What Pablo de Olavide University does

Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) is a public Spanish university established in 1997 by Law 3/1997, headquartered in Dos Hermanas, Sevilla. It serves current and prospective students through 49 undergraduate and double-degree programs (3,038 admission slots for 2026/2027), master's and doctoral programs, the Centro Universitario Internacional for international students, an Aula de Mayores senior education program, and a Permanent Formation unit offering microcredentials and summer courses in Carmona. UPO also operates the Servicio de Idiomas, a public-facing language services hub that delivers English, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish-language courses and serves as an authorized testing center for British Council Aptis ESOL, Cambridge English, DELF/DALF, Goethe-Zertifikat, and CILS certifications. The university employs 1,001-5,000 staff and serves faculty/researcher and administrative (PTGAS) segments alongside students.

UPO's underlying technology stack is anchored on the open-source OpenCms content management system, programmed in partnership with ISOTROL. Its web portal is designed for WCAG 1.0 Double-A accessibility and integrates Verbio voice interaction technology (developed with Fundación Vodafone España) for navigation without mouse or keyboard. Distribution combines a physical campus in Dos Hermanas, a regional Summer Courses site in Carmona, and the UPO Virtual platform (Sede Electrónica, Aula Virtual, iPuntolavide student portal). Marketing runs across official website, social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky, Facebook, Flickr), RSS/newsletters, and thematic portals (UPOinvestiga, UPOtec, Olavide Alumni, RadiOlavide).

UPO's revenue model is predominantly public-funded: tuition is regulated by the Junta de Andalucía and the Spanish government, and the institution is governed by the Consejo de Gobierno and Consejo Social. Commercial revenue is generated through (1) language services — unit-priced courses (e.g., €236.36/30h Cambridge prep, €120.72/20h conversation classes, €71 CertAcles exam fees) and translation/correction services (€0.05-€0.12/word); (2) scholarships and grants supported by Santander Universidades; and (3) research and European program funding via EPICUR and YERUN alliances. The 2025 annual accounts approved by the Consejo de Gobierno y Consejo Social recorded a €2.5 million deficit.

Name

Pablo de Olavide University

Legal name

Universidad Pablo de Olavide, de Sevilla

Website

https://upo.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Pablo de Olavide University is a public Spanish university in Sevilla, founded in 1997, offering 49 undergraduate degrees, postgraduate programs, and a public-facing language services hub that serves as an authorized testing center for major international certifications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sevilla

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO) is a public university in Sevilla, Spain, offering 49 undergraduate degree and double-degree programs, master's degrees, doctoral programs, and permanent formation (micro-credentials and summer courses) for the 2026/2027 academic year with 3,038 new admission slots. It also operates the Servicio de Idiomas (Language Service), which provides accredited language courses, official certification exams (CertAcles, Aptis ESOL, Cambridge, DELF/DALF, Goethe, CILS), translation and text-correction services, and international mobility/exchange programs. The university conducts academic research, technology transfer, and offers academic internships through Fundación UPO.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centro Universitario Internacional: International University Center for international students and programs
• Fundación UPO
• Servicio de Idiomas
• RadiOlavide
• Olavide Alumni
• UPOinvestiga
• UPOtec

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (Grados y Dobles Grados)
• Master's Degree Programs (Másteres)
• Doctoral Programs (Doctorado)
• Permanent Formation (Microcredenciales, Títulos Propios, Cursos de Verano)
• Spanish Language and Hispanic Studies (Español y Estudios Hispánicos)
• Language Service (Servicio de Idiomas)
• Aptis ESOL Certification (British Council)
• Cambridge English Exam Preparation
• French DELF/DALF Exam Preparation
• Goethe-Institut German Exam Preparation
• CILS Italian Exam Preparation
• CertAcles Level Certification Exams

