Humak University of Applied

What Humak University of Applied does

Humak University of Applied Sciences (Suomen Humanistinen Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy, Business ID 1474763-1) is a Finnish ammattikorkeakoulu (university of applied sciences) operating as a privately held osakeyhtiö (limited company) headquartered at Ilkantie 4, 00400 Helsinki, with operating roots traceable to 1 April 1998. It is owned collectively by a coalition of Finnish foundations and associations (Paasikiviopistoyhdistys, Työväen Akatemia, Pohjois-Savon Kansanopistoseura, Alkio-opiston kannatusyhdistys, Palkansaajien koulutussäätiö, Kuurojen liitto) plus personnel and student representatives, with no exchange listing and no PE/VC investment disclosed. The institution runs three bachelor's programmes (Community Educator / Yhteisöpedagogi with Adventure Education and Youth/Community Work specialisations; Cultural Manager / Kulttuurituottaja; Sign Language Interpreter / Viittomakielentulkki including Finland-Swedish Sign Language), master's-level YAMK degrees, and an Avoin AMK Open UAS continuing-education catalogue, delivered across seven campuses (Helsinki, Kauniainen, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Tampere, Turku, Kajaani) plus online modes.

The underlying technology stack combines a Peppi student information system, Hoodle (Moodle-based) LMS, Wihi thesis management, Humak Finna library, Microsoft 365/Teams/SharePoint, Zoom and the Tuudo mobile app, with WordPress powering the public site and a WooCommerce-style kauppa.humak.fi e-commerce store on the Open UAS side. Business services are anchored by the Outdoor and Adventure Academy and a Business Services unit selling tailored training and student-project services, while applied research is organised under three umbrella programmes (Thriving Through Experiences; Resilient Societies; Transforming Communities) hosting 10+ active RDI projects including Kasvuliikkeitä, FusionLabs, KUKA, TEOS, Climate Engine, Järjestin 2026 and the Climate University cross-institutional membership.

Revenue is generated through publicly funded degree tuition for Finnish and EU students, per-course Open UAS fees (15-300 EUR per course; 300 EUR per 60 ECTS path study package; micro courses 15-75 EUR) with a bulk-purchase discount (maksukatto), B2B training and Outdoor & Adventure Academy programmes, RDI grant funding (national and EU), and publication/merchandise sales. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer for individual learners via humak.fi, the Open UAS store and Opintopolku, with direct field sales for business services and partner-hosted delivery at folk-high-school campuses; customer segments are predominantly individual learners (degree, Open UAS, micro-course) and a smaller cohort of NGO/municipality/parish B2B buyers in the youth, culture and community-pedagogy verticals. CEO/Rector is Jukka Määttä; Director of Administration (board secretary) is Karel McLeod Smith; a new board took office on 3 June 2026 under chair Susanna Silberstein.

Name

Humak University of Applied

Legal name

Suomen Humanistinen Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy

Website

https://humak.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Humak University of Applied Sciences is a Finnish privately held UAS (osakeyhtiö) operating three bachelor's programmes (Community Educator, Cultural Manager, Sign Language Interpreter), master's degrees, and Open UAS continuing education across seven Finnish campuses, funded primarily by the Finnish state for degree students and by per-course Open UAS fees, B2B training, and RDI grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)

Keywords

• Higher education degrees
• Applied sciences university
• Open university courses
• Applied research programs
• Corporate training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Open UAS course fees: Course-level fees paid via the kauppa.humak.fi online store for individual courses (e.g., 15-300 EUR), study modules, path studies and micro courses. Bulk-purchase discount ("maksukatto") reduces fees based on cumulative annual purchases.
2. Path studies and degree-level Open UAS packages: 60 ECTS path study packages (e.g., Yhteisöpedagogi AMK path studies) priced at 300 EUR each, delivered as multi-modal programmes in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Tampere, Turku and online.
3. Business / corporate training services: Customised training, expert services and student project services for organisations under the "Työelämälle" / liiketoimintapalvelut arm, including the Outdoor and Adventure Academy offering.
4. Project and RDI funding: Research, development and innovation (TKI) projects funded through national (e.g., Climate University, Järjestin 2026) and EU programmes (e.g., Climate Engine project); delivers co-funded research outputs and publications.
5. Publication and merchandise sales: Sale of academic books and Humak-branded products via the Open UAS online store (e.g., "Outdoor Adventure Education in Finland" at 44 EUR).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Humak University of Applied Sciences (Humanistinen ammattikorkeakoulu) is a Finnish university of applied sciences offering bachelor's and master's degree programmes in Community Education (Yhteisöpedagogi), Cultural Management (Kulttuurituottaja), and Sign Language Interpreting (Viittomakielentulkki). It also sells Open UAS (Avoin AMK) courses, path studies, and micro-courses via its online store, and delivers customised B2B training, expert services, and applied research (RDI) projects under three umbrella research programmes.

