Agora School of Business

What Agora School of Business does

Agora Naguib Sawiris School of Business (ASB) is a non-profit online business school and division of Agora University, a US 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Burke, Virginia and originally founded in 2020 in Spain under Agora Educational Group before being acquired by Agora University in 2024. The school delivers a 100% online, accelerated MBA program (33 credit hours, completable in 12 months via nine 4-week modular courses plus a Capstone) and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree-completion program (60 credit hours, accepting up to 84 transfer credits). As of March 2025, both programs operate under full US accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), with the institution also certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and participating in SARA.

The platform is built on Populi, a cloud-based learning management system and student information system that handles synchronous/asynchronous content delivery, enrollment, billing, and student records. Tuition is $6,000 total for the MBA ($181.81/credit hour) and approximately $10,500–$10,900 for the BBA ($166.67/credit hour), with ancillary $30 application, $250 technology, $250 library, and $250 graduation fees. A need-based Tuition Assistance Program offers 15%–80% discounts calibrated to household income brackets down to $2,000/year. The distribution model is direct-to-consumer via self-serve online enrollment, augmented by a flagship corporate channel partnership with Orascom Group covering 20+ entities, educational partnerships (Sophia Learning, RiseUp, Gemini Africa), and the $1 million Agora-Malaikah Momentum Program Fund (AMMP) created with the Egyptian Business Angels Network (EGYBAN/Malaikah) in October 2023.

ASB targets working professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs across 80+ countries, with primary concentrations in MEA and global online learners. The 2025 Investor Lab Pitch Event awarded $5,000 in cash prizes across four categories. Operating with only 8 employees on an asset-light online model, the school's principal differentiators are its low price point, US accreditation, the Sawiris brand association, faculty drawn from institutions including Harvard, TBS Education, Sao Paulo Business School, University of Rome Tor Vergata, and IESEG, and the cradle-to-investment thesis embedded in the Investor Lab and AMMP fund.

Name

Agora School of Business

Legal name

Agora Naguib Sawiris School of Business

Website

https://sawiris.agora.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Agora Naguib Sawiris School of Business is a US-DEAC-accredited non-profit online business school delivering an accelerated 12-month MBA and BBA degree-completion program to working professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs across 80+ countries, priced at $6,000 for the MBA and leveraging a $1M investor-backed funding ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Business Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.) (EDAHALAE)

Keywords

• Online business education
• Accelerated MBA program
• Entrepreneurship training
• Distance learning degree
• Bachelor of business administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Burke

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. MBA Tuition: Primary revenue stream from tuition charges for the 33-credit hour MBA program. Students pay $181.81 per credit hour totaling $6,000 for the full program. Payment can be made in 10 monthly installments from September to August.
2. BBA Tuition: Revenue from Bachelor of Business Administration degree completion program. Students pay $166.67 per credit hour for the 60 credit hour program with total program costs including fees of approximately $10,500 (full-time) or $10,900 (part-time).
3. Application Fees: Non-refundable application fee of $30 charged at the time of submitting an online application for admission.
4. Technology Fee: Annual fee of $250 associated with supporting and maintenance of technological services including the Learning Management System (Populi LMS), Student Information System (Populi SIS), and student email account.
5. Library Fee: Annual fee of $250 for library services including subscription to electronic databases (LIRN, Ebscohost, JSTOR, ProQuest) and Virtual Librarian services.
6. Graduation Fee: One-time fee of $250 charged at successful completion of programs for processing diplomas, transcripts, and other graduation-related documents.
7. Tuition Assistance Program: Need-based financial assistance program offering tuition discounts ranging from 15% to 80% based on household income brackets, from $15,000/year down to $2,000/year income levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Agora Naguib Sawiris School of Business delivers 100% online, accelerated US-accredited business degree programs — a 12-month MBA (33 credit hours, nine 4-week modular courses plus a Capstone) and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree completion program (60 credit hours) — supported by the Investor Lab mentorship and pitch platform and the $1 million Agora-Malaikah Momentum Program (AMMP) funding initiative for qualifying graduates.

