What La Metro does

La Metro (Instituto Superior Tecnológico Metropolitano de Diseño) is a private for-profit higher education institution founded in 1985 and headquartered in Quito, Ecuador, operating as the country's only third-level institution exclusively dedicated to design education. It delivers eight specialized 3-year technology degree programs covering Publicitario, Industrial, Gráfico, Fotográfico, Interiores, Modas, Multimedia, and Calzado design, plus a 2-semester Professional Trayectory Validation track for practitioners with 5+ years of experience. The institute serves recent bachilleres, working designers seeking formal credentials, transfer students from other institutions, and international degree aspirants; it is licensed as Instituto Superior Tecnológico Metropolitano de Diseño (RUC 1791993179001) with documented leadership including a Rector (Msc. Hugo Carrera), Vicerrector (Dr. Pedro Avendaño), and a Financial Director.

The curriculum integrates industry-standard design tooling (Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Lumion, Enscape, D5 Render, V-Ray, Blender, Unreal Engine/Editor for Fortnite, Rhinoceros 3D, Z-Brush) with AI-assisted workflows, including AI-generated imagery in advertising and photography coursework, AI-enhanced short films combining FPV drone footage with AI post-production, and real-time rendering pipelines using AI prompts. Student output is externally validated via 20+ academic publications, student-built Fortnite campus maps (FORNITE+593), and the annual Destino Diseño 40th anniversary fair. Revenue is tuition-driven: a USD 144 one-time registration/propedéutico fee, recurring semester tuition, USD 25 plus USD 90-per-course homologation fees for transfers, and a Professional Trayectory Validation program fee. Distribution is direct via a personalized advisor-led admissions funnel through lametro.edu.ec, on-campus enrollment in the La Vicentina neighborhood, and a virtual campus (campuslametro.edu.ec); continuing education is delivered through the affiliated Centro Bauhaus brand.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, supported by educational fairs (notably Expo Calidad Educativa 2025 reaching 10,000+ attendees), annual brand events (Destino Diseño, Mediafest, Metroween, Food Design), and active multi-platform social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest, Issuu). An international degree pathway via Universidad de Palermo (Argentina) provides SENESCYT-registered third- and fourth-level titles plus master's and doctoral pathways, serving as the institution's primary geographic and credentialing expansion vector. There is no disclosed external funding; the institution is privately governed and founder/board-controlled, with 40 years of organic operating history.

Name

La Metro

Legal name

Instituto Superior Tecnológico Metropolitano de Diseño

Website

https://lametro.edu.ec

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Metro is a 40-year-old private higher education institution in Quito, Ecuador, exclusively dedicated to design education. It offers eight specialized 3-year technology degree programs across advertising, industrial, graphic, photographic, interior, fashion, multimedia, and footwear design, plus a professional validation track and international credentials via Universidad de Palermo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Design Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

Keywords

• Design education
• Graphic design programs
• Fashion design training
• Industrial design school
• Multimedia design courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Quito

HQ country

Ecuador

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Registration Fee: Students pay a non-refundable registration/propedéutico fee of USD 144 for first-semester admission.
2. Semester Tuition: Students pay per-semester tuition. Specific amounts are documented in La Metro's pricing schedule (DOCUMENTO VALOR POR SEMESTRE). Programs are offered in morning, afternoon, and evening schedules.
3. Homologation Fees: Transfer students from other institutions pay $25 for the homologation process and $90 per course homologated.
4. Professional Experience Validation: Professionals with 5+ years of experience pay a program fee for a 2-semester accelerated degree completion track (Professional Trayectory Validation Program).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Metro (Instituto Metropolitano de Diseño) is a private higher education institution in Quito, Ecuador, offering eight specialized 3-year technology-level design programs: Advertising Design, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Photographic Design, Interior Design, Fashion Design, Multimedia Design, and Footwear Design. Programs combine traditional design craft with industry-standard digital tools (Adobe, AutoCAD, Revit, Blender, Unreal Engine) and AI-enhanced techniques, delivered through on-campus, online, and accelerated professional validation tracks.

