Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo - IE

What Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo - IE does

Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo (IE) is a private K-12 educational institution operating a single campus on Avenida Brasil Oeste, 1623, in the Boqueirão neighborhood of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Founded in 1920 by the American educator Mary Elizabeth Decherd as a Methodist mission school, the institution currently serves more than 700 students across four levels: Educação Infantil (from age 2), Ensino Fundamental I, Ensino Fundamental II, and Ensino Médio, the last of which was launched in 2024 after state education council credenciamento. The institution was acquired in September 2022 by ECB Group, a Passo Fundo-based holding company, through a stalking horse auction in the school's judicial recovery process, with CADE approving the transaction in October 2022 and new administration reinaugurated in February 2023.

The school's product portfolio spans core academic tuition plus a layered set of add-on programs: a Bilingual Program delivered in partnership with International School (English five days per week from age 3), a Turno Inverso/integral full-day program, the IE Sports athletic partnership with BM Escola do Esporte, the FesTIS technology and sustainability festival, financial literacy with Mooney, parent education with Juntos, music with Musiclass, and robotics with Robomind. The technology stack is operated through third-party platforms — TOTVS Cloud for the Portal do Aluno and Portal do Professor and EduConnect mobile app — and the campus achieved 100% energy self-sufficiency through a 193-panel 107.11 kWp photovoltaic installation, with the new 12,000 m² Edifício Chicago (inaugurated 2024) and the restored historic Edifício Texas (reinaugurated February 2024) providing modern classrooms, laboratories, maker spaces, and a 523-seat auditorium.

IE's revenue model is a subscription-based tuition structure billed monthly across each education level, with family-facing enrollment handled via direct channels (website, WhatsApp, phone, in-person campus visits). The customer base is composed of individual families in the Passo Fundo region, and the operation is run by a workforce of roughly 100+ collaborators, with 78% women. The institution is wholly owned by ECB Group, whose president Erasmo Carlos Battistella is the mantenedor, with Luciana Azambuja Battistella as co-maintainer and president of the Consultive Council; Marcos Wesley da Silva serves as the school's director.

Name

Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo - IE

Legal name

Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo

Website

https://iepassofundo.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo (IE) is a private K-12 school in Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, serving 700+ students from early childhood through high school with bilingual, full-day, and sports programs, owned by ECB Group since 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• Early childhood education
• Elementary school programs
• High school preparation
• Bilingual education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Passo Fundo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Educação Infantil: Monthly tuition for early childhood education for children from 2 years old
2. Tuition - Ensino Fundamental: Monthly tuition for elementary school (Fundamental I and II)
3. Tuition - Ensino Médio: Monthly tuition for high school education
4. Turno Inverso (Full-day program): Extended day program with activities, sports, workshops and projects in the inverse shift

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo (IE) is a private K-12 school that delivers tuition-based education across four levels: Educação Infantil (from age 2), Ensino Fundamental I, Ensino Fundamental II, and Ensino Médio (with vestibular/ENEM preparation). Core instruction is augmented by an English Bilingual Program (via International School), a Turno Inverso full-day program with sports/workshops/projects, and the IE Sports athletic program (in partnership with BM Escola do Esporte).

Product overview

Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo (IE) is a private K-12 educational institution offering a comprehensive academic portfolio spanning Early Childhood Education (from age 2), Elementary School (Fundamental I and II), and High School. The school operates as a unified institution with integrated programs including a Bilingual Program (in partnership with International School), full-time care (Turno Integral), and the IE Sports athletic program. IE also maintains specialized facilities and services including the Espaço Cultural Professor Schisler, an on-site restaurant, and various cultural programs including the FesTIS technology festival, literary initiatives, and artistic exhibitions. The school has undergone significant modernization since 2022 under ECB Group administration, including infrastructure investments such as the Usina Fotovoltaica solar installation and construction of the Edifício Chicago.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IE Sports: Sports project promoting athletics in Passo Fundo and region, including basketball, soccer, futsal, volleyball, handball, and other sports activities.
• FesTIS
• IE Solidário
• Conexões Culturais
• CEIE
• Pizza Literária

