ESADE
ESADE is a private Jesuit business and law school in Barcelona and Madrid, operating as Fundació Esade within Universitat Ramon Llull. It offers undergraduate, MSc, MBA, law, and executive education programs to students and corporate clients, supported by the Rambla of Innovation entrepreneurship ecosystem.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersBarcelona, Spain
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What ESADE does
ESADE (Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas) is a private Jesuit business and law school founded in 1958 in Barcelona and operated as Fundació Esade, a non-profit foundation registered in Catalonia and integrated within Universitat Ramon Llull. The institution delivers degree programs — Bachelor's degrees, Master of Science (MSc), Full Time MBA, Executive MBA, Masters in Law, Executive Masters, and PhD/Research programs — alongside open-enrollment and customized Executive Education and a Summer School. It serves individual students at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels, plus corporate clients seeking customized leadership and management training.
ESADE operates three campuses in Spain — Barcelona Pedralbes (headquarters), Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Madrid — and supports a community representing 126 nationalities with 83,000 alumni organized across 74 international chapters, 12 territorial chapters, and 24 cross-club chapters. Its technology footprint centers on the Rambla of Innovation, which bundles the eWorks Accelerator (350+ startups supported), FusionLab, Decision Lab, Fusion Point, eGarage, and Finance Lab, plus Virtual Reality Services, a Smart Library, and an Immersive Room for experiential learning. Recruiter relationships span McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Amazon, Deloitte, KPMG, EY, Citi, SAP, Salesforce, Bloomberg, Deutsche Bank, Glovo, and Zalando.
Revenue is generated through tuition (degree and executive programs), customized corporate training and open-enrollment executive education, research funding, donations managed through giving.esade.edu, and summer school fees. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The institution is consistently top-ranked: Financial Times #5 Executive Education Open Programs (2026), Financial Times #7 Full Time MBA, Poets&Quants #3 MBA for Entrepreneurship, and Merco #1 academic institution reputation in Spain. Recent strategic emphasis has centered on AI policy research (EsadeEcPol studies with Implement Consulting Group and Google), launch of an AI-themed undergraduate degree, and deepening European Commission research engagement (EQUAL4EUROPE).
ESADE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ESADE
- Legal name
- Fundació Esade
- Website
- https://esade.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- ESADE is a private Jesuit business and law school in Barcelona and Madrid, operating as Fundació Esade within Universitat Ramon Llull. It offers undergraduate, MSc, MBA, law, and executive education programs to students and corporate clients, supported by the Rambla of Innovation entrepreneurship ecosystem.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ESADE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business School Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)
Keywords
Where ESADE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Barcelona
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
ESADE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Degree Programs: Tuition fees from undergraduate, graduate, and MBA programs including Bachelor degrees, MSc programs, MBA programs (Full Time MBA, Executive MBA), and Masters in Law
- Executive Education: Customized corporate training solutions, executive masters, and open enrollment programs for professionals seeking continuing education and leadership development
- Research Programs: Tuition and funding for PhD and research programs
- Summer School: Short-term intensive programs during summer months for students and professionals
- Donations and Alumni Giving: Scholarship funding and endowment contributions from alumni and supporters, managed through giving.esade.edu
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels12 records
ESADE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ESADE is a private Jesuit-affiliated business and law school founded in 1958, operating campuses in Barcelona (Pedralbes), Sant Cugat, and Madrid as part of Universitat Ramon Llull. The institution delivers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, master's programs, MBAs (Full-Time and Executive), executive education, law degrees, PhDs, and summer programs to a diverse student body representing over 100 nationalities. It also operates the eWorks startup accelerator and offers customized corporate executive education programs.
