Universidade do Vale do Taquari

What Universidade do Vale do Taquari does

Universidade do Vale do Taquari (Univates) is a private non-profit community university (universidade comunitária) founded in 1969 and headquartered on an 80,000+ square meter campus at Av. Avelino Talini, 171 in Lajeado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The institution delivers higher education across three modalities — 25 face-to-face undergraduate programs, 7 semi-presential programs, and 11 distance-learning (EAD) programs — supplemented by master's and doctoral degrees, MBAs and specializations, technical courses, medical residencies, and CRIE short courses. Adjacent infrastructure includes one of Latin America's most modern libraries (160,000+ physical items, 300,000-volume capacity, RFID self-service), the 1,148-seat Teatro Univates, a sports complex with Olympic-standard facilities, Share Student Living on-campus housing, the Tecnovates science/technology park, and the Inovates startup incubator.

The underlying technology stack centers on the Plataforma Univates digital student portal, a virtual campus tour platform (kolor360), an institutional digital repository (BDU), and an RFID library management system with automated climate and lighting controls. Commercial digital research database integrations include EBSCOhost, SciELO, UpToDate, PressReader, Minha Biblioteca, Revista dos Tribunais Online, and the CAPES journal portal; document delivery is offered via the COMUT bibliographic commutation service. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees priced by modality (e.g., R$209/month for the first EAD trimester, with a 30% first-month discount on presencial/semipresencial during enrollment weeks), supplemented by student housing rentals, Teatro Univates event rentals, Comut document delivery fees, and B2B employer partnerships via Tecnovates and the careers network. The university holds a Brazilian Ministry of Education IGC score of 4 (excellent) and was named best undergraduate program in Southern Brazil among private institutions.

Univates serves three primary customer segments: prospective and enrolled students (the core revenue base), regional businesses and employers (B2B partners for internships, recruitment, R&D, and corporate training through Tecnovates), and the broader Vale do Taquari community (free access to library and sports facilities via Programa Univates & Você, cultural events at Teatro Univates, extension projects, and lifelong learning). The go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct-to-consumer, executed through a multi-channel enrollment stack — free online vestibular, ENEM score entry, transfers, re-entry, diploma-holder admission, in-person enrollment center, WhatsApp and email support, and scholarship/financing programs (FIES, Credivates 1.0/2.0, Bolsa Impulsiona, Bolsa Provão). International student mobility is channeled through the Escritório de Relações Internacionais (ERI), supported by Santander Universidades and FAUB AI / BRAVE partnerships.

Name

Universidade do Vale do Taquari

Legal name

Universidade do Vale do Taquari

Website

https://univates.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Universidade do Vale do Taquari (Univates) is a private non-profit community university in Lajeado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, delivering undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education across presencial, semipresencial, and EAD modalities to regional students, with MEC IGC score 4 (excellent).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Online International & Cross-Border Universities (Global/Transnational Providers) (EDAHALAL), Academic Program Housing (Study Abroad, Language Schools, Field Schools) (THAMAGAE)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Distance learning programs
• Graduate education degrees
• Technical training courses
• University research programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lajeado

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and fees - undergraduate and graduate programs: The university generates primary revenue through student tuition and fees across undergraduate (in-person, semi-presential, EAD), graduate (master's, doctorate, specialization/MBA), technical courses, medical residencies, and CRIE short courses. Pricing varies by modality: in-person undergraduate charges approximately R$209/month for EAD first-quarter rate; Credivates financing options allow students to pay 50% during study and 50% post-graduation or fixed annual installments with zero interest.
2. Student housing (Share Student Living): On-campus private student accommodation rental revenue, including rent, condominium, IPTU, internet, maintenance, gym access, and utilities.
3. Theater and event venue rentals: The Teatro Univates (1,148-seat venue) is available for rental for corporate, cultural, and private events, generating venue hire revenue.
4. Document delivery and Comut service: Bibliographic commutation (Comut) service charges R$2.20 per copy for 1-5 pages delivered via mail for documents not available in the local collection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Universidade do Vale do Taquari (Univates) is a community university that delivers higher education services through 25 in-person undergraduate programs, 7 hybrid semipresencial programs, 11 distance learning (EAD) undergraduate programs, master's and doctoral degrees, specializations and MBAs, technical courses, medical residencies, and CRIE short courses. The campus spans over 80,000 square meters of built area in Lajeado, Rio Grande do Sul, providing classrooms, laboratories, library, theater, sports complex, and on-campus student housing (Share Student Living).

