What SoNord does

SKEMA Business School is a private, non-profit French higher education institution operating under the loi de association 1901, founded in 2009 through the merger of CERAM (Sophia Antipolis) and ESC Lille. It delivers business education across undergraduate (Global BBA), graduate (MSc, Mastère Spécialisé, Grande École Program), executive (Global Executive MBA, custom corporate programs, BADGE certifications, short courses), doctoral (PhD in Business Administration), and summer school levels, plus four specialized sub-brands: the AI School for Business, Design School for Business, Law School for Business, and School of Geopolitics for Business.

The institution serves two primary customer segments: individual students seeking international, multicultural business education (11,000 enrolled across 130 nationalities), and corporate clients purchasing executive education, talent recruitment, and custom training. It generates revenue primarily through tuition fees with secondary income from corporate partnerships, executive education programs, and research grants (including a €8.78M Horizon Europe URBANE project, 2022-2026). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

SKEMA operates 10 physical campuses across 7 countries and 5 continents — Lille, Paris, and Sophia Antipolis (France); Suzhou and Nanjing (China); Raleigh (USA); Belo Horizonte (Brazil); Stellenbosch (South Africa, with Stellenbosch University); Dubai (UAE); and Montreal (Canada, AI Innovation Center). It holds the triple-crown accreditation (AACSB, EQUIS, EFMD), French EESPIG and CEFDG recognition, and Conférence des Grandes Écoles membership. Its 63,000-member alumni network spans 145+ countries with 30 active alumni clubs, supported by 80 student associations and 400+ student-run events annually. Distribution occurs through direct admissions, campus visits, corporate relations, and digital channels including a WeChat presence, podcast series ('Makes Sense?'), and an institutional newsroom.

Name

SoNord

Legal name

SKEMA Business School

Website

https://asso-skema.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SKEMA Business School is a French non-profit, triple-accredited business school delivering undergraduate to doctoral programs across 10 campuses in 7 countries, serving 11,000 students and corporate clients through tuition and executive education revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille, Hauts-de-France

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SoNord is a non-profit student association hosted within SKEMA Business School's association platform at the Lille campus, categorized under Music and Cinema. The associated SKEMA Business School operates 10 global campuses across 5 continents, delivering business education programs from undergraduate through doctoral levels, alongside corporate training, executive education, and research collaborations.

Product overview

SKEMA Business School is a global business education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs across undergraduate, graduate, executive, and doctoral levels. The school operates as a unified platform with specialized schools (AI School, Design School, Law School, Geopolitics School) that complement its core degree programs. Key offerings include Global BBA, Masters of Science (MSc), Mastère Spécialisé® programs, Global Executive MBA, Executive Education certificates and short courses, Summer Schools, and PhD programs. The school has campuses across 7 countries (France, China, USA, Brazil, South Africa, UAE, Canada) serving over 11,000 students from 130 nationalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SKEMA Alumni: The alumni network of SKEMA Business School, comprising 63,000 graduates worldwide
• Makes Sense?
• SKEMA Schools

Products and services

• Bachelor Programs (Global BBA) Four-year undergraduate program offering specializations in Business International, Corporate Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Artificial Intelligence across multiple campuses.
• Masters of Science (MSc) Graduate-level programs including Global Luxury Management, International Business, Corporate Finance Management, and International Marketing and Business Development.
• Mastère Spécialisé® (MS) Specialized master's programs accredited by the French Conference of Grande Escuelas, offering advanced expertise in specific business domains.
• Global Executive MBA International executive MBA program designed for senior professionals and leaders seeking advanced management education.
• Executive Education Continuing education programs including short courses, custom programs, certificates, and study tours for professionals.
• Summer Schools Intensive summer programs offering international students exposure to business education at various SKEMA campuses.
• PhD in Business Administration Doctoral research program for scholars pursuing advanced research careers in business administration.
• SKEMA Schools (Specialized Schools) Specialized schools including Design School for Business, AI School for Business, Law School for Business, and School of Geopolitics for Business.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of student associations trained on transition challenges, anti-discrimination, and first aid

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Inelecom Innovation (Greece)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022SKEMA participates in the URBANE project coordinated by Inelecom Innovation, Greece. The project develops innovative solutions for sustainable urban logistics, combining autonomous zero-emission vehicles, digital twins, and shared urban space management models across pilot cities including Bologna, Valladolid, Helsinki, and Thessalonique.
• Horizon Europe - European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022URBANE project funded by Horizon Europe (Research and Innovation Action - RIA) with a budget of €8,783,042.88. The project runs from September 2022 to February 2026 (42 months) focusing on upscaling innovative green urban logistics solutions.
• 42 Consortium Partners (URBANE Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURBANE project involves 42 partners collaborating on sustainable last-mile delivery solutions using autonomous vehicles and digital twin technologies across European pilot cities.
• Stellenbosch University (South Africa)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSKEMA South Africa campus operates in partnership with Stellenbosch University, providing students with international education opportunities in Africa.
• ERASMUS+ PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSKEMA participates in the ERASMUS+ program, enabling student exchanges and academic partnerships with European universities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ESSEC Business School: French Grande École with campuses in France (Cergy, Paris, La Défense), Singapore, and Morocco, offering similar BBA/MSc/MBA programs and competing head-to-head for the same students in France and Asia.
• EDHEC Business School: French Grande École with campuses in Lille, Nice, Paris, London, and Singapore, holding EQUIS accreditation and competing in the same French business-school market for BBA, MSc, and executive education students.
• IESE Business School: Top European business school (University of Navarra) with global campuses and AACSB/EQUIS accreditation offering MBA, EMBA, and executive programs aimed at senior international managers — directly comparable on premium positioning.
• IE Business School: Triple-accredited Spanish business school with multi-campus presence in Madrid, Segovia, and elsewhere, focusing on internationally diverse cohorts and innovative program design — a directly comparable multi-campus European peer.
• INSEAD: Elite multi-campus business school with campuses in France, Singapore, and UAE, holding AACSB/EQUIS/EFMD accreditation and serving a similarly international executive and graduate audience — the closest direct comparable to SKEMA's global model.
• HEC Paris: Top French Grande École member and triple-accredited business school offering MSc, MBA, EMBA, and executive education programs with strong international brand — directly comparable as a French peer in the same conference and ranking tier.
• SDA Bocconi School of Management: Italy's leading business school (part of Bocconi University) with AACSB/EQUIS/EFMD accreditation, offering MBA, EMBA, and executive programs competing for the same European and international management-talent pool.
• Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University: Triple-accredited Dutch business school within Erasmus University, offering BSc, MSc, MBA, and executive programs with a strongly international student mix — directly comparable European peer in the same rankings band.
• ESMT Berlin: Triple-accredited German business school with strong focus on MBA, EMBA, and executive education, founded by multinational corporations — comparable European peer in the same ranking tier with similar executive-program emphasis.
• London Business School: Triple-accredited UK business school offering MBA, EMBA, MSc, and executive programs with a strongly international student body — comparable on prestige, accreditation, and audience overlap for global MBA programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@skemabusinessschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sonord59

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 SoNord