ACES (Advanced Curriculums for Educational Studies)

What ACES (Advanced Curriculums for Educational Studies) does

ACES (Advanced Curriculums for Educational Studies) is a Toronto-based international educational organization serving high school and university students across 30+ countries. The platform bundles four international competitions (IFIC, ICCC, ISRC, IMSC), the Galaxy One Hackathon with $100K+ in prizes, multi-tier certifications (Core, Standard, Advanced) in Financial Investing, Technical Analysis, Business Management, and Business Administration, a guaranteed internship pipeline to 50+ corporate partners, and a Development Program for career preparation. Underlying technology is a relatively lean stack: Zoom for live events and exam moderation, Discord for community management, Stripe for payment processing, and a custom online certification examination system with anti-cheating measures and unique verification codes. Competitions employ a 4-round professional judging process, and the platform issues unique certification codes registered in a verification database.

The business model is multi-stream: subscription certification plans (Basic $14/year, Premium $29/year, Lifetime $39 one-time), annual competition memberships, a Development Program as a professional services offering, APSA speaker-association fees, and event sponsorships with partners including University of Ottawa, Wolfram Research, GrantMe Education, Milky Way Studios, and Interview Cake. Go-to-market is hybrid and community-led, combining free online events with world-class speakers as top-of-funnel acquisition, Discord-based community engagement for mid-funnel conversion, school and community chapters as grassroots distribution, and a self-serve website funnel for paid certification and competition enrollment. The platform is founder-led, privately held with no disclosed equity funding, operates with a 32-person team, and runs a traditional executive-director structure with International, National, and Regional committees.

Name

ACES (Advanced Curriculums for Educational Studies)

Legal name

ACES (Advanced Curriculums for Educational Studies)

Website

https://acesofficial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ACES is a Toronto-based international educational organization that delivers competitions, certifications, hackathons, and a guaranteed internship pipeline to high school and university students across 30+ countries, with revenue from low-ticket subscription plans and annual competition memberships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced STEM & Competition Coaching (MathCounts/AMC/AIME/USAMO, Science Olympiad, Physics/Chem Olympiads) (EDANAKAF)

Keywords

• International student competitions
• Professional certifications
• Guaranteed internship programs
• Online student education
• Educational competitions and events

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification Program Fees: Three-tier certification plans (Basic $14, Premium $29, Lifetime $39) with varying access levels. Lifetime plan includes unlimited exam retakes, all certifications, competitions, events, guaranteed 2-year internship offers, and university/career advice. Revenue generated per enrollment, with exams occurring monthly and one-time examination rights per purchase (unless Lifetime plan).
2. Annual Competition Membership: Annual membership fee grants access to all ACES international competitions for one year from registration date, plus one free certification program. Competitions include IFIC (International Financial Investment Competition), ICCC (International Corporate Consulting Competition), ISRC (International Scientific Research Competition), and IMSC (International Marketing Strategy Competition).
3. Development Program: ACES Development Program — a 1-month professional program (extendable) for high school and university students to land professional internships and full-time jobs. Includes guaranteed internship offers for 4 years, interview coaching by Wall Street professionals, and university application coaching. Competitive admissions process.
4. Event Sponsorships & Partnerships: Partnerships with organizations such as University of Ottawa, Wolfram Research, GrantMe Education, Milky Way Studios, and Interview Cake generate revenue through co-branded events, sponsored content, and referral arrangements. Events are free to attendees but funded through partner sponsorships.
5. ACES Professional Speaker Association (APSA): APSA membership registration for professional speakers who wish to speak at ACES international events. Speakers pay a membership registration fee and receive certificates, awards, international recognition, and professional networking opportunities in return.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACES (Advanced Curriculums for Educational Studies) is an international educational organization that delivers international student competitions (IFIC, ICCC, ISRC, IMSC), the Galaxy One Hackathon, multi-tier professional certifications in Finance and Business Management, a guaranteed internship pipeline to 50+ corporate partners, and a Development Program for high school and university students. The organization complements paid offerings with free online speaker events, regional school chapters, and a Professional Speaker Association (APSA), operating across 30+ countries from its Toronto headquarters.

Product overview

ACES (Advanced Curriculums for Educational Studies) is an international educational organization offering a comprehensive platform of products and services focused on Business and STEM education for students. The core portfolio includes four international competitions (IFIC, ICCC, ISRC, IMSC), the Galaxy One Hackathon program, professional certifications (Financial Investing, Technical Analysis, Business Management, Business Administration) available at Core, Standard, and Advanced levels, an Internship Program with guaranteed offers from 50+ companies, the Development Program for career preparation, free online Events with world-class speakers, ACES Chapters for regional leadership, and a Professional Speaker Association (APSA). The platform also provides scholarship connections. All offerings are accessible internationally across 30+ countries, with headquarters in Toronto, Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IFIC (International Financial Investment Competition)

