Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시)
Step-Up English Academy Corp. is a South Korea-based online English education provider offering 1:1 video and phone lessons via Zoom/Skype to Korean junior, senior, test-prep, and professional learners, supported by a proprietary learning management system and supplemented by Vietnamese and Korean classes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersHwaseong-si, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) does
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) is a South Korea-based online English education provider, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, under CEO Kim Nam-hyung (김남형). The company delivers 1:1 instructor-led English lessons to Korean learners via two core modalities — video conferencing (화상영어) using Zoom and Skype, and phone-based calls (전화영어) — supported by a proprietary learning management system (학습시스템) that handles scheduling, content delivery, daily evaluations, audio review, and monthly progress reports. Across its operating history the company has accumulated 2,564 registered members, 17,957 course enrollments, and a network of 168 instructors, with an 87% re-enrollment rate.
The product portfolio spans a junior program (elementary through high school) and a senior program (university students, professionals, housewives), alongside specialized tracks including official test preparation (TOEIC Speaking, IELTS, OPIC), a 2-month intensive interview coaching program, and business English. The company has extended beyond English into Vietnamese and Korean language classes, targeting the Korea-Vietnam bilingual learner segment. The curriculum is backed by a documented library of 97 junior and 19 senior textbooks, indicating a structured and reproducible pedagogical asset base.
Commercially, the business operates on a per-lesson pricing model at approximately 9,000 KRW, with frequency tiers of 2x, 3x, and 5x per week and lesson durations of 20, 25, 40, and 50 minutes, plus a daytime discount. The go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer, supplemented by a B2G/B2B channel comprising the Afterschool Social Cooperative (애프터스쿨 사회적협동조합), the Taebaek City Government (태백시, from 2025), and the DreamStart (드림스타트) welfare program, with the company also registered on the 나라장터 government e-procurement platform. With 14 employees, no external funding, and high retention, the company operates as a small, organically funded, cash-generative lifestyle business.
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시)
- Legal name
- 스텝업 잉글리시 아카데미 (Step-Up English Academy Corp.)
- Website
- https://stepupeng.co.kr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Step-Up English Academy Corp. is a South Korea-based online English education provider offering 1:1 video and phone lessons via Zoom/Skype to Korean junior, senior, test-prep, and professional learners, supported by a proprietary learning management system and supplemented by Vietnamese and Korean classes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Language Education
- NAICS
- Language Schools (611630), Educational Services (611), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online/Hybrid Adult ESL & Language Learning Platforms (EDAAACAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- General ESL Programs (Multi-level Adult ESL) (EDAAACAA), English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB), ESL for Work & Workplace English (ESP) (EDAAACAC), English Test Preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo English Test, etc.) (EDAAACAJ)
Keywords
Where Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hwaseong-si
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Online English Subscription Courses: Recurring subscription-based revenue from video English (Zoom/Skype) and phone English lessons. Students select class frequency (2x/3x/5x per week) and duration (20/25/40/50 minutes) with monthly or multi-month billing. Pricing includes per-lesson unit cost references in the refund policy (9,000 KRW per session). Daytime discount (10:00-17:00) is available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription-based lessons with frequency and duration options |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Step-Up English Academy delivers live 1:1 online English instruction via video (Zoom/Skype) and telephone, supported by an integrated learning management system for scheduling, attendance tracking, daily evaluations, and audio self-review. The company bundles this delivery layer with structured curriculum programs for junior learners, adult learners, business English, English interview preparation, and official test preparation (TOEIC Speaking, IELTS, OPIC), and extends the same model to Vietnamese and Korean language courses.
Product overview
Step-Up English Academy (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) is an online language learning academy offering a unified platform of live 1:1 lessons with native speakers. The core offerings include 화상영어 (Video English via Zoom/Skype) and 전화영어 (Phone English) for English conversation practice, complemented by structured curriculum programs: 주니어과정 for young learners, 시니어과정 for adults, 공인시험대비과정 for test prep (TOEIC/IELTS/OPIC), 인터뷰과정 for interview preparation, and 비즈니스과정 for business English. The academy also offers Vietnamese and Korean language courses, extending its multilingual portfolio. All courses are managed through an integrated 학습시스템 (Learning Management System) providing scheduling, evaluations, and progress tracking.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Video English (화상영어)
Quantifiable outcome
- 87% re-enrollment rate
Companies that use Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시)
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- 애프터스쿨 사회적협동조합 (Afterschool Social Cooperative)coreSocial cooperative providing after-school education services. Partnered with Step-Up English to deliver video English lessons as part of social education programs. Active in Daejeon Seo-gu SNS citizen experience initiatives and remote English education for children.
