Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós
Gran Faculdade is a private, MEC-accredited (nota 5) Brazilian distance-learning higher education institution that delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA programs via a digital ecosystem, serving individual adult learners and ProUni scholarship students nationwide through subscription-based EAD enrollment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersCuritiba, PR, Brazil
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós does
Gran Faculdade, operated by Gran Centro Universitário Ltda (CNPJ 32.163.997/0001-97), is a private Brazilian distance-learning higher education institution headquartered in Curitiba, Paraná. Founded by entrepreneurs Gabriel Granjeiro and Rodrigo Calado as an extension of the 12-year-old Gran Cursos Online edtech ecosystem, the institution received Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) accreditation as a Centro Universitário on June 3, 2022 under Portaria nº 402, achieving the maximum concept score (nota 5). It serves individual adult learners, working professionals, career changers, and low-income students through fully digital EAD undergraduate programs (bacharelado, tecnólogo, and licenciatura) across disciplines including Management, Law, Technology, Public Administration, and Public Safety, complemented by postgraduate and MBA programs under the Gran Pós sub-brand. The company also operates an in-person Campus Curitiba and reports more than 2.5 million cumulative students served across the broader Gran platform in 1,500+ Brazilian municipalities.
The platform is built around a Virtual Learning Environment (AVA), the GranBiblio multidisciplinary digital library, and native apps for iOS, Android, desktop, and smart TV, with content accessible offline. Differentiating technical features include an AI-powered essay grader that enables a fully digital simplified vestibular (entrance exam), machine-learning-based course recommendations developed by the in-house Gran Labs team using anonymized behavioral data, and a sequential-discipline delivery model where students study one course at a time. The enterprise technology stack includes Salesforce for CRM, Cloudflare for WAF/DDoS protection and encrypted traffic, Pagar.me and Cielo for payment processing, HubSpot and Google Analytics for marketing analytics, Hotjar for user research, and integrations with the Brazilian federal government's identity API for CPF-based identity verification.
Gran operates a subscription-based revenue model with monthly billing priced at R$99.90 per student (promotional, down from R$249.94), with the rate locked throughout the enrollment period provided the student does not default or withdraw. ProUni participation enables 100% tuition scholarships for eligible low-income learners, with Gran collecting government-backed subsidy payments in lieu of student fees. Distribution is entirely digital, product-led, and direct-to-consumer via the faculdade.grancursosonline.com.br website and mobile apps, with content marketing, paid and organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp), SEO, remarketing, and student testimonials as the primary acquisition channels. The go-to-market is supported by Sales/CRM operations (Salesforce, HubSpot), two payment gateways with anti-fraud capability (Pagar.me, Cielo), and a robust remarketing stack (Google, Facebook/Instagram, Bing, Criteo, RTB House, Getblue).
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós
- Legal name
- Gran Centro Universitário Ltda
- Website
- https://faculdade.grancursosonline.com.br
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Gran Faculdade is a private, MEC-accredited (nota 5) Brazilian distance-learning higher education institution that delivers undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA programs via a digital ecosystem, serving individual adult learners and ProUni scholarship students nationwide through subscription-based EAD enrollment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Distance Learning Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Interdisciplinary/General Education & Study Skills (EDAGABAN)
Keywords
Where Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Curitiba, PR
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Distance Learning Tuition (Subscription): The primary revenue stream is monthly tuition fees for EAD undergraduate programs, priced at R$99.90/month after promotional discount (from R$249.94/month). Students pay monthly throughout their enrollment period, providing predictable recurring revenue. ProUni (government scholarship) students may pay R$0 if receiving a 100% scholarship, with Gran collecting government-backed subsidy payments.
- Postgraduate and MBA Programs: Gran also offers postgraduate (pós-graduação) and MBA programs as separate offerings (pos.grancursosonline.com.br), generating additional subscription-based tuition revenue from continuing education students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard EAD Undergraduate Tuition – Full Course Price |
| Subscription | Monthly | Promotional EAD Undergraduate Tuition – VOUCOMECAR Coupon |
| Subscription | Monthly | ProUni Full Scholarship (100%) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gran Faculdade provides accredited distance learning higher education programs, including undergraduate degrees (bacharelado, tecnólogo, licenciatura), postgraduate and MBA courses, delivered through a proprietary Virtual Learning Environment (AVA), GranBiblio digital library, and multi-platform apps. Students enroll via a fully digital admissions process (ENEM, ENCCEJA scores, or AI-corrected essay) and pay monthly subscription tuition starting at R$99.90/month, with ProUni scholarships available for eligible low-income students.
Product overview
Gran Faculdade operates as an integrated edtech ecosystem offering distance learning higher education through its EAD platform, encompassing undergraduate programs (bacharelado, tecnólogo, and licenciaturas), postgraduate/MBA offerings, and a comprehensive digital learning infrastructure. The core product is the Gran Faculdade EAD platform, supported by interconnected tools including the GranBiblio digital library, AVA virtual learning environment, and mobile/desktop/TV applications (Gran App, Gran Desktop App, Gran TV App). Additional platforms like Gran Audiobooks, Gran Questões, and Gran Gerenciador de Estudos provide supplementary learning features. The company also maintains an in-person presence through Campus Curitiba and extends offerings through the Gran Pós sub-brand for postgraduate studies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GranBiblio: Digital library with multidisciplinary virtual collection integrated with offered courses.
