What Heliopolis University does

Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development is a private Egyptian university established in 2009 and operated as part of the SEKEM Group ecosystem founded by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish in 1977. The institution delivers undergraduate and postgraduate education across five faculties: Pharmacy (PharmD and Clinical), Business and Economics, Organic Agriculture (the first and only such faculty in Egypt), Physical Therapy, and Engineering (Energy, Civil-Water, Mechatronics, and Green Architecture). All programs are anchored by a Core Program covering Humanities, Languages, and Art, with sustainability content integrated across the curriculum. The university serves primarily Egyptian high school graduates (Thanaweya Amma) and accepts international students holding American, Canadian, British, German, IB, or French Baccalaureate diplomas.

The university has built out six specialized centers that operate alongside the academic faculties: the Carbon Footprint Center (holding ISO 14064-1 and 14064-2 accreditations and the only such accredited organization in Egypt), the Integrative Health Center, the Education for Sustainable Development Center, the Ecosystem Research Center, the Entrepreneurship Center for Social Impact, and the Rural Development Center. It also operates a Space of Culture artistic hub and an on-campus Medical Center. The technology stack is a modern e-learning management system with online learning tools, classroom technology, and academic applications; the Carbon Footprint Center applies proprietary ISO-accredited quantification methodology and the Ecosystem Research Center maintains a botanical seed bank for rare and endangered Egyptian plant species. The campus spans six hectares in Cairo with 50% green coverage and 100% recycled water for irrigation.

The business model is tuition-driven, with fees ranging from EGP 23,500 per semester (Organic Agriculture) to EGP 61,000 per semester (Pharmacy Clinical), billed per semester across two billing cycles per year. Distribution is via direct on-campus enrollment and a self-serve online application portal (EGP 2,000 test/registration fee) for the 2025–2026 academic year. Marketing and student recruitment run through the university website, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) across multiple center-level accounts, international conferences, and 25+ international university partnerships that enable student and staff exchanges. Supplementary revenue is grant-funded through the European Union (Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, PRIMA, ENI CBC MED), German development cooperation (GIZ, BMZ), Italian development cooperation (AICS), and the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology. The entity is privately held under founder-family control through SEKEM Group (Helmy Abouleish serves as both SEKEM CEO and Chair of the university's Board of Trustees), with no disclosed equity raises or external institutional investment.

Name

Heliopolis University

Legal name

Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development

Website

https://hu.edu.eg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Heliopolis University is a private Egyptian university for sustainable development offering five faculties (Pharmacy, Business and Economics, Organic Agriculture, Physical Therapy, Engineering) plus postgraduate programs to Egyptian and international students. Revenue is tuition-based, supplemented by EU and donor-funded research through six specialized centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH), Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Sustainable development
• Organic agriculture programs
• Carbon footprint consulting
• Pharmacy education

Headquarters

HQ city

El Fayoum City

HQ country

Egypt

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition fees charged per semester across five faculties. Fees range from EGP 23,500 to EGP 61,000 per semester depending on faculty.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development is a private Egyptian higher education institution delivering undergraduate and postgraduate academic programs across five faculties (Pharmacy, Business and Economics, Organic Agriculture, Physical Therapy, and Engineering) integrated with a humanistic Core Program. The university also operates six specialized centers providing carbon footprint consulting, integrative healthcare, ecosystem research, education for sustainable development, entrepreneurship incubation, and rural community development.

Product overview

Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development operates as a multi-faculty institution with five academic faculties (Pharmacy, Business and Economics, Organic Agriculture, Physical Therapy, and Engineering) complemented by specialized centers for healthcare, sustainability consulting, research, community development, and entrepreneurship. The university integrates a Core Program for interdisciplinary foundation studies. The Carbon Footprint Center provides environmental consulting services, while the Integrative Health Center offers holistic healthcare. Research and community development centers address sustainable agriculture, ecosystem research, and rural development. An Entrepreneurship Center supports startups, and Space of Culture provides cultural programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Faculty of Pharmacy Offers PharmD-Clinical and PharmD programs preparing pharmacists for the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare system with a focus on sustainable development. Accredited by NAQAAE.
• Faculty of Business and Economics Provides Business Administration and Economics programs integrating sustainable development practices, green marketing, and ethical finance.
• Faculty of Organic Agriculture First and only faculty of organic agriculture in Egypt, offering Organic Crop Production, Biotechnology, and Food Processing Technology programs.
• Faculty of Physical Therapy Delivers a Physical Therapy program adhering to international standards with focus on sustainable development goals in therapeutic services.
• Faculty of Engineering Offers Energy Engineering, Civil-Water Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, and Green Architecture Engineering programs focused on sustainable development.
• Medical Center On-campus medical facility offering medical, dental, physical therapy, nutritional guidance, and health education services to students, staff, and general public.
• Carbon Footprint Center Provides 360-degree environmental services including carbon footprint assessment, water footprint, ecological footprint, and sustainability assessments, holding ISO 14064-1:2018 and ISO 14064-2:2019 certifications—the only accredited organization in Egypt at these levels.
• Integrative Health Center Promotes holistic health approaches through its collaboration with SEKEM Medical Center, EcoHealth Insurance, the Health on Wheels initiative, and Anthroposophic Medicine training.
• Education for Sustainable Development Center Provides lifelong learning programs including Education for Sustainable Development, Graduates Leadership, Community Based Learning, and Leadership for Sustainability programs.
• Ecosystem Research Center Studies sustainable development in climate, water, plants, and animals for desert environments, providing field training and technical consulting.
• Rural Development Center Executes projects for holistic sustainable development in rural Egypt through the 13 Villages Initiative and ElWahat Community, including waste management and sports programs.
• Entrepreneurship Center for Social Impact Hub for social entrepreneurs offering incubation cycles, mentoring, networking, funding access, business legal clinic, coworking space, and fabrication lab.
• Space of Culture Cultural hub hosting art, musical, and theatrical events to elevate artistic potential and community cultural awareness.
• Core Program Interdisciplinary program covering Humanities, Languages (English and German), and Art, forming the foundational curriculum for all students across all faculties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% green campus coverage with no plastic used
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and regional.

