Education Tower

What Education Tower does

Education Tower Co., Ltd. is an international education recruitment agency headquartered in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, operating as a subsidiary of Kaplan International (acquired in 2012). The company was created in 2022 when the legacy beo Hong Kong entity was renamed and restructured to hold the group's contracts and intellectual property, consolidating three regional subsidiary brands under a single corporate umbrella: Hands On Education Consultants (Thailand, with offices in Bangkok's Silom, Sukhumvit, and Pinklao districts plus Chiang Mai), beo (Japan, with offices in Tokyo and Osaka), and Hands On - BEO (Vietnam, launched in Ho Chi Minh City in 2022). Across these markets, the company connects prospective international students with over 250 educational institution partners spanning the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, UAE, and other destinations, with channel partnerships through pathway providers such as Kaplan Pathways, Shorelight Education, and Navitas.

The underlying technology stack is a web-based recruitment platform backed by a mobile-optimized CRM system and analytics dashboards designed for partner institutions to track recruitment performance and student data. The company does not disclose AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or SDKs, and its digital marketing infrastructure relies on standard Google Analytics and YouTube embedded video content. The core technology differentiates less on technical sophistication and more on operational integration of the multi-country office network.

Education Tower operates on a commission-based revenue model, earning transaction fees from educational institution partners for successful student placements. Its go-to-market is direct sales via physical regional offices providing in-person counseling, supplemented by website and email marketing. Customer segments are dual-sided: students seeking international education (consumers) and educational institutions (universities and colleges) seeking international student recruitment channels in Asia. The stated strategic direction includes geographic expansion into Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, alongside further investment in online recruitment infrastructure.

Name

Education Tower

Legal name

Education Tower Co., Ltd.

Website

https://educationtower.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Education Tower is an Asia-based international education recruitment agency, a subsidiary of Kaplan International, that connects students from Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam with over 250 university and college partners worldwide through regional offices under the Hands On, beo, and Hands On-BEO brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Recruitment Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Outbound Exchange Advising, Placement & Nomination Services (EDAIABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Study Abroad Program Management & Administration (for Institutions) (EDAIAAAJ), Admissions, Placement Testing & Progression Management for Pathways (EDAIAJAL)

Keywords

• International student recruitment
• Education consulting services
• Study abroad agency
• Student placement services
• University recruitment partner

Headquarters

HQ city

Wan Chai

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Student Recruitment Services: Commission-based recruitment services connecting students with international educational institutions. The company acts as an education agent facilitating applications to partner universities and institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Education Tower operates an international education recruitment agency network connecting students from Asia with over 250 partner universities and colleges across the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. Services include application processing, visa application support, accommodation arrangement, flight and insurance booking, delivered through five-plus regional offices in Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam under three subsidiary brands.

Product overview

Education Tower operates as an international education agency network, formerly known as beo Hong Kong, which holds the group's contracts and intellectual property. The company runs three regional subsidiaries under distinct brands: Hands On Education Consultants (Thailand, with five offices including Bangkok and Chiang Mai), beo (Japan, with Tokyo and Osaka offices), and Hands On - BEO (Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City). The company provides student recruitment services connecting students with over 250 educational institution partners across the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. Their infrastructure includes proprietary online recruitment tools consisting of a mobile-optimised CRM system and analytics dashboards for partner institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Tower Parent company and brand holding the group's contracts and intellectual property, operating a network of education consulting offices across Asia to facilitate international student recruitment for partner educational institutions.
• Hands On Education Consultants Thailand-based education consulting subsidiary providing student recruitment services for study abroad programs, with offices in Bangkok (Silom, Sukhumvit, Pinklao) and Chiang Mai.
• beo Japan-based education consulting subsidiary originally established as BEO Japan, providing international education recruitment services with offices in Tokyo (Shibuya) and Osaka.
• Hands On - BEO Vietnam-based education consulting operation opened in Ho Chi Minh City in 2022, serving as the company's entry into the Vietnamese market for international student recruitment.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Kaplan InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Kaplan International acquired beo and Hands On Education Consultants in 2012. Education Tower was created as part of a restructuring to hold the group's contracts and IP, integrating the companies and expanding agency business globally.
• Hands On Education ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary brand operating in Thailand with multiple office locations. Part of Education Tower's network managing recruitment operations.
• beocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary brand operating in Japan with offices in Tokyo and Osaka. Part of Education Tower's network managing recruitment operations.
• Hands On - BEOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary brand operating in Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City). Opened in 2022 as part of Education Tower's expansion strategy.
• UK University Partners (250+ institutions)coreOthersOver 250 institutional partners including major UK universities such as University of London, Oxford Brookes, Cambridge Education Group, King's College London, and many others providing education pathways for international students.
• US University PartnersmajorOthersUS institutional partners including Arizona State University, UCLA Extension, University of Oregon, New Hampshire, and others through pathway programs like Kaplan Pathways and Shorelight Education.
• Australia & New Zealand University PartnersmajorOthersPartners in Australia and New Zealand including Australian National University, Monash University, University of New South Wales, University of Auckland, and others through Navitas and Kaplan Business School.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IDP Education: Global listed student placement and English-testing company with deep Asian presence. Closest large-scale comparable to Education Tower's international recruitment model, though far broader in scope and scale.
• INTO University Partnerships: University partnerships group operating pathway and English programs globally. Similar B2B partner-institution model and overlapping university partners with Education Tower's pathway-related placements.
• Navitas: Global pathway program provider partnered with many of the same universities as Education Tower. Comparable as a feeder of international students into partner institutions and as a competitor for pathway-related placements.

Direct peers

• ApplyBoard: Digital marketplace connecting international students to institutions across multiple destinations. Directly competes with Education Tower for the same institutional partners and student segments but via a tech-led platform rather than office network.
• Studyportals: Global study-choice platform helping prospective students compare and apply to international programs. Competes for the same Asian student recruitment traffic that Education Tower captures through its offices.
• Cialfo: End-to-end college application platform serving students and universities across Asia and the Middle East. Overlaps directly with Education Tower's Asian student base and university partner model, with stronger digital tooling.

Emerging players

• AECC Global: Asia-headquartered study abroad consultancy with offices across South and Southeast Asia. Competes for the same students and partner institutions in markets adjacent to Education Tower's Thailand/Vietnam operations.
• Shorelight Education: US-based international student services provider including pathway programs with US universities. Comparable pathway/referral role to Education Tower's US partner relationships and a potential channel competitor for Kaplan Pathways.

Regional players

• SI-UK: UK-focused international student counselling agency with strong Asian office presence. Directly comparable business model with similar geographic footprint, though narrower on destination markets.

Others

• QS (Quacquarelli Symonds): Global higher education analytics and student recruitment services company. Comparable through its international student recruitment events and fairs that Education Tower's partner institutions rely on, making it an adjacent ecosystem player.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/education-tower

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Education Tower