Product overview

La Metro (Instituto Metropolitano de Diseño) is an Ecuadorian design institute offering eight specialized 3-year technology programs: Diseño Publicitario, Diseño Industrial, Diseño Gráfico, Diseño Fotográfico, Diseño de Interiores, Diseño de Modas, Diseño Multimedia, and Diseño de Calzado. Programs incorporate AI-enhanced design techniques and industry-standard software tools. The institution provides a virtual campus (Campus Virtual) for online learning and MetroClass for faculty management, and partners with Universidad de Palermo for international degree pathways. Continuing education is offered through Centro Bauhaus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centro Bauhaus Metro: Continuing education center operated by La Metro, offering professional development courses in design.

Products and services

• Diseño Publicitario (Advertising Design) A 3-year technology program training designers in advertising and marketing communication, including campaigns integrating AI-generated photography and environments. Aimed at students seeking careers in advertising and digital marketing.
• Diseño Industrial (Industrial Design) A 3-year-plus program training technologists in product design, robotics, and AI application for furniture, transportation, and manufacturing sectors. Includes Fab Lab access and digital fabrication tools.
• Diseño Gráfico (Graphic Design) A 3-year technology program covering visual communication, packaging, branding, and digital design using tools including Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Diseño Fotográfico (Photography Design) A 3-year program training photographers in digital and AI-enhanced photography, including AI-generated portrait scenarios and surrealist photography techniques combining anaglyphs, holograms, and mapping.
• Diseño de Interiores (Interior Design) A 3-year program covering residential and commercial interior design with training in 3D modeling, real-time rendering, and AI-enhanced visualization tools (AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, Lumion, Enscape).
• Diseño de Modas (Fashion Design) A 3-year program training designers in fashion, trends, and styling, incorporating sustainable textiles, smart fabrics, AI-driven personalization, 3D design, and circular economy models.
• Diseño Multimedia (Multimedia Design) A 3-year program covering animation, video games, and audiovisual production including AI-generated content, Blender, Unreal Engine, and game development projects such as FORNITE+593.
• Diseño de Calzado (Footwear Design) A 3-year program specialized in footwear design, combining traditional design skills with digital tools for the footwear industry.
• Validación de Trayectoria Profesional (Professional Experience Validation Program) A 2-semester program allowing professionals with 5+ years of documented experience in design fields to obtain a technology-level design degree, validating prior work through portfolio evaluation and an interview with the school director.
• Convenio Universidad de Palermo (International Degree Pathway) Partnership with Universidad de Palermo (Argentina) enabling La Metro graduates to obtain internationally recognized third- and fourth-level degrees (licenciatura and master's cycles) with SENESCYT registration.
• Centro Bauhaus – Formación Continua (Continuing Education) A continuing education center offering professional development and continuous training courses for designers, affiliated with La Metro.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140 designers graduated in April 2025 (Promotions 70 and 71 combined)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad de Palermo (Argentina)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Metro has a partnership with Universidad de Palermo (UP) that allows La Metro students to obtain internationally recognized third and fourth level titles through a licensing cycle. The partnership includes undergraduate (licenciatura), master's, and doctoral programs. Students can earn titles with SENESCYT registration through this international pathway.
• Instituto Europeo de Diseño (IED)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIED is listed as a strategic ally in the context of the Premios Re! 2025 design awards, organized by La Metro and Aglomerados Cotopaxi. IED participates as a supporting ally in this professional design award initiative.
• Monster EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMonster Energy sponsored the FORNITE+593 gaming tournament organized by La Metro's Diseño Multimedia program, providing support for the event's production and prizes.
• OVER (Ecuadorian design brand)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOVER (an Ecuadorian design brand) provided sponsorship and support for the FORNITE+593 gaming tournament organized by La Metro.
• EdimcaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEdimca is listed as a strategic ally alongside IED, Pinturas Cóndor, Ficto, Over, and Quito Design Week for the Premios Re! 2025 design awards.
• Pinturas CóndorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPinturas Cóndor is listed as a strategic ally for the Premios Re! 2025 design awards.
• FictominorGTM or Marketing PartnerFicto is listed as a strategic ally for the Premios Re! 2025 design awards.
• Quito Design WeekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuito Design Week is listed as a strategic ally for the Premios Re! 2025 design awards organized by La Metro.
• Centro Bauhaus (Formación Continua)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentro Bauhaus is affiliated with La Metro for continuing education programs, branded as 'Bauhaus – Formación Continua' on the La Metro website, offering professional development and continuous training courses.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Domestika: Spanish-language online creative-school platform offering low-cost short courses in graphic design, photography, fashion, and multimedia. Targets the same Spanish-speaking aspiring-creator demographic as La Metro with a far cheaper, more flexible delivery model; a meaningful substitute for short-form upskilling even if not for full degrees.
• Skillshare: Global online creative-learning platform with thousands of design, illustration, photography, and motion courses. Competes with La Metro for the entry-level creative-learner audience through flexible, low-cost, English-language alternatives. Material threat to the bottom-of-funnel funnel for Graphic, Photography, and Multimedia design aspirants.

