Academy of Design

What Academy of Design does

Academy of Design (AOD) is a private for-profit design education institution headquartered at Colombo Innovation Tower in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Founded in the early 2000s by Linda Speldewinde as part of the Design Corp Group of companies, AOD delivers internationally recognized UK design degrees to the Sri Lankan and South Asian market through academic partnerships with Northumbria University (BA Hons programs) and De Montfort University (MA programs), supplemented by exchange agreements with KEA Copenhagen and Osnabrück University. Its core product portfolio consists of five BA (Hons) degrees in Fashion & Textile Design, Fashion Design and Marketing, Interior Design, Motion Graphics & Animation, and Visual Communication Design, supported by a Design Foundation pathway and postgraduate programs. Students receive identical degree certificates to Northumbria's UK campus peers while studying entirely in Sri Lanka at approximately one-third the cost.

AOD's underlying platform combines curriculum validated and moderated by Northumbria University with specialized on-campus facilities including a Lectra Lab, Textile Weaving Lab, sewing and pattern-making facilities, screen printing rooms, computer labs, and IT/print labs. The institution operates year-round direct enrollment with applications processed within 2-4 weeks, supported by WhatsApp-based student counselors, an online application portal, and a multi-channel digital presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Revenue is generated through tuition fees from BA degree programs (annual billing), the Design Foundation Plus preparatory course priced at LKR 300,000 for an 8-month program, and postgraduate MA programs.

The institution serves multiple student segments including post-O/L students (ages 15-16), undergraduate design students, postgraduate students, and post-A/L students, with a value proposition centered on internationally recognized credentials, 100% graduate employment outcomes maintained over seven years, and access to AOD's broader ecosystem. That ecosystem includes Sri Lanka Design Festival (founded 2009) and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka, both conceptualized by AOD to provide real-world industry exposure. The institution also operates AOD Startup School for entrepreneurial incubation and counts among its industry partners MAS Holdings, Brandix Lanka, and Dentsu Grant Group.

Name

Academy of Design

Legal name

AOD South Asia (Pvt) Ltd

Website

https://aod.lk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Academy of Design (AOD) is a Sri Lankan private design education institution delivering UK-recognized BA (Hons) and MA degrees through partnerships with Northumbria University and De Montfort University, serving post-O/L, undergraduate, and postgraduate students in Colombo with a 100% graduate employment track record.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Design Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Fashion & Apparel Design Colleges (EDAHAJAF)

Keywords

• Design education programs
• Fashion design degrees
• Interior design courses
• Motion graphics education
• UK university degrees abroad

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - BA Degree Programs: AOD generates revenue through tuition fees for BA (Hons) degree programs delivered in partnership with Northumbria University. Students pay for internationally recognized UK degrees completed in Sri Lanka.
2. Design Foundation Plus Program: The Design Foundation Plus preparatory course generates revenue at LKR 300,000 for an 8-month program, providing accelerated learning for post-O/L students before entering degree programs.
3. Postgraduate Programs: MA programs in partnership with De Montfort University provide additional revenue streams for postgraduate education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Academy of Design (AOD) is Sri Lanka's pioneering design education institution that delivers internationally recognized UK university degrees (BA Hons and MA) through partnerships with Northumbria University and De Montfort University. It offers degree programmes in Fashion & Textile Design, Fashion Design & Marketing, Interior Design, Motion Graphics & Animation Design, and Visual Communication Design, alongside Design Foundation and Design Foundation Plus preparatory courses for post-O/L students. Students receive the same Northumbria University degree certificate as their UK campus peers, awarded for study completed entirely in Sri Lanka.

Product overview

Academy of Design (AOD) is Sri Lanka's pioneering design education institution offering a portfolio of degree programmes in partnership with UK universities (Northumbria University and De Montfort University). The core product portfolio includes BA (Hons) degrees in Fashion & Textile Design, Fashion Design and Marketing, Interior Design, Motion Graphics and Animation, and Visual Communication Design, delivered through a Design Foundation pathway. AOD also operates a Graduate School offering MA programmes and hosts major industry events including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Design Festival, creating an ecosystem that combines education with real-world industry exposure. The institution provides specialized learning facilities including Lectra Lab, Textile Weaving Lab, and Computer Labs to support practical training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BA (Hons) Fashion & Textile Design Three-year award-winning degree programme from Northumbria University UK delivered in Sri Lanka, with specializations in womenswear, menswear, and knitwear; students develop a signature style and create graduate collections showcased at fashion shows.
• BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Marketing
• BA (Hons) Interior Design
• BA (Hons) Motion Graphics and Animation Design
• BA (Hons) Visual Communication Design
• Design Foundation Programme
• Design Foundation Plus Eight-month accelerated programme priced at LKR 300,000 for O/L students exploring creative careers, providing exposure to Fashion, Illustration, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Photography, Animation, and Design Thinking before choosing a specialization.
• MA in Design and Innovation / MA Design Management and Entrepreneurship

