FUNDAUNA

What FUNDAUNA does

FUNDAUNA — Fundación para el Desarrollo Académico de la Universidad Nacional — is a private non-profit foundation incorporated in Costa Rica on February 25, 2003 and operational since April 26, 2004. It functions as the formally authorized financial and administrative management entity for externally-linked projects of the Universidad Nacional (UNA), providing agile fiduciary services that fall outside the rigid structure of the public university. Its core operational platform is SIGESPRO (Sistema de Gestión de Proyectos), a project management system that handles opening, operations, and closing of research, postgraduate, consulting, technical-services, and international-cooperation projects; as of 2024 SIGESPRO supported more than 400 active projects distributed across Costa Rica.

The foundation's commercial surface includes 40+ master's and doctoral programs, technical courses (ANDAMIO, CDG), multiple laboratories (NEMA, Biomechanics, 3D CoWorkFlow, Environmental Analysis), seminar and congress administration services, and a veterinary hospital (HEMS). Pricing spans individual course fees (¢1,000–¢220,000 CRC; $17–$120 USD), technical-service fees (¢6,120–¢76,500 CRC), and postgraduate tuition with installment plans in both colones and dollars. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the fundauna.org portal, the servicios.fundauna.org self-serve site, in-person support at the Heredia headquarters opposite UNA's Omar Dengo campus, and a newly launched AI-powered chatbot called Aurora (December 2025) built on OpenAI models that provides 24/7 access to official FUNDAUNA documentation.

FUNDAUNA is supervised by SUGEF solely for anti-money-laundering compliance under Costa Rican Law 7786, and is governed by its own administrative board led by Executive Director Ileana Hidalgo López and Board President Randall Gutiérrez. The customer base is concentrated within the UNA ecosystem and adjacent Costa Rican public-sector and research institutions, including OVSICORI-UNA, the Corte Suprema de Justicia, CINAT, and U.S. Embassy-sponsored programs. The foundation's stated 2030 vision is to become UNA's strategic partner and a Latin American reference in external linkage and project management with sustainable impact.

Name

FUNDAUNA

Legal name

Fundación para el Desarrollo Académico de la Universidad Nacional

Website

https://fundauna.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FUNDAUNA is a Costa Rican non-profit foundation that provides financial, administrative, and project management services to the Universidad Nacional, administering 400+ projects and offering postgraduate programs, technical courses, laboratories, and the Aurora AI chatbot for institutional information access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Project Management Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAA

Private Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

Keywords

• Project financial management
• Academic foundation services
• University extension programs
• Research administration services
• Postgraduate program administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Heredia

HQ country

Costa Rica

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project Financial Management Services: FUNDAUNA serves as a financial management entity for UNA projects, providing administrative and fiduciary services for academic initiatives including research, postgraduate programs, consulting, technical services, and international cooperation projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FUNDAUNA is a private non-profit foundation that provides financial and administrative management services for projects of the Universidad Nacional (UNA) of Costa Rica. Through its proprietary SIGESPRO project management system, it manages the lifecycle of over 400 academic projects, postgraduate programs, technical courses, and laboratory services, offering agile and transparent operational mechanisms that complement the university's external linkage mission.

Product overview

FUNDAUNA is a private non-profit foundation that serves as the financial and administrative management arm for projects of the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. The organization operates SIGESPRO (Sistema de Gestión de Proyectos) as its core project management platform. FUNDAUNA manages over 400 projects across Costa Rica and offers a portfolio of academic programs (over 40 master's and doctoral degrees), technical courses, seminars/conferences, and laboratory services. The most notable technology product is Aurora, an AI chatbot launched in December 2025 that provides 24/7 access to official information using OpenAI models.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aurora: An AI-powered chatbot launched in December 2025 designed to provide instant access to official information and norms of the foundation.

