Ivy Academy

What Ivy Academy does

Ivy Academy (艾毅教育/Ivy Schools) is a privately-held Chinese bilingual early childhood and K-12 education operator founded in 2003 and headquartered in Beijing. The group runs a multi-brand portfolio anchored by Ivy Kindergarten (艾毅幼儿园), which offers two parallel tracks — international programs (国际园) for expatriate and affluent Chinese families and affordable public benefit programs (惠普园) for price-sensitive segments — plus Daystar Academy (启明星双语学校), a K-12 bilingual school providing continuity into primary and secondary education. The operating base spans approximately 14-15 campuses across 5 Chinese cities (Beijing, Ningbo, Tianjin, Xi'an, Chengdu), having educated more than 15,000 students cumulatively with a student body drawn from 64 countries and faculty from 32 countries and regions. The flagship pedagogical asset is the proprietary Ivy Courageous Curriculum (艾毅激励课程), launched in 2019 and built on Harvard Project Zero research and Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory, organized around the Six Cs framework (Curiosity, Creativity, Capability, Confidence, Character, Responsibility); Ivy is the only Asian institution certified by the International Multiple Intelligences Association.

The technology layer centers on Ivy Online (ivyonline.cn), a proprietary parent-school communication platform that delivers daily meal plans, weekly illustrated reports, semester development summaries, and centralized real-time indoor air quality monitoring across campuses. Supporting offerings include the Design for Change (DFC) social innovation program using the FIDS method, after-school extended care, seasonal camps, and the quarterly Voices newsletter. Strategic partnerships span Harvard Project Zero, the International Multiple Intelligences Association, Scholastic (English leveled readers deployed across 10+ campuses), Design for Change, Yale Alley Cats (annual performances), United Family Healthcare (medical certification for school doctors), and the American Chamber of Commerce in China for expatriate community engagement.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring tuition fees for the international and affordable kindergarten tracks, plus ancillary subscription-based extended care and camp programs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; prospective parents are routed through a WeChat enrollment mini-program or direct campus contact. The company operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market motion with no third-party resellers, relying on WeChat official accounts, parent workshops, Unity Day events, campus tours, and word-of-mouth referrals. Ivy Academy is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no reported institutional investment; growth to date has been organic supplemented by at least one campus acquisition and rebranding (the former Haosi Zhijia Quanfa campus in Beijing, integrated as Daystar Bilingual School Kindergarten around 2020-2021).

Name

Ivy Academy

Legal name

艾毅教育集团

Website

https://ivyschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ivy Academy (艾毅教育) is a privately-held Chinese bilingual early childhood and K-12 education operator founded in 2003, running 14-15 campuses across 5 cities with proprietary curriculum and serving expatriate and affluent Chinese families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Services (611), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Bilingual & Language-Immersion Early Learning Academies (EDACADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Curriculum Early Learning Academies (e.g., IB Early Years) (EDACADAK), International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG), Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

Keywords

• Bilingual early childhood education
• Kindergarten programs
• K-12 international education
• Multiple intelligences curriculum
• Parent communication platform

Headquarters

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Ivy Academy generates revenue through tuition fees charged for kindergarten and bilingual school programs. Programs include international kindergartens (国际园) and affordable/inclusive kindergartens (普惠园), with varying fee structures based on program type and location.
2. Extended Care/After-school Programs: After-school extended care services (延时服务) including art, sports, science, and other interest-based programs operated in partnership with external providers.
3. Summer and Winter Camps: Seasonal camps including sports camps, science camps, art camps, and themed camps during school breaks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ivy Academy operates bilingual and international kindergartens plus K-12 bilingual schools (Daystar Academy) across 15+ campuses in China, delivering early childhood education grounded in a proprietary Ivy Courageous Curriculum. Tuition-based programs serve children aged 2-18 with both international and affordable public-benefit tracks, supplemented by after-school camps and the Ivy Online digital parent platform.

Product overview

Ivy Academy operates as an early childhood education provider with a multi-brand portfolio including Ivy Kindergarten (艾毅幼儿园) offering international and public benefit programs, Daystar Bilingual School (启明星双语学校) providing K-12 education, and the proprietary Ivy Courageous Curriculum (艾毅激励课程) based on Harvard Multiple Intelligences theory. The organization runs over 15 campuses across 5 Chinese cities (Beijing, Ningbo, Tianjin, Xi'an, Chengdu), serving children aged 2-18 with programs spanning kindergarten through high school. Supporting offerings include Ivy Online digital parent platform, DFC design thinking program, extracurricular camps, and the Voices group magazine. Ivy is the only Asian institution certified by the International Multiple Intelligences Association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 启明星双语学校 (Daystar Academy): Bilingual school offering K-12 education with international curriculum
• 艾毅幼儿园 (Ivy Kindergarten)
• 艾毅激励课程 (Ivy Courageous Curriculum)
• 艾毅教师发展学院 (ITI)