Product overview

Universidade do Vale do Taquari (Univates) is a community university offering a comprehensive educational ecosystem. The institution operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its core educational offerings (Plataforma Univates) supplemented by cultural infrastructure (Teatro Univates, Biblioteca Univates), sports facilities (Complexo Esportivo), research and innovation centers (Tecnovates, Inovates), and community programs (Programa Univates & Você). The university delivers education through multiple modalities: presencial (25 face-to-face undergraduate programs), semipresencial (7 hybrid programs), and EAD (11 distance learning programs), alongside graduate degrees, technical courses, and CRIE continuing education courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tecnovates: Scientific and Technological Park of Vale do Taquari offering research and innovation services.
• Inovates
• Teatro Univates
• Share Student Living

Products and services

• Graduação Presencial On-campus undergraduate programs offered in face-to-face format across 25 courses in various disciplines for prospective and enrolled students.
• Graduação Semipresencial Hybrid undergraduate programs combining online study with in-person practical activities, with 7 courses available for students seeking flexible learning.
• Graduação EAD Distance learning undergraduate programs offering 11 courses accessible online, with first-trimester pricing around R$209/month.
• Mestrados e Doutorados Graduate programs including Master's and Doctoral degrees across multiple areas of study for students pursuing advanced academic qualifications.
• Especializações e MBAs Postgraduate specialization courses and MBA programs designed for professional advancement of working professionals.
• Cursos Técnicos Technical courses providing vocational training and professional qualification for students seeking rapid entry into skilled occupations.
• Cursos CRIE Short and accessible courses including language programs and continuing education for community members seeking lifelong learning opportunities.
• Residências Médicas Medical residency programs for medical school graduates pursuing postgraduate clinical training.
• Share Student Living On-campus student housing rental service offering furnished apartments with all utilities included; recognized as the first private on-campus student residence in Brazil.
• Teatro Univates Venue Rental 1,148-seat theater venue available for rental for corporate events, cultural performances, graduations, and private functions.
• Biblioteca Univates Document Delivery (Comut) Bibliographic commutation service delivering copies of academic documents not available in the local collection, charged at R$2.20 per copy for 1-5 pages.

Quantifiable outcome

• IGC score of 4 (excellent) on Ministry of Education evaluation - rated best undergraduate in Southern Brazil among private institutions
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FAUB AI (Forum das Associacoes Universitarias Brasil-Alemanha)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnivates is a member of FAUB AI, participating in the BRAVE initiative (Brazilian Alliance for Virtual Education), a collaborative network for higher education internationalization between Brazilian and German universities.
• International partner institutions (various continents)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnivates maintains bilateral agreements with international institutions for student and faculty exchange, joint research, and academic cooperation across multiple continents. Specific partner countries include Colombia (Corporacion Universidad de la Costa), Ecuador, Spain (Technical University of Vienna via COLABI program, La Palma island projects), among others mentioned in international news coverage.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos): Larger private Jesuit university in São Leopoldo, RS, with a similar multi-modal portfolio (presencial, semipresencial, EAD), graduate programs, technology park (Tecnosinos), and community-facing programming — a direct regional competitor for students and faculty.
• Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF): Community university in Passo Fundo, RS, with similar undergraduate, graduate, and distance-learning offerings, plus an attached technology incubator (UPF Parks). Closely comparable in mission, structure, and regional market position.
• Universidade Feevale: Community university in Novo Hamburgo, RS, offering presencial, semipresencial, and EAD programs with an associated technology hub (Feevale Techpark). Operates the same community-university model with comparable program breadth and employer integration.
• Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC): Community university in Santa Cruz do Sul, also in Rio Grande do Sul, offering undergraduate, graduate, and distance learning programs with a comparable regional nonprofit model and community reinvestment orientation.

Regional players

• Universidade Positivo: Private university group based in Curitiba, PR, offering presencial, semipresencial, and EAD programs with a similar technology-park/innovation structure. Comparable in operating model and modality mix but operates in a different Brazilian region.
• Instituto Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS): Public federal network offering free technical and higher education programs across multiple RS campuses, including proximity to the Vale do Taquari. Competes directly for price-sensitive students considering community/private options.

Broad incumbents

• Universidade Anhembi Morumbi: Large São Paulo-based private university with an extensive presencial and EAD portfolio across many disciplines. Comparable in modality mix and program breadth but operates in a different and far larger metropolitan market.
• Pontifícia Universidade Católica do RS (PUCRS): Much larger private Catholic university in Porto Alegre with an extensive presencial and EAD portfolio, a major technology park (Tecnopuc), and broader graduate offerings. Competes for the same students across RS but with materially greater scale and resources.
• Cogna Educação (Vasta, Kroton): Brazil's largest education group operating K-12 (Vasta) and higher education (Kroton) brands with national EAD reach. Represents the dominant at-scale competitor in distance-learning segments where Univates is investing.
• Estácio Participações: One of Brazil's largest for-profit higher education groups with an extensive EAD and presencial footprint. Overlaps with Univates in program breadth and modality but operates at national scale with very different cost economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Univates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/univatesmultimidia
• Facebookfacebook.com/univates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centro-universit-rio-univates
• Instagraminstagram.com/univates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Universidade do Vale do Taquari