Products and services

• SIGESPRO (Sistema de Gestión de Proyectos) Proprietary project management system used by FUNDAUNA to facilitate and manage the full lifecycle of university projects including financial opening, operations, and closing, serving UNA academics, researchers, and project administrators.
• Project Management Services Financial management of university projects including opening, closing, and ongoing project administration with transparent and efficient service, targeted at academics and research units of the Universidad Nacional.
• Academic Programs (Posgrados y Maestrías) Over 40 master's programs and doctoral degrees managed through FUNDAUNA, including programs in tropical beekeeping, environmental management, marine sciences, community development, and information technology, targeted at graduate students and professionals.
• Technical Courses and Programs Various technical programs including ANDAMIO (Digital Content Design), CDG (Management Development), and specialized workshops in veterinary medicine, biodiversity, environmental analysis, sports, languages, music, and more, for individual learners and professionals.
• Seminars, Congresses and Conferences Event management services for academic conferences including registration, payment processing, and coordination for events like CIHEM, SIRCO II, CAO, and the International Brucellosis Research Congress 2025.
• Laboratory Services Technical laboratory services including NEMA (Agricultural Sciences), Environmental Analysis Laboratory, Biomechanics Laboratory, and 3D CoWorkFlow Laboratory, serving researchers, students, and external clients.
• Aurora Chatbot AI-powered chatbot providing 24/7 access to official FUNDAUNA information, regulations, and project support through instant text-based responses, with a knowledge base strictly limited to official foundation documentation reviewed by quality management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ projects managed across Costa Rica
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad de Osnabrück (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Marco convenio between UNA and Universidad de Osnabrück enabling the 'Construyendo comunidades sostenibles' project connecting Costa Rican entrepreneurs with student tandems from Costa Rican and German universities. Project focuses on rural areas (Dota and Turrialba cantons).
• OVSICORI-UNAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExemplary collaboration managing 6 projects including vulcanology services (active since 2014), volcanic gas analysis, geophysical dissemination, solidarity fund, and the EWARNICA early earthquake warning system for Central America. Relationship characterized by mutual trust, transparency, and scientific-technical support.
• Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizers of the International Brucellosis Research Congress 2025 (November 4-7) alongside UNA, with FUNDAUNA providing administrative support. Event hosted 77th Annual Brucellosis Research Conference.
• Embassy of the United States of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for the CIUNA-English Access Micro-scholarships program established in 2013, providing free English language education benefiting 390 students. Supported by the Ministry of Public Education.
• Universidad Nacional (UNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution. FUNDAUNA was established as the financial and administrative support entity for UNA's external linkage projects. All academic units, schools, and regional campuses work with FUNDAUNA for project management services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Foundant Technologies: Software platform serving community foundations and grantmaking organizations with grant lifecycle management. Comparable as a technology enablement layer for foundation operations, similar to FUNDAUNA's SIGESPRO system.
• Fluxx (foundation grantmaking software): Cloud-based grants management platform used by foundations to administer funding workflows, applications, and reporting. Relevant as a technology peer to FUNDAUNA's SIGESPRO project management platform.

Broad incumbents

• Foundation Source: Large-scale outsourced foundation management services firm serving private foundations in the US. Comparable business model of providing administrative and financial services to foundation clients, though operating at much larger scale.
• Fundación Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: Chilean university foundation managing external projects, fundraising, and program administration for one of Latin America's leading private universities. Comparable structure for project financial management tied to a university parent.
• Fundación Universidad de los Andes (FUniandes): Colombian university foundation supporting Universidad de los Andes research projects, consulting, and continuing education programs. Directly comparable in operating model for managing externally-funded university initiatives.
• Fundación UNAM: Mexico's leading public university foundation supporting UNAM's external linkage, research administration, and academic programs. Comparable institutional role though at significantly larger scale across multiple program verticals.

Direct peers

• FEITESO (Fundación ETEISA) – Universidad de Costa Rica: Specialized Costa Rican university-affiliated foundations supporting specific schools or research centers within UCR, operating with similar fiduciary and project administration mandates as FUNDAUNA.
• Fundación Universidad de Costa Rica (Fundación UCR): Costa Rica's other major public university foundation, providing similar financial and administrative management for UCR projects, postgraduate programs, and external linkage activities. Directly comparable as a sister foundation serving a competing national university.

Regional players

• Fundación CEIBA (Guatemala): Central American foundation supporting academic research and university partnerships in Guatemala. Regionally comparable as a non-profit managing development projects in partnership with universities and donors.

Others

• DAFI (Development Aid from People to People): International development organization supporting education and community projects across Latin America and Africa. Comparable as an adjacent non-profit implementing externally-funded programs in partnership with academic institutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FUNDAUNA
• Instagraminstagram.com/fundauna
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundaunacr

Compliance1 record

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 FUNDAUNA