Products and services

• Ivy Kindergarten (艾毅幼儿园)
• Daystar Bilingual School (启明星双语学校) K-12 bilingual education institution with multiple campuses offering IB and WISC programs, providing seamless transition from kindergarten to primary and secondary education.
• Ivy Courageous Curriculum (艾毅激励课程) Proprietary curriculum launched in 2019, based on Harvard Project Zero research and Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory, designed to develop Six Cs in children through a six-week thematic inquiry unit approach.
• Ivy Online (艾毅在线)
• Ivy Camps and Extracurricular Activities (艾毅课外课)
• Design for Change (DFC) Program (孩童创意行动) Social innovation program teaching design thinking to children, enabling them to identify community problems and create positive change through the FIDS methodology.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% of graduates attend international/bilingual schools like Daystar Academy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harvard University Project Zero (哈佛大学零点项目)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Academic partnership providing research foundation for Ivy Academy's proprietary Courageous Curriculum. Based on Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory and Harvard's educational research, informing the Six Cs framework and child-centered learning approach.
• International Multiple Intelligences AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIvy Academy is the only education institution in Asia certified by IMIA, providing legitimacy and differentiation for their Multiple Intelligences-based curriculum approach.
• Yale University Alley Cats (耶鲁大学胡同猫合唱团)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual performances at Daystar campuses, with Yale a cappella group visiting to perform and engage with students, building international cultural exchange.
• Washington DC YuYing School (华盛顿特区育英学校)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for cultural and educational exchange between Chinese and American students.
• Million Strong (百万强)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChina-US partnership program promoting Chinese language learning and cultural exchange.
• National Chinese Language Conference (全美中文大会)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based conference partnership for Chinese language education professionals and institutions.
• Design for Change (孩童创意行动)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal social innovation movement originating from India, providing framework for Ivy Academy's DFC program teaching children design thinking and community impact.
• United Family Healthcare (和睦家医疗)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical certification partnership where all Ivy Academy school doctors receive professional training and certification through United Family Healthcare, a top-tier Chinese medical institution.
• Scholastic (学乐)coreTechnology or IntegrationEnglish reading resource partnership using Scholastic's leveled readers integrated with Ivy's Courageous Curriculum. Currently deployed in 10+ campuses across China for English language education.
• American Chamber of Commerce in China (中国美国商会)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-term membership enabling participation in AmCham events and access to expatriate business community for parent recruitment.
• External Activity ProvidersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with specialized extracurricular providers for arts, sports, science, and other after-school programs including: 清音艺禾, 爱立方中西美学, 蓓博, Little Kickers, Little Tiger Baseball, Good Move Tennis, Smart River STEAM, and others.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EtonHouse International Education: Singapore-headquartered operator of bilingual and international preschools and K-12 schools across Asia, including China. Comparable to Ivy in its IB/bilingual preschool offering, Multiple-Intelligences-inspired curriculum, and premium international positioning.
• Bright Scholar Education Holdings (博实乐): China-based operator of premium bilingual and international K-12 schools plus ELITEKindergarten early-childhood programs. Directly comparable to Ivy in premium bilingual positioning, multi-city footprint, and kindergarten-to-K-12 integration.
• RYB Education (红黄蓝教育): Beijing-headquartered operator of kindergartens and early-childhood education services across China. Directly comparable to Ivy as a multi-brand, multi-city bilingual/international kindergarten provider serving both premium and mass-market Chinese families.
• Beanstalk International Bilingual School (碧莲国际学校): China-based operator of bilingual kindergartens and K-9 international programs in Beijing and other tier-1 cities. Directly comparable to Ivy in serving both expatriate and Chinese families with bilingual immersion curricula in the same Chinese metropolitan markets.
• Maple Leaf Educational Systems (枫叶教育): Largest Chinese operator of bilingual and international K-12 schools. Comparable to Ivy because it pairs Chinese-local curriculum with English-immersion pathways, operates across multiple Chinese cities, and integrates kindergarten-through-high-school enrollment.

Regional players

• Maple Bear Global Schools: Canadian-founded bilingual preschool franchise with extensive operations across China and other Asian markets. Comparable to Ivy in its bilingual immersion preschool model and multi-city Chinese footprint, though delivered via a franchise rather than direct operator model.
• MindChamps Preschool: Singapore-based premium preschool chain with proprietary curriculum and Chinese-market ambitions. Comparable to Ivy in premium early-childhood positioning and proprietary curriculum-led differentiation, though primarily operating outside mainland China.

Broad incumbents

• Nord Anglia Education: Global premium international school group with significant Beijing and other Chinese campuses (including collaboration with MIT/UNICEF). Comparable to Ivy as a premium bilingual/international operator in the same Chinese cities, but at much larger scale and broader K-12 scope.
• Yew Chung International School: Hong Kong-founded bilingual (Chinese-English) international school network with campuses in Beijing and other Chinese cities. Comparable to Ivy in its Chinese-English bilingual immersion model and premium international positioning in the same geographic markets.
• Wellington College China: UK-founded premium international school operator with bilingual programs in Tianjin, Shanghai, and Hangzhou. Comparable to Ivy as a premium bilingual international operator in overlapping tier-1/2 Chinese cities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ivy-academy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Ivy Academy