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% graduate employment success rate maintained over 7 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• Mercedes-BenzflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2009Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka, founded by AOD, brings international fashion platform to Sri Lanka. Mercedes-Benz's global fashion grid provides local fashion recognition and opportunities previously inaccessible. Sri Lanka's first international Fashion Week continues as platform for fashion & apparel industry.
• Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2009SLDF was conceptualized by AOD in 2009 to fulfill need for a platform with global reach to support design initiatives in Sri Lanka. Festival connects industries, creatives, emerging designers, and public. Annual event featuring fashion, design exhibitions, and industry forums.
• Northumbria University Newcastle, UKflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAOD's primary academic partner delivering BA (Hons) degree programs in Fashion & Textile Design, Fashion Marketing & Design, Visual Communication Design, Motion Graphics and Animation Design, Interior Design, and 3D Product & Furniture Design. Northumbria is ranked among top five design universities in Europe (Newsweek). Students receive identical degree certificates to UK campus peers. AOD is the first campus in Sri Lanka to award completely internal design degrees from a British university. 100% internally trained faculty validated by Northumbria UK with assessments directly by the university.
• De Montfort University (DMU), UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMU partnership enables AOD to provide postgraduate programs (MA) in design for the first time in Sri Lanka. De Montfort University has an international reputation as one of the leading British universities for art and design. Students from DMU work at companies including BMW, Calvin Klein, HSBC, and Riot Games. DMU is recognized among the 150 best young universities globally. Programs offered include MA in Design Innovation and MA Design Management and Entrepreneurship.
• KEA - Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, DenmarksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEA partnership focuses on academic and cultural exchanges to enhance scientific research. KEA connects craftsmanship with the latest knowledge in technology, design, and business programs closely linked to industry needs.
• Osnabrück University, GermanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in fashion and textile design with academic exchange program focused on fostering better understanding of design combining tradition and modernity. Partnership facilitates empirical research reviewing Sri Lanka's textile handloom industry.
• Colombo Innovation Tower (CIT) / Design Corp GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAOD operates from Colombo Innovation Tower, powered by AOD and part of Design Corp Group of companies. CIT is described as an epicentre for South Asia bringing together brands, industry luminaries, startups, educators, global banks, and training programs for cross-industry collaborations.
• MAS HoldingssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMAS Holdings, Sri Lanka's major apparel company, recognizes AOD for its role in design education and development of design competency. Chairman Deshamanya Mahesh Amalean provided testimonial recognizing AOD as the center for South Asian Operations to Northumbria University.
• Brandix Lanka LimitedsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBrandix CEO Ashroff Omar commends AOD for developing creative industries and administering internationally recognized Design Education. Views AOD's role as producing fashion graduates with market-demanded skills.
• Dentsu Grant GroupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading communications group recognizes AOD's role in meeting growing employment needs in creative and design fields through partnership with Northumbria University-School of Design UK.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Istituto Marangoni: Italian luxury fashion and design school with international campuses (Milan, Florence, Paris, London, Mumbai, Dubai, Shanghai). Directly comparable to AOD in delivering design and fashion degrees through a foreign-credential, multi-market model targeting price-sensitive international students who cannot study in the home country.
• Istituto Europeo di Design (IED): Italy-headquartered design school with campuses across Europe, South America, and Asia. Comparable to AOD as a transnational design education provider operating a multi-location, foreign-credential model across fashion, interior, visual communication, and product design disciplines.
• Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (NABA): Italian private academy of fine arts and design with Milan and Rome campuses. Comparable to AOD as an internationally oriented private design institution offering accredited design degrees in fashion, interior, graphic, and product design to a global student base.

Direct peers

• Raffles Design Institute: Singapore-based international design college offering diploma and degree programmes in fashion, interior, graphic, and product design. Comparable to AOD as a private, internationally oriented design school targeting Asian students with multi-disciplinary portfolios and industry-linked curricula.
• INIFD (Inter National Institute of Fashion Design): Largest Indian fashion and interior design education network with 200+ centers. Directly comparable to AOD as a private South Asian design college delivering multi-disciplinary design programmes (fashion, interior, graphic) at the undergraduate level with strong industry placement claims.
• Pearl Academy: Indian private design college offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in fashion, interior, product, and communication design. Comparable to AOD as a multi-discipline South Asian design institution with industry partnerships and a strong placement narrative.
• JD Institute of Fashion Technology: Indian fashion and design school with multiple campuses across India and one in Sri Lanka. Directly comparable to AOD as a regional private design college focused on fashion, interior, and visual design degrees with industry-linked curricula.
• LISAA School of Design: French private design school with multiple campuses in France and India. Directly comparable to AOD as a foreign-credential, multi-location design college delivering fashion, interior, graphic, and animation degrees through partnerships with French higher-education institutions.
• Symbiosis Institute of Design: Indian private design school (part of Symbiosis International University) offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in design. Comparable to AOD as a multi-discipline South Asian design college combining university degree pathways with industry internships.

Regional players

• LASALLE College of the Arts: Singapore-based arts institution with undergraduate and postgraduate design programmes. Comparable to AOD as a regionally significant private arts and design college, though operates in a more mature, higher-fee Singapore market rather than as a foreign-degree pathway.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AcademyOfDesign1
• Facebookfacebook.com/aodsrilanka
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aod
• Instagraminstagram.com/aod_design/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@aod_design?lang=en
• Xx.com/aod_srilanka

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Academy of Design