Chinese American International School

Name

Chinese American International School

Legal name

Chinese American International School

Website

https://cais.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-8 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools (EDAJABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bilingual/Language-Immersion Preschools (EDACABAH)

Keywords

• Mandarin immersion education
• Private K-8 education
• Bilingual elementary school
• Independent school education
• Chinese language programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue from tuition fees for Preschool through 8th Grade education. School offers adjusted tuition (financial aid) with 23% of students receiving support.
2. Annual Giving (Firedragon Annual Fund): Annual fund campaign supporting teachers and programs. Donations support operational costs and student financial aid.
3. ShowCAIS Gala: Annual fundraising gala event supporting school initiatives and adjusted tuition programs.
4. Bamboo Fund: New initiative supporting Adjusted Tuition and expanding access to CAIS education, inspired by bamboo's strength and resilience.
5. Capital Campaigns: Capital fundraising for campus improvements and facilities, including the 19th Avenue Campus acquisition.
6. Summer and Afterschool Programs: Revenue from Camp Firedragon summer programs and enrichment classes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chinese American International School (CAIS) is an independent, non-profit Mandarin immersion school providing Preschool through 8th Grade education in San Francisco. The school delivers a dual-language curriculum combining English and Mandarin Chinese, with full immersion in Preschool and progressive immersion ratios across Lower School (50/50) and Middle School (~35%). Core offerings include the Mandarin Immersion Curriculum, Global Programs with international trips to Taiwan, athletics, performing arts, design technology, and summer/afterschool programs (Camp Firedragon).

Product overview

Chinese American International School (CAIS) is a Mandarin immersion educational institution offering a comprehensive Preschool through 8th grade program. The school operates as a single unified educational platform with multiple divisions: Early Childhood (Preschool ages 2-5 and Kindergarten with full or 50/50 immersion), Lower School (Grades 1-5 with 50/50 immersion), and Middle School (Grades 6-8 with approximately 35% Mandarin instruction). Core offerings include the Mandarin Immersion Curriculum, Global Programs (international trips and domestic immersion), Athletics (Firedragons sports teams), CAIS Theater Club (student-led productions), Design Technology, and Summer/Afterschool Programs (Camp Firedragon). The school also offers a Mandarin World Language Pathway for students without prior Mandarin experience. CAIS occupies a permanent 5.4-acre campus at 3250 19th Avenue in San Francisco featuring specialized facilities including a theater, gymnasium, art studios, dance studio, and Phanachet Design Lab.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camp Firedragon: Summer program for students
• ShowCAIS
• Firedragon Annual Fund
• Bamboo Fund

Products and services

• Early Childhood Program (Preschool–Kindergarten) Full Mandarin immersion program for Preschool (ages 2-5) consisting of six classes of approximately 18 students each, followed by Kindergarten using the 50/50 immersion model. No Mandarin knowledge required for entry.
• Lower School Program (Grades 1-5) First through Fifth Grade program with two to three sections per grade averaging 20 students each, following the 50/50 Mandarin immersion model.
• Middle School Program (Grades 6-8) Sixth through Eighth Grade program featuring a hands-on, minds-on, interdisciplinary curriculum where students apply concepts to real-world issues, with approximately 35% of instruction conducted in Mandarin.
• Global Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of 8th graders met benchmark to teach Mandarin
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Dave Eggers / 826 ValenciaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Dave Eggers, founder of McSweeney's and co-founder of 826 Valencia, featured at CAIS SPEAK event. 826 Valencia is a youth writing and tutoring center that has inspired over 70 similar organizations worldwide.
• Chingshin Academy Middle School (Taiwan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Fifth graders spend two weeks at Chingshin Academy in Taiwan as part of global learning program. This is a key partnership for CAIS's international immersion experience.
• New Asia Chamber Music SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional musicians from New Asia Chamber Music Society conducted performances at CAIS, including erhuist Andy Lin who performed at Mass Greeting. Musicians worked with students over two days providing special performances and educational experiences.
• Silicon Valley International SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Tri-School Mandarin Immersion Exchange program along with Presidio Knolls School. Fifth graders from all three schools enjoy three days of experiential learning at each school.
• Presidio Knolls SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Tri-School Mandarin Immersion Exchange program along with Silicon Valley International School. Students engage in classes such as cooking, Chinese yoyo and Praying Mantis Gongfu in Mandarin.
• Golden Gate Youth PhilharmonicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolden Gate Youth Philharmonic now performs at CAIS as part of school's commitment to enhance performing arts offerings and partnerships with high-caliber youth-serving organizations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The International School of San Francisco: PreK-12 international school offering French/Chinese immersion and IB curriculum in San Francisco; overlaps with CAIS at the Mandarin immersion niche but offers a broader K-12 pathway including high school, making it a competing endpoint for bilingual families.
• French American International School: San Francisco-based PreK-12 bilingual (French/English) immersion school that historically shared campuses with CAIS; serves the same premium-fee Bay Area demographic and competes for bilingual-education families seeking immersion in any non-English language.
• BASIS Independent School: Network of high-performing private K-12 schools (including a Fremont campus where CAIS's Lower School Director previously served); competes with CAIS for outcomes-focused Bay Area families seeking rigorous academic preparation in a private K-12 setting.
• Avenues: The World School: Global K-12 school with campuses in NYC and Silicon Valley offering a multilingual program including Chinese; competes for premium San Francisco bilingual families seeking immersion with a longer K-12 pathway and global brand.

Direct peers

• Yinghua Academy: Minneapolis-based Mandarin immersion charter school (Kindergarten through 8th grade), one of the earliest US Mandarin immersion programs and a leading national peer to CAIS for immersion pedagogy, ERB-outcome comparison, and curriculum design.
• Shu Ren International School: Berkeley-based Mandarin immersion independent school (Preschool through 8th grade) serving Bay Area families seeking the same Mandarin immersion outcomes as CAIS; directly competes for tuition-paying Chinese-heritage and bilingual families across the East Bay.
• Presidio Knolls School: San Francisco-based Mandarin immersion school serving Preschool through 8th grade, the closest direct competitor to CAIS — explicitly partnered with CAIS in the Tri-School Mandarin Immersion Exchange alongside Silicon Valley International School, competing on the same Mandarin immersion value proposition and family demographic.
• Silicon Valley International School: Palo Alto-area school (formerly International School of the Peninsula) offering Mandarin Chinese and French immersion across K-12; CAIS's Tri-School exchange partner and direct competitor for Mandarin immersion families across the broader Bay Area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/caissf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/chinese-american-international-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/caissf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Chinese American International School