The Highway Cotia

What The Highway Cotia does

The Highway Cotia is a single-location private vocational education institution in Cotia, São Paulo, Brazil, founded in 2001 and rebranded under its own name in 2017 after previously operating as a franchisee. It delivers in-person classroom instruction across five course categories: English language (Child, Young, and Professional tiers), MEC-recognized technical courses in Administration (1,000 hours) and Informatics (1,200 hours), technology courses in robotics, programming, web development, graphic design, and digital marketing, administration and leadership courses, and ENEM exam preparation. The school's principal differentiator is its MEC accreditation for two technical qualifications, which allows graduates to receive nationally recognized credentials — a credential that anchors the offering against unlicensed competitors.

The business model is direct-to-consumer tuition: fees are paid per course with monthly installment options, augmented by a referral program (20% discount for the referrer, 30% off enrollment for the referred friend) and a free retake guarantee for students who do not achieve a minimum grade of 7. Customer acquisition runs through school-fair outreach, the school's website, Facebook and Instagram, and a referral loop; the Acelera Emprego partnership and NUBE internship platform provide job-placement support that serves as a marketing asset. The school also previously supplied the VENCE government program (2012–2016) for high-school technical education. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the institution operates from a single physical facility with approximately 11 employees.

Name

The Highway Cotia

Legal name

The Highway

Website

https://thehighway.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Highway Cotia is a single-location private vocational school in Cotia, São Paulo, Brazil, founded in 2001, offering MEC-certified technical courses in administration and IT, plus English, robotics, programming, and ENEM prep classes to local youth and adults.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cotia

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees from technical courses: Revenue is generated through tuition fees charged for various courses including Technical in Administration (1000 hours), Technical in Informatics (1200 hours), English courses (320-380 hours), Robotics and Programming (204 hours), Web Development, and more. Fees are charged per course with installment payment options. The school also offers a free retake guarantee for students who do not achieve minimum passing grade of 7.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Highway Cotia is a single-location vocational education institution that delivers in-person courses across English language training (child, young, and professional levels), MEC-recognized technical programs in Administration (1000 hours) and IT (1200 hours), technology courses (robotics, web development, graphic design, digital marketing, computer maintenance, gaming, and YouTube content creation), administration courses in leadership, sales, and marketing, and ENEM exam preparation. Courses are taught on-site at the Cotia campus using internally developed branded educational materials, with enrollment via phone, website form, or walk-in and per-course tuition with installment billing.