Products and services

• Educação Infantil Early childhood education program for children from 2 years of age, focusing on holistic development through age-appropriate activities and play-based learning. Target: families with toddlers and pre-school children.
• Ensino Fundamental I Elementary school program (1st to 5th grade) focused on developing students' skills and competencies for integral formation, with optional full-time (Turno Inverso) program. Target: families with elementary-age children.
• Ensino Fundamental II Upper elementary program (6th to 9th grade) focused on learning and integral citizen formation, preparing students for high school. Target: families with adolescents in the 6th-9th grade range.
• Ensino Médio High school program directed toward students' areas of interest, with preparation for vestibular (Brazilian university entrance exams) and ENEM, featuring investigative pathways aligned with Brazil's New High School framework. Target: families with high-school-age youth.
• Turno Inverso (Full-day program) Extended day program offering playful activities, sports, workshops and projects during the inverse shift to regular classes, providing extended care and educational enrichment for children of working parents. Available add-on for Educação Infantil, Ensino Fundamental I and II.
• Programa Bilíngue (Bilingual Program) Bilingual program delivered in partnership with International School, offering English language instruction five days per week from age 3, with cultural exposure to American traditions. Available as an add-on across IE's education levels.
• IE Sports Sports program developed in partnership with BM Escola do Esporte, offering training in football, futsal, basketball, volleyball, handball, and martial arts. Also serves as home venue for the BSBIOS/UPF women's volleyball team. Available to IE students and the broader community.
• FesTIS - Festival de Tecnologia, Inovação e Sustentabilidade Annual festival where students develop scientific research projects and sustainable innovative solutions aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals. The first edition was held in August 2023.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150% increase in enrollments in education infantil and ensino fundamental compared to previous year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Juntos Educação ParentalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2023Juntos Educação Parental partnered with IE to provide parent education through videos, courses, articles, interviews, and podcasts. The partnership helps parents become better educators covering topics like parental communication, emotional well-being, adolescence, bullying, and social media use.
• BM Escola do EsportecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 December 2022IE and BM Escola do Esporte announced a partnership to promote sports in Passo Fundo and region. The IE Sports project offers various sports modalities including football, futsal, basketball, volleyball, handball, and more. The program serves both IE students and the broader community, functioning as a Training Center from master veterans to preschool base. Additionally, the BSBIOS/UPF women's volleyball team, two-time state champion, will use IE Sports as its training center.
• Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 December 2022UPF, through its Graduate Program in History and History Course, signed an agreement for the Documentary and Museum Safeguard Project of IE. The project aims to protect and value IE's multidimensional and multi-typological collection, ensuring conservation, maintenance, and digitization of photographic and documentary archives. The project includes 8 phases and represents a fundamental step in preserving IE's 100+ year history.
• SAE DigitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationSAE Digital provides the teaching system used by IE, supporting the school's pedagogical content and curriculum delivery.
• MooneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMooney provides financial education program for students, with personalized books and workshops teaching financial literacy to elementary school students.
• International SchoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational School provides the Bilingual Program at IE, offering English language education 5 days per week starting from age 3.
• MusiclassminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusiclass partnership offers IE students special discounts on music lessons and classes, promoting musical skill development.
• IE Solidário Partner CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious companies participated in IE Solidário project including Grupo Azambuja, Riskepel, SAE - Maraoto, International School, Livraria Delta, Be8, Look Uniformes. These partners contributed to donations of backpacks, clothing, books, and school supplies for schools in Arroio do Meio affected by floods.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Colégio Positivo: One of Brazil's largest private K-12 networks, part of Grupo Positivo (B3-listed). Comparable as a multi-campus private K-12 operator with bilingual programs, STEM emphasis, and scale advantages that represent both a competitive threat and an aspirational benchmark for IE.
• Colégio Bandeirantes: Elite traditional private K-12 school in São Paulo with strong academic reputation and modern facilities. Comparable as a heritage private school competing on academic excellence, infrastructure quality, and extracurricular depth.
• Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro: Large elite private K-12 school in São Paulo with international curriculum (IB) and bilingual program. Comparable as a high-end private school competing on internationalization, infrastructure, and STEM — a benchmark for where IE's international/bilingual positioning could aspire.

Regional players

• Colégio Farroupilha: Traditional private K-12 school in Porto Alegre/RS with bilingual program and strong cultural/STEM orientation. Comparable to IE as an established RS private school investing in internationalization, modern infrastructure, and STEM, though operating at larger scale in the state capital.

Direct peers

• Colégio Anchieta: Jesuit-affiliated private K-12 school in Porto Alegre/RS with bilingual program and STEM initiatives. Comparable to IE as a faith-rooted RS private school investing in internationalization and innovation, representing similar segment positioning.
• Rede Marista: Large Brazilian Catholic-affiliated K-12 school network operating across multiple states. Comparable to IE as a faith-rooted private K-12 institution with multi-level programs (Infantil through Ensino Médio), strong extracurricular offerings, and similar heritage-driven brand positioning.
• Colégio Notre Dame (Passo Fundo): Religious-affiliated private K-12 school operating in Passo Fundo/RS. Direct local competitor offering similar Infantil through Ensino Médio programs with comparable faith-based positioning, making it IE's closest head-to-head peer in the same catchment area.
• Colégio Sinodal: Lutheran-affiliated private K-12 school system headquartered in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul. Closely comparable to IE in regional footprint (RS), faith-based heritage, full K-12 offering, and traditional/values-based brand identity.
• Colégio Santa Maria: Traditional private K-12 school with multiple campuses offering Infantil through Ensino Médio with bilingual and full-day programs. Comparable to IE on program breadth (turno integral, bilingual, extracurriculars) and traditional-heritage brand positioning.

Emerging players

• Escola Suíço-Brasileira Curitiba: International-curriculum private K-12 school in Curitiba with strong bilingual and STEM focus. Comparable to IE's bilingual/internationalization positioning and a useful reference point for international-program pricing power in the Brazilian private school segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/iepassofundo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-educacional-de-passo-fundo-ie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Instituto Educacional de Passo Fundo - IE