What PrEP does

PrEP (Pr\u00e9paration aux Examens Pr\u00e9alables des hautes \u00e9coles suisses) is a private educational institution founded in 1997 and headquartered at Rue de Bourg 5-7-9 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The company specializes in intensive exam preparation programs that enable access to Swiss universities, EPF schools, and HEP institutions for individuals who lack traditional maturit\u00e9 gymnasiale qualifications. Its three core programs are Passerelle Dubs (6-month federal exam preparation for professional/specialized maturity holders, with two annual intakes), Pr\u00e9alables Unil (10-month preparation for University of Lausanne admission across multiple faculties), and ECUS (11-month supplementary exam preparation for holders of foreign credentials not recognized for direct Swiss university admission). PrEP is the exclusive provider of Pr\u00e9alables Unil preparation in Switzerland and has the longest track record with Passerelle Dubs, having presented candidates since the exam's first session in February 2005.

The institution operates a direct-to-consumer model, recruiting individual students through open days, educational fairs (Salon Romand de la Matu, EPFL's Salon des Maturants), press coverage in major Swiss French-language media, and radio interviews on RTS. Revenue is generated from tuition fees (\u00e9colage) which are not publicly disclosed. The school is led by founder-director Albert Grun and employs 51-100 staff. Since 1997, PrEP has produced 3,776+ laureates, with approximately 200 new graduates joining annually. In 2025, success rates were 80% for Passerelle Dubs, 90% for Pr\u00e9alables Unil, and 100% for ECUS. The institution complements academic preparation with cultural immersion activities including theatre visits, opera, educational trips abroad, and political events. PrEP held approximately 70% of all Passerelle Dubs candidates from French-speaking Switzerland in winter 2025, indicating dominant market share within its niche.

Name

PrEP

Legal name

PrEP, Albert Grun

Website

https://prep.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

PrEP is a private Lausanne-based educational institution founded in 1997 that prepares students without traditional maturité for Swiss university entrance exams (Passerelle Dubs, Préalables Unil, ECUS), serving approximately 200 graduates annually through intensive 6-11 month programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exam Preparation Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Test Prep Learning Centers (SAT/ACT, AP/IB, State Exams) (EDANAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Graduate & Professional School Admissions Exams (GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT) Prep (EDANABAB), Certification & Exam Prep eLearning Modules (EDAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Exam preparation services
• University entrance preparation
• Private educational institution
• University admission courses
• Test preparation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne, Vaud

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Educational Program Fees: Revenue generated from tuition fees for exam preparation programs including Préalables Unil (10 months), Passerelle Dubs (6 months), and ECUS (11 months)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PrEP is a private educational institution in Lausanne, Switzerland that delivers intensive classroom-based exam preparation programs enabling individuals without traditional maturité gymnasiale to gain admission to Swiss universities, EPFs, and HEPs. The core programs are Passerelle Dubs (6 months, federal exam for professional/specialized maturity holders), Préalables Unil (10 months, UNIL admission exam across multiple faculties), and ECUS (11 months, supplementary exam for holders of unrecognized foreign diplomas). The school combines academic preparation with cultural immersion activities (theatre, opera, educational travel, political events).

Product overview

PrEP (Préparation aux Examens Préalables des hautes écoles suisses) is a private educational institution in Lausanne, Switzerland, offering intensive exam preparation programs for accessing Swiss universities. The organization provides three distinct core programs: Passerelle Dubs (a 6-month federal exam preparation for holders of professional/specialized diplomas), Préalables Unil (a 10-month program preparing students for University of Lausanne admission across multiple faculties without traditional maturité), and ECUS (an 11-month supplementary exam preparation for foreign diploma holders). Founded in 1997, PrEP has helped over 3,776 students gain university access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Passerelle Dubs Six-month intensive federal exam preparation program for holders of professional (post-CFC/apprenticeship) or specialized (post-ECG) maturité, enabling access to all Swiss universities, EPFs, and HEPs. Offered with two annual intakes (August or February/March). The program reported an 80% success rate in 2025.
• Préalables Unil Ten-month intensive exam preparation program for admission to University of Lausanne (UNIL) faculties for candidates without traditional maturité gymnasiale. Covers Biology, Law, HEC, Geosciences, Letters, Medicine, Criminal Sciences, Social and Political Sciences (including Psychology and Sports), and Theology and Sciences of Religions. Students study 4-5 branches targeted to their chosen faculty. Reported a 90% success rate in 2025 with ~85% average annual placement rate.
• ECUS (Examens Complémentaires des Hautes Ecoles Suisses) Eleven-month intensive supplementary exam preparation (30 weekly periods) for holders of foreign post-obligatory school certificates not recognized for direct Swiss university admission. Delivered in an immersive, culture-focused environment. Reported a 100% success rate in 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% success rate for Passerelle Dubs in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered operational.

• Holographisme SàrloperationalOthersWebsite design and development company based in Geneva (Rue Jean Violette 4, 1205 Genève). Responsible for website creation and updates.
• SquarespaceoperationalOthersWebsite hosting provider (US-based). Provides the platform infrastructure for the PrEP website.
• InfomaniakoperationalOthersSwiss domain name and email services provider. Manages PrEP's domain registration and email infrastructure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Kaplan Test Prep: One of the largest global test prep providers offering preparation for SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, and other standardized exams. Compares as a broad incumbent in the exam preparation space that PrEP operates in, though Kaplan focuses on US-centric exams and PrEP on Swiss university entrance exams.
• The Princeton Review: Major US-based test prep company offering courses for SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT and AP exams with both classroom and online delivery. Compares as a broad incumbent in standardized test preparation; serves a different exam portfolio but operates the same fundamental intensive prep course model.
• Varsity Tutors: Large online tutoring and test prep platform offering one-on-one instruction, group classes, and self-paced content for standardized exams. Compares as a broad incumbent combining tutoring with test prep, covering the same functional space as PrEP's classroom-based model.

Regional players

• EF Education First: Swiss-founded global education company offering language training, academic preparation, and university pathway programs. Compares as a regional peer with Swiss origins and overlapping mission of preparing students for international higher education access.

Direct peers

• Manhattan Prep: Specialized test prep company focused on GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and SAT with intensive classroom and online courses. Compares as a direct peer in the niche specialization of instructor-led intensive exam preparation with outcome-focused curriculum.
• Target Test Prep: Focused online test prep platform specializing in GMAT quantitative preparation with adaptive learning. Compares as a direct peer in the niche of specialized, instructor-informed exam prep with strong outcome claims.

Others

• Coursera: Global online learning platform partnering with universities to offer courses and certifications. Compares as an adjacent player in education delivery infrastructure that could disrupt or complement traditional classroom-based exam prep models.
• Wyzant: Online marketplace connecting students with private tutors for academic subjects and standardized test prep. Compares as an adjacent platform enabling distributed test prep tutoring that could compete with or substitute for traditional prep institutions.

Emerging players

• Magoosh: Online test prep platform offering affordable self-paced courses for GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, and ACT. Compares as an emerging player using digital delivery to scale standardized exam prep — the model PrEP would need to develop to expand beyond Lausanne.
• PrepScholar: Online test prep company using adaptive learning algorithms for SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, and LSAT preparation. Compares as an emerging online-only player applying personalization technology to the same broad exam prep category PrEP operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@prep-lausanne
• Facebookfacebook.com/prep.lausanne
• Instagraminstagram.com/preplausanne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prep

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 PrEP