Product overview

The Highway is an educational institution in Cotia, Brazil, offering a comprehensive portfolio of vocational, technical, and language courses. The school operates a single-location, multi-course model organized into five main categories: (1) English Language courses including Child (children), Young/Básico (beginners), and Profissional (professional/advanced) levels, plus free level testing; (2) MEC-recognized Technical courses in Administration (1000 hours) and IT/Computer Science (1200 hours); (3) Technology courses spanning computer skills, web development, graphic design, digital marketing, robotics, and game development; (4) Administration courses covering leadership, sales, marketing, and entrepreneurship; and (5) ENEM exam preparation. The school, established in 2001 and rebranded under the 'The Highway' brand in 2017, emphasizes practical, career-focused education with pedagogical support and modern teaching materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inglês Young (English Young) 320-hour English course for young learners and beginners focused on conversation, comprehension, pronunciation, reading and writing skills, intended for those seeking to overcome work challenges or stand out professionally.
• Inglês Profissional (Professional English) 380-hour advanced English course for adults allowing them to accelerate learning from intermediate level, with classes delivered at school, home or work using a computer with internet.
• Inglês Child (Child English) 240-hour English course for children that activates pronunciation, stimulates brain development, creativity, reasoning and concentration, with learning occurring naturally through games, songs, stories and playful activities.
• Teste de Nível de Inglês (English Level Test) Free English proficiency test offered to prospective students to determine their current English level before enrollment, scheduled through the school secretariat or via website form.
• Técnico em Administração (Technical in Administration) MEC-recognized 1000-hour technical course preparing students for the administrative job market, covering people management, financial management, marketing, planning, production, organizational climate, leadership and entrepreneurship, awarding 5 professional qualifications and 1 technical certification.
• Técnico em Informática (Technical in IT/Computer Science) MEC-recognized 1200-hour technical course preparing students for the IT job market, covering computer and laptop assembly and maintenance, networks, programming, websites, databases and e-commerce, awarding 5 professional qualifications and 1 technical certification in IT.
• Informática para Terceira Idade (Computer Science for Seniors) 252-hour course teaching seniors better use of computers in daily life, including creating and editing images and animations.
• Tecnologia e Robótica (Technology and Robotics) 160-hour course teaching better use of computers in daily life along with fundamental robotics concepts, using Arduino widely used in projects worldwide.
• Youtuber e Games (Youtuber and Games)
• Robótica e Programação Web (Robotics and Web Programming) 204-hour course developing logical reasoning and creativity through robotics and programming concepts, covering basic electrical and electronic concepts, Arduino, robotics theory with practical projects, programming logic and web programming.
• Design Gráfico e Marketing Digital (Graphic Design and Digital Marketing)
• Tecnologia e Administração (Technology and Administration)
• Tecnologia Essencial (Essential Technology)
• Web Desenvolvedor (Web Developer)
• Tecnologia Profissional (Professional Technology)
• Administração, Liderança e Vendas (Administration, Leadership and Sales)
• Administração e Marketing (Administration and Marketing)
• Preparatório ENEM (ENEM Exam Prep)

Quantifiable outcome

• Students who complete the Technical in Administration course go on to work at companies such as Caixa Econômica Federal, Souza IT, and various technology firms.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Acelera EmpregocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017A local employment acceleration project that partners with The Highway to help place students in jobs and internships. The program connects students with employers and provides career guidance. Multiple alumni testimonials credit the Acelera Emprego project for helping them secure employment at companies including Caixa Econômica Federal.
• Programa VENCEminorOthers · 1 January 2012A government program offering technical courses to high school students. The Highway served as a VENCE program supplier between 2012 and 2016, providing vocational training to students in partnership with the government initiative.
• NUBEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNUBE (Núcleo Brasileiro de Estágios) is a student internship placement organization. Through NUBE and The Highway's partnership, students have secured internships. One student (Clara) obtained an internship placement through this collaboration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wizard: Largest English-language school franchise in Brazil with comparable Child, Teen, and Professional English tracks, directly competing for the same local learners in Cotia/São Paulo.
• Microlins: Brazilian franchise network offering professional courses in IT, administration, and English — the closest direct peer to The Highway's mix of technical and language courses.
• CNA: Major Brazilian English-language school franchise with Child, Standard, and Advanced tracks — overlapping head-to-head with The Highway's English ladder.
• Curso Prepara: Brazilian prep-course franchise for vestibular/ENEM exams; directly comparable to The Highway's ENEM preparation offering.
• Cultura Inglesa: Established Brazilian English-language school chain with multiple proficiency levels; competes for the same adult and professional English learners in metropolitan São Paulo.
• CCAA: Brazilian language school franchise with English and Spanish programs — adjacent direct peer competing for similar student segments.

Broad incumbents

• SENAC: National vocational education network across Brazil offering technical and professional courses; broader incumbent competing for adult professional-development students.
• SENAI: National network of technical and industrial education in Brazil, offering MEC-recognized technical programs at much larger scale; competes broadly in the technical-education category.
• Cogna Educação: One of Brazil's largest education companies (Kroton/Ânima-adjacent portfolio) operating across K–12, higher education, and vocational; broad incumbent shaping competitive dynamics for niche technical schools.

Regional players

• Microsom: Brazilian franchise offering IT, administration, and language courses with a regional presence — comparable niche competitor in the vocational course category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHighwayCotia
• Instagraminstagram.com/thehighwaycotia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-highway-cotia

Compliance2 records

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 The Highway Cotia