platform for physicians across specialties. Comparable as a multi-specialty digital medical education provider competing for physician learning time and attention.
• Yduqs (Estácio / Ibmec): Yduqs is a major Brazilian for-profit higher education group (formerly Estácio) offering graduate and undergraduate programs including health sciences. Comparable as a Brazilian incumbent with medical postgraduate offerings and broader higher-ed distribution scale.
• NEJM Knowledge+: NEJM Knowledge+ is a premium adaptive learning CME platform from the New England Journal of Medicine. Comparable as an authoritative, international medical CE provider competing in the same physician continuing education wallet.

Emerging players

• Lecturio: Lecturio is a subscription-based medical video learning platform covering medical school, residency, and continuing education. Comparable as an emerging online medical education platform targeting the same individual-physician learner segment.

Direct peers

• AFYA: AFYA is Brazil's largest publicly-listed medical education group, operating medical undergraduate and postgraduate programs across multiple states. Directly comparable as a Brazilian medical specialization education company competing for the same physician-student base.
• AO Foundation: AO Foundation runs specialty-focused postgraduate medical education programs (notably orthopedics and trauma) with hands-on training models globally. Comparable as a specialty medical education provider with faculty-driven, hands-on fellowship-style programs.

Regional players

• Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein: Albert Einstein's medical education arm offers postgraduate and specialization programs for physicians in São Paulo, with strong brand association. Comparable as a premium Brazilian medical postgraduate provider, though narrower geographic footprint.

Others

• Sanar (Editora Sanar): Editora Sanar is Cetrus's own sister company within Grupo Sanar Cetrus, focused on digital health content publishing and medical prep materials. Comparable as the integrated content and EAD distribution arm within the same corporate group.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mktcetrus
• Facebookfacebook.com/CetrusBrasil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cetrusensino
• Instagraminstagram.com/cetrus.ensino

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cetrus