• SEKEM GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization founded by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish in 1977. SEKEM established the university in 2009. Deep integration with SEKEM farms, medical centers, and community initiatives. SEKEM Vision Goals (SVG) align with university mission.
• University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject coordinator for SUS-SOIL Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Project. 4-year project with 23 partners from 13 countries focused on sustainable soil and subsoil health.
• Erasmus+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU program for education, training, youth, and sport supporting student and staff exchanges with European universities.
• Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerEgyptian governmental body providing training and support for research projects including solar power station training at HU.
• EcoHealth InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical insurance company powered by SEKEM Group offering integrative medical services. Collaboration with IHC for holistic health screenings and patient lifestyle assessments.
• Plastic BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise partner in waste management project with SEKEM Initiative, local companies, and Sharkia Governorate. Resulted in sorting and recycling of 45 tons of solid waste per month.
• Economy of LovecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertification standard for sustainable, ethical, and transparent products throughout supply chain. Partnership for carbon credits scheme enabling businesses to offset emissions.
• Home for HumanitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal transcultural alliance of individuals, homes, organizations and communities committed to human and planetary renewal. Space of Culture is considered one of Egypt's Homes for Humanity.
• The Filder Clinic (Germany)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultidisciplinary training facility in Stuttgart, Germany. Faculty of Physical Therapy staff attend training programs at this facility.
• Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional organization co-organizing Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Marketplace with European Commission where MED-WET project was showcased as top 20 EU-PRIMA project.
• New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerEgyptian governmental authority cooperating on solar power projects. El-Sweedy Electric Company provides materials for solar installations at SEKEM Farm.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Schumacher College: UK-based specialist college focused on ecological and sustainability education with short courses and postgraduate programs. Comparable in deep sustainability and humanistic curriculum orientation, though much smaller scale and focused on adult/continuing education rather than traditional undergraduate degrees.
• Presidio Graduate School: US graduate school focused on sustainable solutions and management. Comparable in sustainability-as-core-identity positioning and emphasis on social impact, though much smaller and limited to graduate-level programs in a different regulatory environment.

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research: Dutch research university specializing in life sciences, agriculture, and environmental research. Highly comparable for organic agriculture research and teaching, ecosystem research orientation, and sustainability-focused curriculum, though operating at much larger scale and research intensity.
• Maastricht University: Dutch research university with strong sustainability research and international outlook, listed as an HU partner. Comparable as a broader sustainability-active European university with international student exchange programs and applied sustainability research focus, operating at much larger scale.
• Aalto University: Finnish multidisciplinary research university with strong sustainability, energy engineering, and entrepreneurship programs. Comparable in sustainability curriculum integration and engineering offerings, though operating at substantially larger scale in a different market context.

Direct peers

• Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology: Egyptian research university established in partnership with Japanese institutions, focused on engineering and science postgraduate programs. Comparable as a partnership-driven Egyptian university with strong international research orientation and bilateral funding model.
• German University in Cairo: Egyptian private university founded in partnership with German institutions, offering engineering, business, and applied sciences programs. Comparable as a premium Egyptian private university targeting similar Egyptian and international student segments with STEM-focused programming.
• British University in Egypt: Egyptian private university established with UK academic partnerships, offering programs in engineering, business, pharmacy, and arts. Comparable as another premium Egyptian private institution with international accreditation focus and similar tuition positioning.
• American University in Cairo: Leading Egyptian private, non-profit English-language university offering undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple faculties. Directly comparable as a top-tier Egyptian private higher education institution competing for similar fee-paying students, with similar international partnership models and English-medium instruction.

Regional players

• Al Akhawayn University: Moroccan private, non-profit English-language university modeled on American liberal arts tradition. Comparable as a North African private university pursuing international partnerships and sustainability themes, though operating in a different national market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/heliopolis.university
• Instagraminstagram.com/hu_ihc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heliopolis-university

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Heliopolis University