Product overview

Humak University of Applied Sciences (Humanistinen ammattikorkeakoulu) operates a portfolio that combines degree education, continuing/open learning, applied research and a set of supporting digital platforms, rather than a single unified product. The academic core consists of three bachelor's programmes — Community Educator (Yhteisöpedagogi), Cultural Manager/Producer (Kulttuurituottaja) and Sign Language Interpreter (Viittomakielentulkki) — together with the master's-level Humak Master offering and the Avoin AMK (Open University of Applied Sciences) catalogue sold via the kauppa.humak.fi web shop. These educational offerings are delivered through an integrated digital ecosystem: the Peppi student-information system, the Hoodle (Moodle-based) LMS, the Wihi thesis management system, the Humak Finna library service, Microsoft Office 365 / Teams / SharePoint and Zoom for collaboration, and the Tuudo mobile app for the student experience. Applied research is organised under three umbrella programmes — Thriving Through Experiences, Resilient Societies and Transforming Communities — which host projects such as Kasvuliikkeitä, FusionLabs, KUKA, TEOS (Tekoälyä ja aitoa osallisuutta) and Climate Engine, plus the new Climate University network membership. Compliance, safety and finance are supported by the Webropol-powered Whistleblowing and Safety channels and the Maventa/PEPPOL e-invoicing service. Business-facing services are anchored by the Outdoor and Adventure Academy and Humak Research / business-services unit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yhteisöpedagogi (AMK) — Community Educator Bachelor of Humanities Finnish bachelor's degree with multiple study paths including Adventure and Outdoor Education (Seikkailukasvatus), Youth and Community Work Futures and Wellbeing, and international variants, delivered daytime, multiform and online across Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Tampere, Turku and Kajaani.
• Kulttuurituottaja (AMK) — Cultural Manager / Producer Bachelor of Humanities Bachelor's degree in cultural management and production, training professionals for arts and cultural sectors in Finland.
• Viittomakielentulkki (AMK) — Sign Language Interpreter Bachelor of Humanities Bachelor's degree training interpreters for signed languages including Finland-Swedish Sign Language, supported by multimodal interaction coursework.
• Humak Master (YAMK) — Master's degree programmes Master-level degrees (YAMK) in Humak's areas of expertise, complementing bachelor's programmes and continuing professional development for working professionals.
• Avoin AMK — Open University of Applied Sciences Open-access studies sold via the kauppa.humak.fi web shop covering Adventure Education, Cultural Management, Sign-language Interpreting, Communication Expertise, NGO/Youth Work, Work Community Development, Master's-level modules, Path Studies, Study Modules, Introductory Courses and Language Courses.
• Outdoor and Adventure Academy

Named customers2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration21 records

AI capability11 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, strategic, core, tactical and operational.