Product overview
ESADE is a business and law school in Barcelona and Madrid offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs. The core offerings include Bachelor's Degrees, Master of Science (MSc) programs, Full Time MBA (ranked #7 worldwide), Executive MBA, Masters in Law, Executive Masters, Executive Education (ranked #5 globally by Financial Times 2026), Research Programs, and Summer School. Additionally, ESADE offers a unique Bachelor of Business Administration & Bachelor in Artificial Intelligence for Business degree. The institution supports entrepreneurship through its Rambla of Innovation ecosystem, featuring eWorks Accelerator (supporting 350+ startups), eWorks Incubator, FusionLab, Fusion Point, Decision Lab, eGarage, and Finance Lab. ESADE operates specialized research centers including EsadeEcPol (economics and policy research) and Esade Women (female leadership). The school also provides career services through Esade Careers & Recruitment, community engagement via Esade SUD, and social impact initiatives including Esade Alumni Social and the Barcelona Talent Accelerator.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EsadeEcPol: Esade Economic Policy center producing research on Spain's NextGenEU fund execution and economic policy analysis
- Esade Alumni Social
- Esade Women
- eWorks Accelerator
- Barcelona Talent Accelerator
- Do Better
- Esade Careers
Products and services
- Bachelor's Degrees
Quantifiable outcome
- Full Time MBA ranked #7 in the world (Financial Times)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use ESADE
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ESADE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability2 records
Feature7 records
ESADE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Implement Consulting GroupcoreCollaborated with EsadeEcPol to produce research report on AI impact in Spanish public sector, combining academic research with consulting expertise
- GooglecoreSupported the AI research report on public sector transformation, providing resources and expertise for the study on generative AI impact in Spain
- Themis ProgramcoreInternational legal alliance program providing cross-border legal education and networking opportunities
- Singularity Summit SpainminorAcademic sponsorship of Singularity Summit Spain 2025, connecting ESADE with innovation and technology leadership community
- 4YFN (4 Years From Now)coreAcademic sponsor of 4YFN startup event series connecting mobile ecosystem innovators
- Spain Investors DayminorAcademic sponsorship of investment and business development event connecting companies with investors
- Next AI Summit AndorraminorAcademic sponsorship of AI-focused summit, positioning ESADE in AI innovation dialogue
- EQUAL4EUROPEcoreEuropean Commission Horizon 2020 research project on gender equality, led by ESADE since 2020, with Gender Equality Plan 2022-2026
- Universitat Ramon LlullcoreESADE is integrated within Universitat Ramon Llull, a private university, for degree recognition and issuance
- Job TeasercoreOnline career portal platform used by ESADE for employer connections, internship agreements, and talent recruitment. Companies post vacancies and students access opportunities through the platform.
- McKinsey & CompanycoreTop-tier consulting firm actively recruiting ESADE graduates for full-time positions and leadership programs
- DeloittecoreProfessional services firm recruiting ESADE talent for consulting and advisory roles
- Morgan StanleycoreInvestment bank recruiting ESADE graduates for finance and investment positions
- Goldman SachscoreInvestment bank recruiting ESADE graduates for finance and investment positions
- AmazoncoreTechnology company recruiting ESADE talent for business and operations roles
- SalesforcecoreTechnology company recruiting ESADE graduates for business development and technical roles
- GlovocoreDelivery platform company recruiting ESADE talent for operations and management positions
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ESADE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IE University / IE Business School: Madrid-based business school with strong MBA, executive education, and law programs targeting international students. Direct peer competing for the same European and Latin American MBA/executive education pool.
- SDA Bocconi School of Management: Italy-based top business school offering MBA and executive education. Regional European peer competing for Southern European and international executive talent pools.
- IESE Business School: Spain-based Jesuit business school with overlapping MBA, Executive Education, and custom programs. Closest direct competitor in the Spanish/European market and the most natural peer on mission, structure, and ranking profile.
- IMD Business School: Switzerland-based business school focused on executive education and MBA. Direct peer in the executive education segment, frequently ranked alongside ESADE in FT executive education rankings.
Broad incumbents
- HEC Paris: Top French business school with strong MBA and executive education offerings. Comparable European incumbent competing for similar continental executive training and degree-seeking cohorts.
- INSEAD: Top-tier global business school with campuses in France, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. Competes with ESADE for international MBA applicants and corporate executive education budgets across multiple geographies.
- London Business School: UK-based top-tier business school with flagship MBA and executive education. Competes for European and international MBA/executive talent and is a regular FT-rankings competitor.
- Harvard Business School: Global benchmark business school with the most recognized MBA brand worldwide. Aspirational peer and the standard against which ESADE's Full Time MBA positioning is measured in FT rankings.
- Stanford Graduate School of Business: US-based top-tier business school and global benchmark for innovation and entrepreneurship MBA programming. Relevant peer given ESADE's top-3 entrepreneurship ranking.
Regional players
- WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management: Germany-based business school with MBA and executive education programs. European regional competitor that competes for German and broader European executive education clients but is less directly competitive than IESE/IE.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ESADE social profiles
Digital presenceESADE compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
ESADE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ESADE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
ESADE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ESADE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ESADE
What does ESADE do?
ESADE is a private Jesuit-affiliated business and law school founded in 1958, operating campuses in Barcelona (Pedralbes), Sant Cugat, and Madrid as part of Universitat Ramon Llull. The institution delivers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, master's programs, MBAs (Full-Time and Executive), executive education, law degrees, PhDs, and summer programs to a diverse student body representing over 100 nationalities. It also operates the eWorks startup accelerator and offers customized corporate executive education programs.
Is ESADE a public or private company?
ESADE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ESADE founded?
ESADE was founded in 1958. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is ESADE based?
ESADE is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does ESADE make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Degree Programs are the primary driver. The others are executive Education, research Programs, summer School and donations and Alumni Giving.
Who are ESADE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IE University / IE Business School, SDA Bocconi School of Management, IESE Business School and IMD Business School. Broad incumbents are HEC Paris, INSEAD, London Business School, Harvard Business School and Stanford Graduate School of Business. WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management is listed as a regional player.
Does ESADE have an API?
No public API is recorded for ESADE.
What industry is ESADE in?
ESADE's product category is Business School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHALAK, Online Nonprofit Universities. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.