Global Study Partners

What Global Study Partners does

Global Study Partners, operating under the brand upGrad GSP, is a cloud-based two-sided marketplace that connects international students with educational institutions through a global network of recruitment partners. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, the company operates as a subsidiary of the upGrad education technology group following a 2021 rebranding. The platform serves three stakeholder groups: recruitment partners (education agents) who advise students, institution partners (universities, colleges, and schools) seeking international enrolments, and international students accessing over 50,000 courses across 1,000+ institutions spanning 53 nationalities. The company holds AIRC, ICEF, and PIER accreditations and claims 12+ internationally recognised awards.

The core product is a cloud-based, AI and machine learning-powered marketplace with a recommendation engine that matches student profiles to educational programmes. Distribution is digital-first through a self-serve web application, supplemented by direct enterprise sales for university partners and a channel-based model for mid-market recruitment agents. The technology stack is described as cloud-native but no proprietary patents, APIs, or model architectures are disclosed. The company also produces content marketing, webinars, and partner events to drive demand.

GSP generates revenue through marketplace commissions or transaction fees on student placements facilitated between recruitment partners and institution partners. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on a quote-based model negotiated directly with both sides. Named partners include Australian universities (Griffith, University of Canberra, University of Wollongong, UQ, UTS, Deakin, Charles Sturt, University of Western Australia), international institutions (University of Glasgow, London Metropolitan University, Vancouver Community College, UC Riverside, University of Louisville), and recruitment agencies such as IMFS Hyderabad. A documented outcome shows one recruitment partner (IMFS Hyderabad) generated over AU$120,000 in additional gross revenue within six months of joining the platform, placing 46 students with 100+ applications in process.

Name

Global Study Partners

Legal name

Global Study Partners

Website

https://globalstudypartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Study Partners (upGrad GSP) operates a cloud-based, AI-powered two-sided marketplace connecting international students with educational institutions through 1,000+ universities and recruitment partners across 53 nationalities, monetising via marketplace commissions on student placements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Marketplace

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Enrollment & Third-Party University Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Recruitment Events, Fairs & Webinar Platforms (EDAIACAF)

Keywords

• International student recruitment
• Education marketplace platform
• Student enrollment services
• University recruitment platform
• Education agent network

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marketplace Commission/Transaction Fees: Revenue generated through a marketplace model connecting recruitment partners, institution partners, and international students. Platform facilitates student placements and applications with institutional partners generating commission or transaction-based revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Global Study Partners (upGrad GSP) operates a cloud-based, AI-powered two-sided marketplace that connects international students, recruitment partners (education agents) and institution partners (universities, colleges and schools). The platform provides access to over 50,000 courses across 1,000+ institutions spanning 53 nationalities, enabling student placements through commission-based transactions and digital engagement tools.

Product overview

Global Study Partners operates upGrad GSP as a unified cloud-based platform—a two-sided marketplace powered by AI and machine learning that connects three key stakeholders: recruitment partners (education agents), institution partners (universities and colleges), and international students. The platform consists of the core GSP marketplace technology plus two service modules: Recruitment Partner Services providing tools and support for education agents, and Institution Partner Services enabling universities to access global student markets. The platform covers over 50,000 courses across 1,000+ partnered institutions worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• upGrad GSP Platform Cloud-based, AI-powered two-sided marketplace platform connecting international students with recruitment partners and educational institutions, providing access to 50,000+ courses across 1,000+ universities worldwide.
• Recruitment Partner Services Tools, resources and support services for education agents and recruitment agencies to assist students in making informed decisions about studying abroad through a sustainable student-centric recruitment approach.
• Institution Partner Services Global brand presence and outreach services helping universities, colleges and schools find best-fit students from leading source markets through the student-centric platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• AU$120,000 revenue growth for single agent partner (IMFS Hyderabad) in 6 months with 46 students placed
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The University of Western AustraliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversity partner on the GSP platform providing courses to international students recruited through the marketplace network of education agents.
• University of QueenslandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor research university partner providing programmes to international students through the GSP marketplace platform.
• UTS (University of Technology Sydney)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechnology-focused university partner accessing international student markets through the GSP platform.
• Griffith UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorActive partnership in digital engagement and recruitment. Works closely with GSP for international student recruitment with focus on diversity and quality enrolments.
• University of CanberracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership delivering quality enrolments and diversity through GSP's digital platform. Long-term collaboration in digital transformation of international education.
• University of WollongongcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partnership for South Asia student recruitment division. GSP's technology platform noted for offering choice, transparency, diversity and access.
• University of GlasgowcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner institution on GSP platform providing programmes to international students through the marketplace.
• Deakin UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian university partner on the GSP marketplace platform.
• Charles Sturt UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership focused on recruitment and marketing, delivering quality enrolments through the GSP platform.
• IMFS Hyderabad (The Institute of Foreign Studies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecruitment partner that joined GSP platform in January 2018. Achieved placement of 46 students and 100+ applications in process, growing gross revenue by AU$120,000 in 6 months.
• Vancouver Community CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian college partner on the GSP platform providing vocational programmes to international students.
• London Metropolitan UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK university partner on the GSP platform.
• AIRC (American International Recruitment Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation body for education agents; GSP is AIRC accredited demonstrating commitment to industry standards.
• ICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational education networking organisation; GSP is ICEF accredited demonstrating industry credibility and network access.
• PIER (Professional International Education Resources)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional body for international education; GSP is PIER accredited demonstrating industry standards compliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adventus.io: Adventus.io (acquired by IDP) is a digital recruitment platform connecting education agents with institutions worldwide. It operates a similar two-sided marketplace model targeting international student placements across multiple destination countries.
• Studyportals: Studyportals is a global study-choice platform aggregating programmes from thousands of institutions across 175,000+ courses. It directly overlaps with GSP's course-discovery and international student information layer, though it focuses more on student-facing discovery than agent-institution matchmaking.
• ApplyBoard: ApplyBoard operates a two-sided recruitment marketplace connecting education agents with universities and colleges across multiple destination countries. It is the closest direct competitor to Global Study Partners in the international student recruitment marketplace category.

Broad incumbents

• Navitas: Navitas runs university pathway and college programmes that recruit international students into partner institutions. While more of a pathway provider than a recruitment marketplace, Navitas is a relevant adjacent player because it competes for the same international student placement volumes.
• IDP Education: IDP Education is a publicly listed global leader in international student placement, combining recruitment services, IELTS testing, and a digital platform. It overlaps directly with GSP on agent-university matchmaking but at materially greater scale and brand recognition.
• QS (Quacquarelli Symonds): QS runs international student fairs, rankings, and digital recruitment platforms (e.g., QS GradSchool, QS Apply). While broader in scope than GSP, QS directly competes in the agent-and-institution matchmaking segment, especially through its virtual events and lead-generation offerings.

Emerging players

• Leverage Edu: Leverage Edu is an emerging study-abroad platform offering personalised counselling, admissions support, and a marketplace connecting students with universities. Its narrower geographic focus and bundled services make it a partial competitor, particularly for South Asian outbound students.
• Hotcourses Abroad: Hotcourses Abroad is an international study search platform helping students compare programmes at overseas institutions. It competes with the course-discovery portion of GSP's offering, particularly at the top of the international-student funnel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gspglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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 Global Study Partners