Fundacion Universitaria de Popayan

What Fundacion Universitaria de Popayan does

Fundación Universitaria de Popayán (FUP) is a private higher education institution founded in 1982 and headquartered in Popayán, Colombia, operating under the supervision of Colombia's Ministerio de Educación Nacional. It serves undergraduate and graduate students primarily in the southwestern Colombian department of Cauca, with five campuses in Popayán (Claustro San Camilo, Claustro San José, Campus Álvaro Ulcué Chocué, Campus Los Robles, and Consultorio Jurídico) plus a regional campus in Santander de Quilichao. The institution delivers 13 undergraduate programs across five faculties (including Architecture, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, Law, Psychology, Administration, Social Work, and Ecology) and multiple graduate specializations in areas such as Data Analytics, Constitutional Law, HR Management, and Agribusiness Management. It also operates an affiliated K-12 school (CICMA) and continuing education diploma programs.

FUP's technology stack centers on three core platforms: the SIRES student information and registration system for enrollment, course registration, and grade management; the FUP Virtual learning management platform for online courses and institutional repository access; and a digital library aggregating EBSCO databases, vLex legal platform, and eLibro e-book collections. These systems support both presencial and virtual undergraduate modalities (with virtual programs at a fixed 1.87M COP/semester versus presencial tuition ranging from 3.4M to 5.6M COP/semester depending on program). Research operations are managed through the SIDI (Sistema de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación), with outputs including Scopus Q2 indexed publications and active research groups with semilleros (student research seedbeds).

The business model is primarily tuition-driven, with revenue from undergraduate semester fees, graduate specialization programs (priced at ~9.56M COP per program), continuing education diplomas, and ancillary administrative fees (enrollment, degree ceremony, certificates). Financial accessibility is supported through partnerships with ICETEX (Colombian government educational credit entity), Cooperativa Minuto de Dios, and Bancoomeva for student lending, plus an institutional donation portal (Apadrina un Sueño) for scholarship funding. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the institutional website, SIRES online registration, community events, and a dedicated Coordinación de Admisiones y Mercadeo function. The institution pursues a hybrid segmentation approach addressing undergraduate students, graduate students, and the broader regional community through social projection and extension programs.

Name

Fundacion Universitaria de Popayan

Legal name

Fundación Universitaria de Popayán

Website

https://fup.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Fundación Universitaria de Popayán is a private Colombian higher education institution founded in 1982, serving undergraduate and graduate students in Cauca through six campuses, 13 undergraduate programs, and multiple graduate specializations via SIRES and FUP Virtual digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Foundational Computer & Device Literacy (EDAAAIAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate specializations
• Continuing education
• Academic research

Headquarters

HQ city

Popayán

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Semester-based tuition fees ranging from approximately 3.4 million to 5.6 million COP depending on program, with annual increases tied to IPC inflation rate (5.51% for 2026)
2. Graduate/Postgraduate Tuition: Specialization programs priced at approximately 9.5 million COP per program, with module-based pricing for individual courses
3. Educational Credit Partnerships: Partnership with ICETEX, Cooperativa Minuto de Dios, and Bancoomeva to provide financing options for students, generating revenue through enrolled students
4. Donations and Social Programs: Voluntary donations through Apadrina un Sueno campaign supporting student scholarships and retention, managed via institutional donation portal

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fundación Universitaria de Popayán is a private higher education institution that delivers undergraduate degree programs, graduate specializations, and continuing education diplomas across five faculties in Popayán and Santander de Quilichao, Colombia. The institution provides supporting digital learning infrastructure through the SIRES enrollment platform and FUP Virtual learning management system, plus digital library access (EBSCO, vLex, eLibro) to enrolled students.

Product overview

Fundación Universitaria de Popayán (FUP) is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and digital services. Its product ecosystem consists of three main pillars: (1) Academic Programs — undergraduate (Pregrado) and graduate (Postgrado/Especializaciones) programs across disciplines including Business Administration, Architecture, Engineering, Law, Psychology, Social Work, and Communication; (2) Digital Learning Infrastructure — the SIRES student information and registration system, the FUP Virtual learning management platform, and a Digital Library integrating EBSCO, VLEX, and eLibro databases; and (3) Continuing Education — diploma programs and short courses. The institution also operates the Centro de Bienestar y Salud providing health services to its community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Research published in Scopus Q2 indexed journals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Colegio CICMAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Affiliated K-12 school (Centro del Inmaculado Corazón de María) operated under shared educational philosophy. Alumni receive tuition discounts for FUP undergraduate programs. Shared facilities include auditoriums, computer labs, and sports facilities.
• Banco de la RepúblicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural and research alliance with Colombia's central bank. Partnership focuses on culture and research initiatives, providing institutional access to central bank resources and collaborative projects in academic and cultural development.
• Cámara de Comercio de PopayáncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Chamber of Commerce partnership for business development and regional economic advancement. Joint initiatives support entrepreneurial development and regional business community engagement.
• EBSCO Information ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital library resources provider supplying academic databases including Business Source Complete, eBook Academic Collection, Environment Complete, Fuente Académica Premier, and Legal Source for institutional research and learning.
• vLexcoreTechnology or IntegrationLegal and normative information platform providing comprehensive legal database access for law program students and faculty research activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Sergio Arboleda: Private Colombian university with broad undergraduate/graduate offerings across law, economics, engineering, and communications — comparable program mix and tuition model at a national scale.
• Pontificia Universidad Javeriana: Premier private foundation university in Colombia offering the full spectrum of undergraduate and graduate programs; sets the upper bound on private-IES pricing, research output, and prestige in the country.
• Universidad EAFIT: Top-tier private Colombian university with strong undergraduate and graduate programs across engineering, administration, law, and humanities; serves as a broad incumbent benchmark on pricing, prestige, and program breadth.
• Universidad Libre: Large private Colombian university with national multi-campus presence and traditional undergraduate/graduate catalog across law, engineering, health sciences, and social sciences.

Direct peers

• Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios (UNIMINUTO): Large Colombian private foundation university with broad undergraduate/graduate offerings across multiple campuses and a strong social-access mission; FUP's Rector previously held senior roles there, and the operating model is closely aligned.
• Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz: Private Colombian foundation university specializing in psychology, social sciences, and education programs — directly comparable nonprofit foundation structure and program-mix focus to FUP.
• Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia: Private Colombian university with national multi-campus presence and a similar broad program catalog across law, engineering, administration, and health sciences, serving comparable student demographics.
• Universidad de San Buenaventura: Private Colombian foundation university with multiple campuses and a comparable portfolio of undergraduate and graduate programs, very similar in governance structure and regional multi-campus operating model to FUP.

Regional players

• Universidad Santiago de Cali: Private Colombian university in nearby Cali (Valle del Cauca) with similar multi-faculty structure and undergraduate/graduate catalog, competing for the same southwestern Colombian student market.
• Universidad del Cauca: Public university headquartered in Popayán, the same city as FUP; competes directly for the same regional student pool in Cauca with overlapping program offerings but a public funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/La_Fup
• Facebookfacebook.com/FundacionUniversitariaPopayan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundaci-n-universitaria-de-popay-n

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fundacion Universitaria de Popayan