Aiducation International
Aiducation International is a Swiss nonprofit founded in 2006 that provides merit-based high school scholarships, mentoring, and entrepreneurship support to underprivileged but academically talented students in Kenya, the Philippines, and other emerging economies, funded by individual donors, corporate partners, and memberships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Aiducation International does
Aiducation International is a Swiss nonprofit organization founded in 2006 as a spin-off of ETH Zurich, headquartered in Zurich with operational presence in Kenya, the Philippines, Germany, the USA, and the UK. The organization identifies academically talented but financially underprivileged high school students—selected from the top 10% of their class—and provides them with multi-year scholarships (800 CHF/year for 4 years), structured mentoring programs (Mentorship Academies, e-Mentoring, Leadership Academies), and pathways into employment or entrepreneurship through its 1000 Young Entrepreneurs initiative. Since inception, it has awarded 2,826 scholarships, engaged 4,200 talents in mentoring programs, funded 74 startups, and built a 2,800+ member alumni network (GYLA).
The organization's product portfolio spans merit-based high school scholarships, structured mentoring and coaching, seed-stage entrepreneurship funding, an alumni platform at gyla.net, and a self-service viral donation crowdfunding platform at action.aiducation.org. Its business model is donation-driven with four primary revenue streams: individual private donations and scholarship sponsorships (800 CHF per year per scholar), annual memberships starting at 100 CHF, corporate and foundation partnerships (19+ partners including UBS, Oracle, Givaudan Foundation, MSD, SwissRe), and crowdfunding campaigns. The organization maintains tax-deductible status in Switzerland, the USA, and the UK, and operates under a decentralized chapter model with local fundraising in each geography.
Aiducation operates without any disclosed equity investors, parent company, or public funding rounds beyond three early-stage tranches from Venture Kick totaling approximately $123,843 in 2008-2009. Its competitive positioning centers on a "regenerative impact" thesis—where alumni become future donors and mentors—combined with a 90% direct-to-education cost ratio. The organization contributes to 7 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and has received media recognition from NZZ, World Finance, Stiftung Schweiz, and Pulse Kenya. It marked its 20th anniversary in 2026 with continued operational expansion across Africa and Southeast Asia.
Aiducation International firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aiducation International
- Legal name
- Aiducation International
- Website
- https://aiducation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Aiducation International is a Swiss nonprofit founded in 2006 that provides merit-based high school scholarships, mentoring, and entrepreneurship support to underprivileged but academically talented students in Kenya, the Philippines, and other emerging economies, funded by individual donors, corporate partners, and memberships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aiducation International industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships (EDAIAOAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Need-Based Grants & Bursaries (EDAIAOAB), University/Institutional Scholarships & Tuition Waivers (EDAIAOAG), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)
Keywords
Where Aiducation International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Aiducation International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Private Donations: One-time or recurring donations from individuals supporting scholarships, mentoring programs, or general operations. Donors can select specific students to sponsor or contribute to general funds.
- Annual Membership: Annual membership fees starting at 100 CHF providing access to Annual General Assembly and exclusive events, with contributions tax-deductible in Switzerland.
- Corporate and Foundation Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with corporations and foundations including core funding, employee engagement programs, and impact sponsoring. Partners include UBS, Givaudan Foundation, Oracle, Wyss Academy, MSD, SwissRe, and others.
- Scholarship Sponsorship: Individual donors sponsor specific students at 800 CHF per year for four years. At least 90% of each scholarship goes directly to education.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Individual Scholarship Sponsorship |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Membership |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Full Scholarship Package |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Aiducation International product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aiducation International is a nonprofit organization that provides merit-based high school scholarships to underprivileged but academically talented students in Kenya and the Philippines, wrapping the scholarship with structured Mentoring and Coaching Programs (Mentorship Academies, e-Mentoring, Leadership Academies) and follow-on employability, entrepreneurship (1000 Young Entrepreneurs seed funding), and alumni (GYLA) support. The offer is funded primarily through individual donations, scholarship sponsorships at 800 CHF per student per year, annual memberships, and corporate and foundation partnerships.
Product overview
Aiducation International operates as a multi-platform educational nonprofit organization offering a integrated portfolio of products and services. The core offerings include merit-based high school scholarships for underprivileged students in Kenya and the Philippines, supplemented by comprehensive mentoring and coaching programs (Mentorship Academies, e-Mentoring, and Leadership Academies). The GYLA (Global Young Leaders Alliance) alumni network platform connects graduates for ongoing professional development and community building. The 1000 Young Entrepreneurs initiative provides seed funding and guidance for startup ventures. Additional services include corporate partnership programs, annual membership, and a viral donation crowdfunding platform (action.aiducation.org) built on Firebase. The organization operates country chapters in Switzerland, Germany, Kenya, Philippines, and USA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- High School Scholarships Merit-based four-year high school scholarships awarded to underprivileged students in Kenya and the Philippines who rank in the top 10% of their class but lack financial means; at least 90% of each scholarship (800 CHF/yr per student) is invested directly into schooling.
- Mentoring & Coaching Programs Structured Mentoring and Coaching Programs for Aiducation scholars comprising Mentorship Academies, e-Mentoring, and Leadership Academies that develop purpose, leadership, employability, and entrepreneurship skills, serving 4,200+ talents across the program's history with 320+ active mentors.