- Gran Pós
- Gran
- Gran Cursos Online
Products and services
- Gran Faculdade EAD (Graduação a Distância) Distance learning undergraduate education platform offering bachelor's degrees (bacharelado), technologist programs (tecnólogo), and teaching degrees (licenciatura) in areas including Administration, Law, IT, and Public Security. Delivered through an adaptive teaching ecosystem with video lessons, PDFs, audiobooks, and the AVA virtual learning environment. For prospective individual students seeking accessible higher education.
- Gran Pós (Pós-Graduação) Postgraduate and MBA programs offered in both distance and in-person formats, complementing the undergraduate offerings for continuing education students.
- Campus Curitiba (Presencial) In-person campus located in Curitiba offering select programs in traditional face-to-face format for students who prefer on-site learning.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2.5 million+ students have been served across the Gran platform
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SalesforcecoreGran uses Salesforce for customer relationship management and a cloud-based student service/customer support infrastructure. The Salesforce platform powers the student service desk, enabling quality customer service operations and supporting the company's student-centric decision-making culture.
- CloudflarecoreCloudflare provides Web Application Firewall (WAF) and DDoS protection services for Gran's web infrastructure. Data is transmitted in an encrypted manner through Cloudflare's network, enhancing platform security and performance.
- Pagar.mecorePagar.me is the primary payment gateway handling credit card transactions and recurring payments for student tuition. Gran stores only a token, the cardholder name, and truncated card number — full card data is handled exclusively by Pagar.me.
- CielocoreCielo serves as an additional payment gateway for processing student tuition payments and supporting anti-fraud measures in payment processing.
- MEC / ENEM (Government API)coreGran integrates with the Brazilian Federal Government's API to automatically verify student identity and update registration data (name, date of birth) from official government records using the student's CPF, in compliance with Brazil's LGPD.
- ProUni (Programa Universidade para Todos)coreGran participates in ProUni, the Brazilian government scholarship program managed by MEC, offering 100% tuition scholarships to eligible students. This partnership enables access to government-subsidized tuition payments and expands Gran's addressable market to low-income students.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Yduqs (formerly Estácio): Yduqs is a major Brazilian higher education group operating Estácio, IDOMED, and other brands across both in-person and distance learning. It competes with Gran in the EAD segment but offers a much broader portfolio including premium on-campus programs and medical education.
- Cogna Educação (Kroton): Cogna is Brazil's largest private education company, owning Unopar, Anhanguera, and other distance learning brands. It operates across K-12, higher education, and corporate training with significantly broader scale than Gran, but Gran competes specifically in the EAD undergraduate segment where Cogna's brands are most active.
- Anima Holding: Anima Holding operates a portfolio of Brazilian higher education brands including Anhembi Morumbi, Wyden, and Una. It has both in-person and distance learning offerings, competing with Gran in the online undergraduate space while also serving premium in-person markets Gran doesn't address.
- Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional: Cruzeiro do Sul is a São Paulo-based higher education group with both in-person and distance learning programs. It competes with Gran in EAD undergraduate and postgraduate segments while maintaining premium physical campuses in major Brazilian metros.
- Estácio (Yduqs brand): Estácio is one of Brazil's most recognized higher education brands, now owned by Yduqs. It offers both distance learning and in-person programs across Brazil, competing with Gran in the EAD undergraduate segment while maintaining a stronger in-person legacy footprint.
Direct peers
- Uninter (Grupo Uninter): Uninter is one of Brazil's largest distance learning higher education institutions, offering undergraduate and postgraduate EAD programs across multiple disciplines. Both Gran and Uninter compete head-to-head in Brazilian online higher education with similar subscription-based monthly tuition models and self-serve digital enrollment.
- Ser Educacional: Ser Educacional operates UNINASSAU, UNG, and other higher education institutions across Brazil, with a growing EAD segment. It directly competes with Gran in online undergraduate education, particularly in the Northeast region, and has similar tuition-based recurring revenue dynamics.
- Unopar (Cogna brand): Unopar is a leading Brazilian distance learning university brand owned by Cogna. It is one of Gran's closest direct competitors in the low-cost, fully online undergraduate segment with comparable monthly tuition pricing and similar distance learning infrastructure.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós social profiles
Digital presenceGran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós
What does Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós do?
Gran Faculdade provides accredited distance learning higher education programs, including undergraduate degrees (bacharelado, tecnólogo, licenciatura), postgraduate and MBA courses, delivered through a proprietary Virtual Learning Environment (AVA), GranBiblio digital library, and multi-platform apps. Students enroll via a fully digital admissions process (ENEM, ENCCEJA scores, or AI-corrected essay) and pay monthly subscription tuition starting at R$99.90/month, with ProUni scholarships available for eligible low-income students.
Is Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós a public or private company?
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós founded?
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós based?
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós is headquartered in Curitiba, PR, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Distance Learning Tuition (Subscription) is the primary driver. The others are postgraduate and MBA Programs.
Who are Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Yduqs (formerly Estácio), Cogna Educação (Kroton), Anima Holding, Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional and Estácio (Yduqs brand). Direct peers are Uninter (Grupo Uninter), Ser Educacional and Unopar (Cogna brand).
Does Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós.
What industry is Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós in?
Gran Faculdade | Graduação e Pós's product category is Distance Learning Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAEAL, Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs, with a secondary code of EDAGABAN, Interdisciplinary/General Education & Study Skills. Its NAICS code is 61131 and its SIC code is 8200.