Aina Institute

What Aina Institute does

Aina Institute is a Barcelona-based private educational institution that delivers Master's, postgraduate, and superior-level courses focused on social entrepreneurship, NGO management, and digital transformation. Its programs are accredited through a partnership with the University of Barcelona, and the institute operates a Moodle-based virtual campus to support hybrid and remote learners. The institute serves an international student body drawn to mission-driven careers in the social economy, with tuition fees ranging from €600 to €7,200 depending on program depth. All profits are directed to charity through the affiliated Familia de Hetauda NGO and Fundación Si Asha, providing a distinctive positioning relative to conventional postgraduate providers. The institute claims a 93% employability rate and cites alumni-founded NGOs as proof points for career outcomes.

Founded by Aina Barca and Kailash Neupane, Aina Institute operates with a small team of approximately 6 employees, indicating a high-touch, boutique delivery model rather than a scaled distance-learning operation. Its course catalog is segmented into four program families — Master's, Postgraduate Courses, Superior Courses, and Executive Programs — with the Executive Program in Applied AI launched in 2026 representing the most recent extension into emerging skill areas. Recognition includes the 'Best Master's' designation from the University of Barcelona in 2024, supporting brand credibility within the Spanish postgraduate market and reinforcing the partnership-driven credentialing moat. The business model is tuition-funded B2C education with no disclosed enterprise customers, no external funding rounds, and no published revenue, with operating costs constrained by the small staff footprint.

Name

Aina Institute

Legal name

AINA INSTITUTE S.L.

Website

https://ainainstitute.es

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aina Institute is a Barcelona-based educational institution offering Master's, postgraduate, and executive programs in social entrepreneurship, NGO management, and digital transformation, delivered in partnership with the University of Barcelona to an international, mission-oriented student body.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.) (EDAHALAE), Online Divisions of Traditional Universities (Hybrid/Extension) (EDAHALAB), Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)

Keywords

• Social entrepreneurship education
• NGO management training
• Executive education programs
• Digital transformation courses
• Postgraduate master's programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Course Fees: Revenue generated from tuition fees for Master's programs, Postgraduate courses, and Superior Courses. Programs range from 600€ for short executive courses to 7,200€ for double Master's programs. Payment plans and financing options are available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aina Institute is a Barcelona-based private higher-education institution that designs and delivers master's, postgraduate, and executive education programs specializing in social entrepreneurship, NGO management, and digital transformation. Programs are offered to individual students/professionals through online and blended formats, with academic validation via a partnership with the University of Barcelona. All profits generated are donated to charitable causes.

Product overview

Aina Institute is an educational institution offering a portfolio of blended and online programs focused on social entrepreneurship, NGO management, and digital transformation. The core offering consists of 6 standalone master's programs (including an MBA with social specialization, Digital Transformation, and various social sector specializations), a sequential double master's combining social project creation with digital transformation, multiple postgraduate programs, an executive AI program, and various professional development courses. All programs are delivered through a proprietary Moodle-based virtual campus with live and recorded content. Programs offered jointly with the University of Barcelona carry official university credits and dual certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master's Programs Master's-level degree programs for individual professionals and aspiring social entrepreneurs, covering social entrepreneurship, NGO management, and digital transformation, delivered online and in-person with University of Barcelona academic validation.
• Postgraduate Programs Postgraduate certificate/diploma programs for working professionals seeking specialized credentials in social-impact and NGO-related disciplines.
• Executive Education Programs Short-format executive training programs targeting senior practitioners and managers in NGOs, social enterprises, and impact-oriented organizations.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universitat de Barcelona (University of Barcelona)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint program delivery with University of Barcelona for Master's degrees, providing official university degrees and ECTS credits. Programs include Master in Social Project Creation, Management of NGOs and Social Entrepreneurship, and Double Master programs. Classes held at UB campus with UB faculty involvement.
• Familia de HetaudacoreOthersNGO founded by Aina Barca in 2012 to support children and youth with intellectual disabilities in Nepal. All program benefits are directed to this organization's charitable work.
• Fundación Si AshaminorOthersCharitable foundation receiving program profits as part of Aina Institute's social mission.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Universidad Europea: Private Spanish university offering online and blended master's, MBA, and postgraduate programs; competes in the same Spain-focused online/blended professional education segment as Aina Institute, especially for Spanish-speaking working professionals.

Broad incumbents

• INSEAD: Top-tier global business school offering executive and degree programs covering social entrepreneurship and impact investing; represents the upper-bound benchmark Aina Institute's mission-driven MBA students may also consider.
• EADA Business School: Barcelona-based business school offering MBA, master's, and executive programs (including social entrepreneurship themes); overlaps with Aina Institute's MBA and management offerings and shares the Barcelona catchment area.
• IE University — IE Business School: Major Spanish business school offering online MBAs, master's, and executive education with strong brand recognition and larger scale; competes for the same online/blended master's and executive-program students as Aina Institute, but across a much broader portfolio.
• Hult EF (Hult International Business School): International business school with online MBA and master's programs including social entrepreneurship and impact-focused specializations; comparable to Aina Institute's mission-driven MBA for globally mobile professionals.
• ESADE: Prestigious Barcelona-based business school with online and blended MBA and executive programs; competes for the same Spanish-speaking professionals considering Aina Institute's MBA-with-social-specialization, with much larger brand and alumni network.

Direct peers

• UOC — Universitat Oberta de Catalunya: Barcelona-based fully online university offering accredited master's, postgraduate, and continuing education programs; competes head-to-head with Aina Institute in online/blended delivery, ECTS-accredited programs, and the Catalonia/Spain market.
• VIU — Universidad Internacional de Valencia: Spanish online university offering accredited online master's and postgraduate programs with ECTS credits; comparable to Aina Institute on online-first degree delivery, Spanish-language market, and postgraduate/master-level catalog.
• OBS — Online Business School: Online-focused business school offering MBAs and master's with blended and 100% online modalities; comparable to Aina Institute on online professional education (especially the MBA-with-specialization product) and target audience of career advancers.
• UNIR — Universidad Internacional de La Rioja: Spanish fully online university offering accredited online master's, MBA, and postgraduate programs with ECTS credits; directly comparable to Aina Institute on online-first degree delivery, Spanish-language market, and master-level catalog.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ainainstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ainainstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/ainainstitute

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Aina Institute