- GYLA (Global Young Leaders Alliance) Alumni Network Lifelong alumni network for Aiducation scholars and program graduates, providing applied business training, internships, employment opportunities, awards, grants, conferences, webinars, workshops, and financing access through the gyla.net platform.
- 1000 Young Entrepreneurs Seed funding and technical guidance initiative for young entrepreneurs under 30 in Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Philippines, helping them start and scale businesses that create local employment.
- Corporate & Foundation Partnerships CSR partnership program enabling corporations and foundations to support Aiducation through core funding, employee engagement (skill-based volunteering and mentoring), startup-fund jury participation, and impact sponsoring.
- Annual Membership Annual membership program starting at 100 CHF that gives supporters access to the Annual General Assembly and exclusive events, with contributions tax-deductible in Switzerland and supporting Aiducation's Core Fund.
- Viral Donation Platform (action.aiducation.org) Self-service online crowdfunding platform (action.aiducation.org) that enables individuals to create personalized donation campaigns for individual Aiducation students, share through social media and messaging apps, and follow progress via campaign newsfeeds over 30-, 60-, or 90-day durations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,826 scholarships awarded since 2006; 107 awarded in 2025 alone
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Aiducation International
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Aiducation International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Aiducation International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, global, swiss local and kenyan local.
- ATDTAstrategicStrategic partner helping grow Aiducation by opening doors to new markets and contributing to organizational development.
- BearingPointglobalCorporate partner collaborating on mentoring, leadership programs, and co-designing an online startup bootcamp for emerging economies.
- Lions Clubs Internationalswiss localService club network supporting local community initiatives and partnerships.
- Rotaryswiss localGlobal service organization supporting local community engagement.
- Kiwanis Switzerlandswiss localService club supporting youth education initiatives.
- Old Mutual Kenyakenyan localPartnership with Old Mutual Kenya for workshops in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career development, empowering 800+ young people.
- Inner Wheel Switzerlandswiss localWomen's service organization supporting local community initiatives.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Aiducation International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Room to Read: Room to Read runs literacy and girls' education programs across Asia and Africa, including long-term scholarships and mentoring. Its scholar selection, life-skills curriculum, and alumni engagement model parallel Aiducation's scholarships-plus-mentoring stack.
- Camfed: Camfed provides scholarships and mentorship for girls' secondary and tertiary education across sub-Saharan Africa. Its merit-plus-need scholar selection model, structured alumnae network (CAMA), and rural school-leader activation closely mirror Aiducation's approach.
- African Leadership University: ALU delivers tertiary scholarships and leadership/entrepreneurship education for African students via a pan-African campus network. It represents the higher-education extension of the same scholar-development pathway Aiducation targets at the secondary level.
- PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools): PEAS builds and operates low-fee secondary schools in Uganda and Zambia, providing subsidized access to education for low-income students. It competes with Aiducation for similar scholar segments in overlapping East African geographies.
- Kenya Education Fund: KEF provides secondary school scholarships and mentorship to underprivileged Kenyan students through an individual-sponsor model. It directly overlaps with Aiducation's Kenyan program on beneficiary profile, scholarship structure, and donor engagement.
- African Leadership Academy: ALA identifies high-potential African youth, provides full secondary scholarships at its South Africa campus, and runs leadership and entrepreneurship programming — a closely comparable merit-based scholar model targeting top-decile African students.
Broad incumbents
- BRAC: BRAC is one of the largest development NGOs globally, running education, microfinance, and youth-employment programs across Africa and Asia. Its education vertical, scale, and donor relationships make it a powerful adjacent incumbent against which Aiducation must position.
- Mastercard Foundation: The Mastercard Foundation funds secondary and higher-education scholarships across Africa at multi-billion-dollar scale, including through partners operating in Kenya. It anchors the addressable donor pool that Aiducation taps for individual and corporate giving.
Emerging players
- Educate!: Educate! provides skills-based and entrepreneurship training for secondary students in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. It overlaps with Aiducation's entrepreneurship/mentorship track and competes for the same youth-segment attention in East Africa.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aiducation International social profiles
Digital presenceAiducation International compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Aiducation International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aiducation International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Aiducation International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aiducation International 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 Aiducation International
What does Aiducation International do?
Aiducation International is a nonprofit organization that provides merit-based high school scholarships to underprivileged but academically talented students in Kenya and the Philippines, wrapping the scholarship with structured Mentoring and Coaching Programs (Mentorship Academies, e-Mentoring, Leadership Academies) and follow-on employability, entrepreneurship (1000 Young Entrepreneurs seed funding), and alumni (GYLA) support. The offer is funded primarily through individual donations, scholarship sponsorships at 800 CHF per student per year, annual memberships, and corporate and foundation partnerships.
Is Aiducation International a public or private company?
Aiducation International is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Aiducation International founded?
Aiducation International was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Aiducation International based?
Aiducation International is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Aiducation International make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Private Donations are the primary driver. The others are annual Membership, corporate and Foundation Partnerships and scholarship Sponsorship.
Who are Aiducation International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Room to Read, Camfed, African Leadership University, PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools), Kenya Education Fund and African Leadership Academy. Broad incumbents are BRAC and Mastercard Foundation. Educate! is listed as an emerging player.
Does Aiducation International have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aiducation International.
What industry is Aiducation International in?
Aiducation International's product category is Education Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAOAH, Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships, with a secondary code of EDAIAOAB, Need-Based Grants & Bursaries. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8300.