• Climate University (Ilmastoyliopisto)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumak joined Climate University network in May 2026 alongside Diak, expanding cross-institutional access to 14 climate and sustainability courses. Courses are co-developed and offered in Finnish, English and Swedish as online studies; the network is hosted by the University of Helsinki. The partnership directly supports Humak's research programme area of resilient societies and is quoted by Päivi Marjanen, Education Director.
• Diak (Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-joined Climate University network with Humak in May 2026, enabling joint expansion of climate and sustainability education access for both universities' students.
• Workers' Academy (Työväen Akatemia / Työväen Akatemian Kannatusosakeyhtiö)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing partner organisation. Board member Mikko Koskinen represents the Workers' Academy Foundation. Hosts the Kauniainen campus and provides student accommodation.
• Paasikivi-Opisto (Paasikiviopistoyhdistys r.y.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTurku campus co-location partner and student housing provider. Board member Timo Elo represents Paasikiviopistoyhdistys.
• Alkio-opiston kannatusyhdistys rycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJyväskylä campus co-location partner (Alkio College). Board member Jaana Laitila represents Alkio-opiston kannatusyhdistys.
• Pohjois-Savon Kansanopistoseura r.y.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKuopio campus partner through Northern Savonian Folk High School. Board member Eevi Kurti (vice-chair) represents Pohjois-Savon Kansanopistoseura.
• Kuurojen liitto ry (Finnish Association of the Deaf)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Susanna Silberstein (chair of Humak's board) represents Kuurojen liitto, supporting Humak's sign language interpreting programmes and Finland-Swedish sign language interpreter training.
• Palkansaajien koulutussäätiö sr (Employees' Education Foundation)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member Marko Piirainen represents Palkansaajien koulutussäätiö, a major Finnish labour-market education funder.
• Fingo (Finnish Non-governmental Organisation umbrella)tacticalGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-developed Open UAS courses with Humak including "Kriisiviestintä - varaudu, reagoi ja johda luottamusta 1 op" and "Yleiskuva vaikuttamistyöhön 1 op".
• Liikenneturva (Finnish Road Safety Council)tacticalGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-developed the "Nuorten liikennekasvatus 5 op" Open UAS course, integrating road safety education into youth worker training.
• SOSTE (Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health)tacticalGTM or Marketing PartnerEngagement with Humak students via the SOSTE cruise event, featured in a student blog post on humak.fi.
• MailChimpoperationalTechnology or IntegrationUS-based email marketing and direct marketing automation provider; GDPR-compliant, used for Humak's newsletter and customer communications.
• ZendeskoperationalTechnology or IntegrationUS-based customer chat service (formerly Zopim); used on humak.fi to capture visitor email addresses for follow-up.
• PaytrailoperationalTechnology or IntegrationFinnish payment service provider; handles kauppa.humak.fi checkout and stores customer transaction details (name, products, amounts, addresses).
• Maventa (verkkolaskuoperaattori)operationalTechnology or IntegrationFinnish e-invoicing operator used by Humak to receive electronic invoices in Finland; operator ID 003721291126.
• PEPPOLoperationalTechnology or IntegrationInternational PEPPOL e-invoicing operator used for inbound e-invoices from abroad (address 0216:003714747631).
• Google Analytics GA4 and Google Tag ManageroperationalTechnology or IntegrationWeb analytics and tag management; visitor tracking is anonymised and IP addresses are not stored on humak.fi.
• HotjaroperationalTechnology or IntegrationBehavioural analytics and user feedback tool used for website UX research on humak.fi.
• VWO (Visual Website Optimizer)operationalTechnology or IntegrationIndia-based A/B testing and conversion optimisation platform; data is transferred outside EU/EEA but VWO commits to GDPR compliance.
• TuudostrategicTechnology or IntegrationFinnish student mobile application integrated with Peppi SIS; provides Humak students with student ID, ECTS credits, schedules, library card, transport discounts and internship information.
• Microsoft (Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint)strategicTechnology or IntegrationProvider of Office 365, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint-based staff intranet; foundational infrastructure for Humak's internal communications, learning collaboration and document management.
• Partio (Scout Association of Finland) / Yhdenvertaisuuden nuorisoalan osaamiskeskusstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of three publications on equality competence in the youth sector (2025-2026) based on a 771-respondent survey across NGOs, municipalities and parishes; results used to inform training, coaching and material development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• LAB University of Applied Sciences: Newer merged Finnish UAS (LAMK + Saimia) operating a similar multi-campus, multi-disciplinary applied degree and RDI model across southern and eastern Finland.
• Metropolia University of Applied Sciences: One of the largest Finnish universities of applied sciences, also headquartered in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Operates degree programmes, RDI, continuing education and an Open UAS web shop, making it the closest large-scale analogue to Humak's operating model.
• Laurea University of Applied Sciences: Finnish UAS operating multi-campus degree programmes, RDI, and an Open UAS web shop in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Direct comparator on the learning-by-development pedagogical model and B2B service delivery.
• Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu (Diak UAS): Diak co-joined the Climate University network with Humak in May 2026 and shares a similar pedagogy- and community-focused mission. Operates overlapping degree programmes in social services, sign-language interpreting and community education.
• Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences: Finnish UAS with a similar service-business orientation, B2B training arm, multi-campus footprint (Helsinki, Porvoo) and an Open UAS catalogue. Direct competitor for both degree applicants and corporate-training contracts.
• South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK): Multi-campus Finnish UAS with a similar B2B service and Open UAS web shop, competing for the same pool of Finnish lifelong-learning and corporate-training customers.
• Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK): TAMK operates degree programmes, RDI and continuing education out of Tampere, directly competing for degree applicants and Open UAS learners in the Pirkanmaa region where Humak also runs a campus.
• JAMK University of Applied Sciences: Larger Finnish UAS with a similar multi-campus structure and applied-research orientation; co-locates with the Alkio College in Jyväskylä, which also hosts a Humak campus, indicating parallel local market positioning.

Broad incumbents

• University of Helsinki (Helsingin yliopisto): Hosts and chairs the Climate University network that Humak joined in May 2026. Operates a much broader postsecondary portfolio and is the dominant higher-education incumbent in the Helsinki region.

Regional players

• Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK): Regional Finnish UAS headquartered in Kajaani, where Humak also runs a campus; competes for the same pool of Kainuu regional applicants and operates a comparable cultural-management and applied-research portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3jpMKndm4SqRhx32cHpDjA
• Facebookfacebook.com/humanistinen.ammattikorkeakoulu
• Instagraminstagram.com/humakuas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/humak-university-of-applied-sciences

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Humak University of Applied