IPESUP

What IPESUP does

IPESUP is a French private education company founded in 1974, headquartered at 101 Boulevard Raspail in Paris on a 2,400 m² campus, and operating as a SAS under president Bertrand Leonard. The company specializes in preparation for competitive examinations spanning secondary school (Seconde, Première, Terminale), prépa cycles (ECG and Scientifique), post-bac admissions to business and engineering schools, Sciences Po, medical studies, journalism, and English-language certifications. Core products include annual classes, intensive holiday stages, continuous weekly cycles, and distance-learning programs delivered through the Campus Numérique platform, with additional tooling including Zoom-based remote classes, interactive digital whiteboards, and the TageMaster TAGE MAGE training platform. A subsidiary, Optimal Sup Spé, supports specialized prépa offerings, and trademark registrations (IPESUP, PREPASUP) underpin the brand.

The business model is tuition-based and B2C, with per-program pricing in the €1,200-€2,850 range across roughly a dozen program lines. Revenue streams include annual classes, intensive stages, continuous cycles, distance learning, and published preparation materials. Geographic reach combines the Paris flagship with partner locations in Toulouse, Orléans, Bordeaux, and Lyon, and a partnership with Lycée Saint-Charles Orléans extends physical delivery outside Paris. Qualiopi certification (2021) enables CPF-funded adult continuing-education revenue, and a Cambridge examination center designation (2019) supports direct administration of English certifications.

Technology infrastructure centers on the Campus Numérique LMS, standard video-conferencing for remote delivery, and digital whiteboard tooling. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML capabilities; AI is positioned as curriculum content via an introductory course rather than as an embedded product feature. With 51-100 employees and no disclosed funding rounds, the company operates as a stable, self-funded mid-sized education business rather than a venture-backed scaling entity.

Name

IPESUP

Legal name

Groupe IPESUP

Website

https://ipesup.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IPESUP is a Paris-based private education company founded in 1974 that prepares French students for competitive secondary and higher-education exams through annual classes, intensive stages, and distance learning. It serves high-school, prépa, adult, and international applicants across multiple French cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Test Preparation Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Test Prep Learning Centers (SAT/ACT, AP/IB, State Exams) (EDANAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Standardized Assessments & Benchmark Exams Prep (State tests, MAP, ISEE/SSAT) (EDANABAD), Certification & Exam Prep Course Marketplaces (EDAFAIAJ), Higher Education Admissions & Placement Exam Prep (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT) (EDAGADAC)

Keywords

• Exam preparation courses
• Private tutoring services
• Competitive exam prep
• Grandes ecoles prep
• School tutoring programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Class Preparatory Programs (Classes Annuelles): Full-year preparatory courses for competitive exams including Prépa ECG, Prépa Scientifique, and Sciences Po preparations. Students attend classes Monday through Friday/Saturday throughout the academic year, paying tuition for the complete annual program.
2. Intensive Courses (Stages Intensifs): Short-duration intensive training programs lasting 3 to 7 days during school holidays (Toussaint, Christmas, Winter, Spring, Summer). Programs cover specific exam preparation topics and are priced individually per session.
3. Continuous Cycles (Cycles Continus): Weekly Wednesday or Saturday (morning or afternoon) courses running parallel to the current school year, providing ongoing preparation and methodology reinforcement.
4. Distance Learning Programs: Fully digital programs including Bac de français preparation (Libris), Commerce Digital Cycle, and Numerical Scientific Pathway for engineering school preparation.
5. Publications and Guides: Sale of educational publications including Orientation Guide, Bac de Français Exam Booklet, and subject-specific guides for various competitive exams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IPESUP is a French private education and training center founded in 1974, providing preparatory courses (prépas) and individualized tutoring for competitive examinations (concours) in higher education and secondary school. The center supports students seeking admission to grandes écoles, business schools, and engineering schools, while also offering secondary school academic support (soutien scolaire) for pupils of all levels.

Product overview

IPESUP is a comprehensive private education group offering a portfolio of preparation courses for competitive entrance exams and academic programs in France. The core offering includes annual classes and intensive workshops across Lycée (high school Baccalauréat preparation), Prépa ECG (business school prep), Prépa Scientifique (engineering school prep), Sciences Po/IEP preparation, and specialized programs for Medicine, Journalism, Accounting (DSCG/DEC), ENA-INSP, and English certifications. The digital arm features the Campus Numérique platform for distance learning, the Cycle Continu Commerce Digital for business school online prep, the Parcours Numérique Scientifique for engineering school digital preparation, and Libris for Bac de Français self-study. All programs are delivered primarily in Paris at the 101 Boulevard Raspail campus, with digital alternatives available for remote students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School of English: English language certification and exam preparation program including Cambridge certifications, IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, SAT, ACT
• Campus Numérique Ipesup
• Libris
• Optimal Sup Spé

Products and services

• Prépa Concours

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% admission to Top 5 business schools over 5 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lycée Saint-Charles (Orléans)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Lycée Saint-Charles in Orléans for preparing students for selective higher education tracks including commerce schools (SESAME/ACCÈS), engineering schools (Puissance Alpha, Avenir, Geipi Polytech), and medical studies (PASS/L.AS trajectory). The partnership offers courses at the partner school location and benefits from the combined reputation of both institutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Studyrama: Major French education media and orientation platform publishing guides and hosting education fairs. Comparable through orientation/competitive-exam content and traffic that overlaps with IPESUP's audience of grandes écoles aspirants.
• Kaplan Test Prep: Internationally scaled test preparation provider covering SAT/ACT, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and admissions prep. Relevant benchmark as a broad incumbent in exam prep whose international SAT/ACT track overlaps with IPESUP's English School offerings.

Direct peers

• Cours Thalès: French prep institution offering intensive stages and continuous cycles for Lycée, Prépa, and competitive exam tracks (Sciences Po, grandes écoles). Directly comparable to IPESUP in geography, product mix, and target student segments.
• Groupe Réussite (Réussite Prépa): French prépa specialist offering intensive and continuous programs for Prépa ECG, Prépa Scientifique, and Lycée tracks across Paris and major French cities. Closest direct competitor to IPESUP on Prépa and competitive-exam preparation products with similar target customer (grandes écoles aspirants).
• MyPrepa: Paris-based Prépa ECG and Prépa Scientifique preparation specialist offering annual, intensive, and online courses. Competes head-to-head with IPESUP on core ECG/Scientifique preparatory programs for the same grandes écoles funnel.
• Cours Galien: French preparatory institution specializing in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy entrance exams (PASS/L.AS), directly competing with IPESUP's Prépa Médecine vertical in the medical school admissions funnel.
• Cap'Carrière: French preparatory course provider for competitive exams (ENA-INSP, magistrature, fonction publique), mirroring IPESUP's civil service and professional certification verticals. Comparable through shared public-sector concours preparation offerings.
• Les Sherpas (Maxicours Group): Subscription-based online tutoring and prep platform for French students covering Lycée and Prépa tracks, providing directly comparable academic support with broader digital distribution than IPESUP's Campus Numérique.

Emerging players

• PrepStudy (Prepape): Smaller-scale French prépa intensive stage provider focused on Prépa ECG and Prépa Scientifique holiday courses, an emerging competitor to IPESUP's Stages Intensifs offering in the same exam prep category.

Others

• Cambridge Assessment (University of Cambridge): English-language assessment authority whose certifications IPESUP administers as an authorized center. Comparable as the counterparty in IPESUP's official Cambridge examination center operations and a parallel benchmark for English-certification prep quality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ipesup
• Facebookfacebook.com/ipesup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ipesup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 IPESUP