Regional players

• Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE): Major Ecuadorian private university offering design-adjacent programs in architecture, communication, and visual arts. Competes domestically for the same bachilleres seeking design-adjacent tertiary education, but as a generalist university rather than design-specialist — a relevant structural competitor in Quito.
• Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL): Public Ecuadorian university offering design and architecture programs. Competes for engineering-/design-oriented students in Guayaquil and Quito, providing a public-sector alternative to La Metro's specialized offering — most relevant domestic competitor on price/value positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Parsons School of Design (The New School): U.S.-based globally recognized design school offering undergraduate and graduate programs across the same disciplines as La Metro (graphic, fashion, interior, industrial, multimedia). Sets the international benchmark for design higher-education prestige and is increasingly reachable for Latin American students via online pathways.
• Universidad de los Andes (Colombia): Top-tier Colombian private university with strong design, architecture, and visual-arts programs. Important regional incumbent for design tertiary education in the Andean corridor, indirectly shaping cross-border student expectations and competing for the same Spanish-speaking design talent pool La Metro targets.

Direct peers

• Toulouse Lautrec: Lima, Peru-based higher-education institution specializing in design, advertising, fashion, interior design, photography, and multimedia — effectively the same program mix as La Metro but at greater scale in the Andean market. Directly comparable specialist design tertiary model in a neighboring Latin American market.
• Instituto Europeo de Diseño (IED): Multinational design school group headquartered in Spain/Italy with locations in Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, etc. Listed as a strategic ally of La Metro for Premios Re! 2025, and faculty like Iván Merino teach at IED Barcelona. Directly comparable multi-disciplinary design higher-education model with international degree recognition.
• Universidad de Palermo (UP): Argentine private university with strong design, fashion, and graphic programs. La Metro's core international-degree partner, enabling SENESCYT-registered third- and fourth-level titles. Closest direct comparable for what La Metro aspires to: a multi-disciplinary design school with international credential pathways.
• CENTRO Universidad (Diseño y Comunicación): Mexico City-based private higher-education institution focused exclusively on design, fashion, advertising, and visual communication. The closest Spanish-speaking Latin American structural analog to La Metro: multi-disciplinary design-only tertiary education, ~3-year technology-focused programs with international reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lametro.design
• Facebookfacebook.com/lametro.design
• Instagraminstagram.com/lametro.design
• TikToktiktok.com/@lametro.design?lang=es
• Pinterestpinterest.com.mx/lametrodesign/_created
• Xx.com/lametro_design
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-metro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 La Metro