Quantifiable outcome

• 90.42% of students passed the ordinary PAU (university entrance exam) call at UPO
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EPICUR (European Partnership for the Integration of the Campus and the University in the Region)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPO participates in the EPICUR alliance, a European university partnership focused on integrating campus and university activities across regions. Francisco Oliva created a Strategic Alliances Delegation to coordinate UPO's integration in EPICUR and YERUN.
• YERUN (Young European Research Universities Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPO is a member of YERUN, a network of young European research universities fostering collaboration in research, education, and mobility. Strategic Alliances Delegation coordinates integration activities.
• Fundación Vodafone EspañaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Fundación Vodafone España to incorporate voice interaction technologies on university web portals, advancing accessibility and universal inclusion. The Verbio software enables navigation without mouse or keyboard.
• Santander UniversidadescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Banco Santander providing various student support programs including the Santander Estudios/Equality scholarships, Santander Ayuda Económica grants, UPO-Santander dining hall scholarships (120 places), and professional development scholarships.
• Círculo Empresarial y de Desarrollo de ÉcijaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement signed for the realization of academic internships, connecting UPO students with local business development opportunities in Écija.
• Fundación Sandra IbarraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between UPO and Fundación Sandra Ibarra to promote health awareness and sensitization about cancer survivorship, combining academic research with public health outreach.
• British Council (Aptis ESOL)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUPO serves as an official Aptis ESOL testing venue and registration center for the British Council, offering Aptis General, Aptis for Teachers, and Aptis Advanced examinations with monthly convocations including Saturdays.
• Cambridge EnglishcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUPO serves as a Cambridge authorized preparation center for PET, FIRST, ADVANCED, and PROFICIENCY examinations, offering 30-hour preparation courses aligned with official Cambridge convocations.
• France Éducation International (DELF/DALF)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUPO manages inscription for official DELF and DALF French language examinations administered by France Éducation International.
• Goethe-InstitutminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUPO provides preparation courses for Goethe-Institut German language examinations including Goethe-Zertifikat B1, B2, and C1.
• Università per Stranieri di Siena (CILS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUPO offers preparation for CILS (Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua Straniera) Italian language examinations.
• ACLES (Asociación de Centros de Lenguas en la Enseñanza Superior)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPO follows ACLES standards and examination model for language certification, participating in the Agreement for the Accreditation of Foreign Languages among Andalusian universities.
• Association of Andalusian Public Universities (AUUPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPO is a member of the Association of Andalusian Public Universities (AUUPA), a consortium of regional public higher education institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universidad de Granada: Major Andalusian public university with broad degree offerings, established QS ranking presence, and AUUPA consortium membership alongside UPO. Competes for the same regional student pool and shares the same regional funding model.
• Universidad de Málaga: Another Andalusian public university in AUUPA with comparable program breadth and research infrastructure, competing for students across southern Spain.
• Universidad de Almería: Smaller Andalusian public university in AUUPA consortium, comparable in size and program scope, competing for the same regional student base.
• Universidad de Sevilla: Largest public university in Sevilla and UPO's primary geographic peer in Andalusia, with overlapping degree programs, doctoral offerings, and shared regional funding through Junta de Andalucía. Directly competes for prospective students in the same metro area.
• Universidad de Jaén: Andalusian public university peer, AUUPA member, sharing regional funding dynamics and overlapping degree program offerings with UPO.
• Universidad de Cádiz: Andalusian public university peer with similar program portfolio, sharing the Junta de Andalucía funding pool and AUUPA consortium membership with UPO.
• Universidad de Córdoba: Andalusian public university peer with similar size and degree program structure, sharing regional funding dynamics and competing for the same student demographic.

Others

• YERUN Network Universities: Young European Research Universities Network members (e.g., University of Konstanz, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) — comparable younger European universities collaborating on research, education, and mobility with UPO.
• EPICUR Alliance Universities: European university alliance partners (including University of Strasbourg, KIT, Wageningen) participating in EPICUR alongside UPO, enabling joint programs, mobility, and research collaboration relevant to UPO's internationalization strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED): Spain's national distance-learning university, a much larger incumbent offering online degree programs that compete with UPO's UPO Virtual platform for adult, working, and geographically dispersed learners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/upablodeolavide
• Facebookfacebook.com/pablodeolavide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universidad-pablo-de-olavide
• Instagraminstagram.com/pablodeolavide
• TikToktiktok.com/@upablodeolavide
• Xx.com/pablodeolavide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Pablo de Olavide University