- 태백시 (Taebaek City Government)coreMunicipal government in Gangwon-do, South Korea, providing free online English lessons to residents. Step-Up English serves as the service provider for the municipal video English education program. Enrollment managed through the city's system from 2025.
- 드림스타트 (DreamStart)minorGovernment-run welfare program for children from underprivileged backgrounds. Step-Up English provides video English services as part of the DreamStart program offerings.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- iTalki: iTalki is a global online language learning marketplace connecting learners with native tutors for 1:1 lessons, offering a comparable subscription-based 1:1 tutoring model for both English and other languages taught by Step-Up English.
- Speaking Mate: Speaking Mate is a Korean online 1:1 English tutoring platform offering video-based lessons with foreign instructors, directly competing with Step-Up English in the Korean adult and junior English learning market with a similar subscription model.
- Cambly: Cambly is a global online platform connecting learners with native English tutors for 1:1 video conversation, serving Korean learners seeking flexible scheduling and similar in product offering to Step-Up English's video English course.
- Halla English (할리잉글리시): Halla English is a Korean online English education platform offering 1:1 video lessons with native instructors across junior and adult segments, directly competing with Step-Up English's core offerings for Korean learners.
- Native Camp: Native Camp is a global subscription-based online English tutoring platform offering unlimited 1:1 lessons, comparable to Step-Up English's subscription model and 1:1 video English instruction for Korean and Asian learners.
- Phone English Pal Talk (전화영어 팝콘): Pal Talk is a Korean phone English platform providing scheduled 1:1 calls with native English instructors, a direct competitor to Step-Up English's phone English offering and subscription-based Korean English learning market.
- Saga Phone English (사가): Saga is a Korean phone-based English tutoring service offering 1:1 conversation lessons with native instructors, directly comparable to Step-Up English's phone English (전화영어) product for the same Korean adult learner segment.
Broad incumbents
- Class101: Class101 is a leading Korean online education platform offering video-based courses across many subjects including English, providing a broader market context and partial overlap with Step-Up English's video English program for Korean learners.
Emerging players
- Cake (케이크): Cake is a popular Korean mobile English learning app offering short video lessons and AI-driven practice, an emerging player in the Korean English learning market that competes with Step-Up English for the same Korean junior and adult segments.
- ELSA Speak: ELSA Speak is an AI-powered English pronunciation app specializing in accent reduction and speaking fluency, an emerging alternative in the Korean English learning market that competes with Step-Up English's pronunciation-focused value proposition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) social profiles
Digital presenceStep-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시)
What does Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) do?
Step-Up English Academy delivers live 1:1 online English instruction via video (Zoom/Skype) and telephone, supported by an integrated learning management system for scheduling, attendance tracking, daily evaluations, and audio self-review. The company bundles this delivery layer with structured curriculum programs for junior learners, adult learners, business English, English interview preparation, and official test preparation (TOEIC Speaking, IELTS, OPIC), and extends the same model to Vietnamese and Korean language courses.
Is Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) a public or private company?
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) founded?
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) based?
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) is headquartered in Hwaseong-si, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) make money?
One revenue line is on record: online English Subscription Courses.
Who are Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are iTalki, Speaking Mate, Cambly, Halla English (할리잉글리시), Native Camp, Phone English Pal Talk (전화영어 팝콘) and Saga Phone English (사가). Class101 is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Cake (케이크) and ELSA Speak.
Does Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시).
What industry is Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시) in?
Step-Up English Academy Corp. (아카데미스텝업 잉글리시)'s product category is Online Language Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAACAK, Online/Hybrid Adult ESL & Language Learning Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAAACAA, General ESL Programs (Multi-level Adult ESL). Its NAICS code is 611630 and its SIC code is 8200.