Product overview

Agora Naguib Sawiris School of Business offers two core academic programs: an Accelerated Online MBA (33 credit hours, completed in 12 months through 9 modular courses plus Capstone project) and a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree Completion Program (60 credit hours, accepting up to 84 transfer credits). Supporting services include the Investor Lab for entrepreneur mentorship and pitch events, the $1M Agora-Malaikah Momentum Program for startup funding, Tuition Assistance Program with income-based grants, and alumni benefits including tuition discounts for dependents. All programs are fully accredited by DEAC in the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of education delivered online
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Sophia LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner allowing students to complete general education coursework through ACE-accredited courses. Students transferring into degree completion programs can finish courses through Sophia Learning with a minimum grade of C or above. Transfer students may transfer up to 70 credit hours at the discretion of the Admissions Committee including Sophia Learning ACE credit.
• RiseUpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for entrepreneurial ecosystem access. RiseUp organizes the famous RiseUp Summit with more than 5,000 attendees from 52 countries annually. ASB CEO Abdelhameed Sharara is the cofounder and CEO of RiseUp, providing direct connection to MENA's top startup platform.
• Gemini AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner bridging the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the MEA region. Gemini Africa offers unique investment models and creates business opportunities through their one-stop e-Hub. CEO Adly Thoma serves as Professor of Practice at ASB.
• Coptic OrphansminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlumni Benefit Partner providing potential educational benefits or scholarship opportunities for students from Coptic communities.
• CardoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAlumni Benefit Partner, with founder Ahmed Rashad being an ASB graduate whose startup CardoO achieved significant growth through the program.
• Orascom Group (Corporate Partner)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlagship corporate partnership including 20+ entities: Orascom Investment Holding (OIH), Orascom Financial Holding (OFH), Orascom Pyramids Entertainment (OPE), Gemini Egypt for Investments (GEI), Gemini Office Services UK Limited (GOSUK), Gemini Office Holding Limited (GOHL), Orascom TMT Investments (OTMTI), ORA Developers, Orascom Construction Industries (OCI), Orascom Development Holding (ODH), Nile Sugar Co., SETA, LaMancha, IT Net, Summit, Urban Vision, Gemini Media, Misr for Entertainment, Minly, Nawy, Kenzz, Founders Space, Foundation Mena. These partnerships provide group discounts for employees.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IE Business School: Top-ranked international business school with online MBA and Executive MBA formats, serving working professionals globally with similar focus on entrepreneurship. Strongly comparable on target audience and program structure.
• Hult International Business School: Global business school with one-year MBA programs across multiple campuses and online, targeting working professionals and entrepreneurs. Directly competes on global, practical MBA value proposition.
• ESADE Business School: European-based business school offering online and blended MBA programs with global faculty and entrepreneurship emphasis. Comparable on international professional audience and online delivery model.
• Babson College: US-based business school renowned for entrepreneurship focus, with online graduate programs. Highly comparable niche differentiation around entrepreneurship and founder development.
• EMLYON Business School: European business school with online MBA programs targeting international working professionals and entrepreneurs. Comparable audience and program structure with focus on entrepreneurship and global reach.
• Quantic School of Business: Elite-affordable online MBA and business certificates program targeting working professionals globally. Directly competes on the same price-sensitive, mobile-first segment with an asynchronous cohort model.
• Thunderbird School of Global Management (ASU): Online Master of Global Management and related programs aimed at globally-minded working professionals. Comparable audience, online delivery, and emphasis on global entrepreneurship.

Broad incumbents

• WGU (Western Governors University): Large non-profit accredited online university offering business bachelor's and master's degrees at affordable tuition. Competes on the same price-conscious, working-adult segment with similar non-profit, accredited model.
• Coursera (business degree programs): Large online learning platform offering MBA and business master's degrees from accredited universities (Illinois, Imperial, etc.). Competes on affordable online credentials at greater scale and brand recognition.

Others

• Sophia Learning: Self-paced online general education provider and explicit transfer-credit partner of Agora. Adjacent rather than directly competing; serves as upstream pipeline for the BBA completion program.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Agora_Business
• Facebookfacebook.com/AgoraSchoolofBusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/agora-school-of-business
• Instagraminstagram.com/agora.business

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Agora School of Business