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 25% ranking in ACES competitions leads to guaranteed visibility to 50+ corporate partners for internship recruitment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

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

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beta CampcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2023ACES collaborated with Beta Camp in their LIVE IN-PERSON University Admissions Conference in Toronto, focused on helping students get into the most competitive university programs in Canada. The event featured 5 speakers from Canada's top universities (University of Toronto, Queen's University, McMaster, University of Waterloo, Western Ivey) covering medicine, business, engineering, and computer science.
• RicademiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2023ACES partnered with Ricademia for the Design Thinking: Unleashing Careers Workshop, featuring former Google Facilitator Tebogo Chaka. Ricademia contributes design thinking education and a Google-affiliated facilitator to ACES's professional development offerings.
• StudyVerseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2022StudyVerse collaborates with ACES and College Admission Secrets on recurring university admission events. StudyVerse provides a high-quality virtual event platform with chill music, cozy aesthetics, and productive session environments. Events occur 2-4 times per month.
• High School AdvantageminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2022High School Advantage collaborates with ACES and College Admission Secrets on recurring University Admissions Corner events. The partnership focuses on providing bite-sized, quality content for university Q&As and post-secondary success guidance.
• University of OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Ottawa is ACES's partner in the Path to STEM Event. It is one of the largest and most competitive universities in Canada, especially in tech programs. Professor Guy-Vincent Jourdan from the University of Ottawa co-authored over 15 patents and 100 scientific publications, and collaborated with IBM in cybersecurity and programming. The university contributes guest speakers and academic credibility to ACES events.
• InternHubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternHub is an international community offering internship and volunteer opportunities for aspiring students with high academic aims. ACES collaborates with InternHub to connect students with internship and volunteer opportunities within its educational network.
• PrequelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrequel's business programs teach students about Wall Street investing and business processes with hands-on mentorship classes featuring world-class instructors. ACES and Prequel co-host events including the NASA Engineer Event featuring Danny Elnatour and the Wall Street: Business, Finance & Investing event with guest speakers from BMO and Imperial Capital. Prequel is a key co-development partner for finance and investing education.
• Canadian Investors Society (CYIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCYIS (The Canadian Young Investors Society) shares ACES's vision for leading the next generation of Canadian investors, offering exclusive events and opportunities for Canadian students. CYIS contributes finance and investing education content and student participants.
• Ground RoboticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGround Robotics is a United States developer of Autonomous Utility Robots with aims of engineering sustainability and aesthetics for sport courses. ACES features Ground Robotics CEO Ryan Xie as a world-class speaker and collaborates on robotics and technology education opportunities.
• CyberNovacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCyberNova is a world-class tech and cybersecurity nonprofit building powerful opportunities, competitions, and communities for all students on a worldwide scale. ACES collaborated with CyberNova on the Path to STEM event featuring Professor Guy-Vincent Jourdan from the University of Ottawa.
• GrantMe EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs ACES's partner in university events, GrantMe is an education company aiming to help students build their academic futures and reach post-secondary goals. GrantMe contributed to the Ivy League: Scholarships & University Applications event and the Beta Camp x ACES University Admissions Conference, providing expert speakers and admissions guidance.
• Milky Way StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilky Way Studios is a software development and design company operating in marketing, web and game development consulting, and UI/UX design. ACES partnered with Milky Way Studios to host the Galaxy One Hackathon 2025. Winners of the Galaxy One Hackathon receive a full-ride internship to AI Startup Appli and Milky Way Studios, a national game development company.
• Interview CakeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAs a partner in career development, Interview Cake is a leading interview preparation company landing applicants in Fortune 500 companies. ACES partners with Interview Cake to provide interview preparation resources and opportunities for students aiming at top corporate careers.
• Admission SecretsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollege Admission Secrets focuses on training and preparing students with the necessary knowledge to build a path to their post-secondary goals. CEO Tony Le (former UCLA College Admissions Reader) leads College Admission Secrets and collaborates with ACES on recurring university admission events.
• The Olympiads SchoolminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Olympiads School is a Canadian educational institution offering intensive extracurricular courses, competitions, and opportunities for academic students. The partnership extends ACES's reach to academically high-achieving students in the Canadian education system.
• The TraderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Trader offers financial, business, and investing articles, content, and publications to help individuals from all backgrounds find success in their financial lives. The partnership provides ACES students with access to financial literacy content and extends ACES's marketing reach.
• AI Insurance OrganizationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAI Insurance Organization is an award-winning insurance brokerage in North America, offering consumer certainty to individuals and businesses alike. The partnership provides ACES students with insurance and financial security content as part of broader career and life planning education.
• JademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJade is a Canadian research nonprofit from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and McMaster founders dedicated to empowering the next generation of student researchers. Jade provides ACES students with research opportunities, mentorship from top university founders, and pathways into academic and scientific careers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acesofficial

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 ACES (Advanced Curriculums for Educational Studies)