What Yunus Center AIT (YCA) does

Yunus Center AIT is a non-profit academic and professional development center embedded within the Asian Institute of Technology, headquartered in Pathum Thani, Thailand. Founded in 2009 through a collaboration between Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and AIT, it is the first Yunus Center established with an academic institution outside Bangladesh. The Center operates as a knowledge hub for social business and enterprise-led development, delivering a portfolio of academic programs (notably the Yunus Professional Master's in Social Business and Entrepreneurship), short-term professional training for government officials (Bangladesh Bank, WAPDA Pakistan, Tanzania Ministry of Finance, Bhutanese agencies), the SAR100 women-in-energy leadership program (WePOWER/Wold Bank), the EDSMAT energy-sector training suite, and the Genki Campus digital health initiative built around the Portable Health Clinic tele-health system developed with Kyushu University and Grameen Communications. Programs are anchored in the proprietary 3E Framework (Engage, Educate, Empower) and the 7 Principles of Social Business.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: fee-based professional development training delivered to government agencies and international institutions, tuition from the Yunus Professional Master's program, and consultancy/advisory services in social business, sustainable energy, and capacity building. Distribution is hybrid — direct sales for government training engagements, channel/reseller partnerships through the Yunus Academia Network (87 universities across 5 continents) and the WePOWER regional network (7 South Asian countries), and event-driven demand generation through the annual Social Business Day, SBAC, and SocialTech Summit. The Center is led by Executive Director Prof. Faiz Shah (40 years of international development experience, 300+ projects, 3,000+ trained changemakers) with a small core team of approximately 6 staff, with operational capacity augmented by AIT faculty, AIT Extension, and partner institutions such as UNITEN, Kyushu University, and Grameen Communications. As a non-profit academic center, YCA does not raise external equity and is not commercially listed; its growth is funded through program revenues, host institution support, and development-sector partnerships.

Name

Yunus Center AIT (YCA)

Legal name

Yunus Center, Asian Institute of Technology

Website

https://yunuscenterait.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yunus Center AIT is a non-profit academic center within the Asian Institute of Technology that delivers social business education, professional training for government officials, and capacity-building programs targeting mid-career professionals, social entrepreneurs, and women energy-sector leaders across Asia and Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pathum Thani

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Development Training Programs: YCA generates revenue through fee-based professional development training programs for government officials and organizations. Programs cover areas such as strategic HR management, enterprise risk management, hydropower financing, climate change mainstreaming, and revenue and budget management. Training is conducted for international government agencies including Bangladesh Bank, WAPDA Pakistan, Tanzania Ministry of Finance, and various other institutions.
2. Academic Programs (Yunus Professional Masters): Revenue from the Yunus Professional Masters in Social Business and Entrepreneurship degree program. The one-of-a-kind Master's program combines online, in-class, and experiential learning, targeting mid-career professionals, working executives, and aspiring entrepreneurs for careers in corporate, development, public, or enterprise sectors.
3. Consultancy and Advisory Services: YCA provides consultancy services in areas of social business, entrepreneurship, health, higher education, sustainable energy transition, and water-energy-food nexus. Services include capacity building projects, study tours for policy makers, keynote speeches, workshops, and other collaborative activities.
4. International Internship Program: International internship program hosting talented students who become ambassadors of the YCA brand. Provides students with workplace environment simulation, well-defined job roles, and training through the 3E approach.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Yunus Center AIT (YCA) delivers professional development training programs, academic degree programs, and capacity-building initiatives centered on social business and entrepreneurship. It runs the Yunus Professional Master's program, international internship, and specialized training courses for government officials (e.g., strategic HR management, hydropower financing, enterprise risk management) alongside energy-sector programs (EDSMAT, SAR100) and a telehealth healthcare initiative (Genki Campus).

Product overview

Yunus Center AIT (YCA) operates as an academic and professional development center that does not follow a unified platform-plus-modules architecture. Instead, it offers a portfolio of distinct educational and training products centered on Professor Muhammad Yunus's social business philosophy. The core offerings include the Yunus Professional Masters academic degree, international internship programs, and professional development training initiatives (EDSMAT, SAR100, WePOWER). These programs are complemented by the Genki Campus healthcare initiative, the Social Business Academia Conference (SBAC), and climate/gender mainstreaming training programs. The portfolio also includes short-term capacity-building courses in areas such as hydropower financing, strategic HR management, revenue and budget management, and enterprise risk management. All offerings align with YCA's 3E framework (Engage, Educate, Empower) and serve government officials, mid-career professionals, students, and entrepreneurs from South Asia and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yunus Professional Masters: Master's program in Social Business and Entrepreneurship, visualized by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, offered by AIT. Connected to Yunus Academia Network in 87 Universities on 5 Continents.
• 3E Approach
• SAR100 Program
• Genki Campus Initiative

Products and services

• Yunus Professional Masters in Social Business & Entrepreneurship A one-of-a-kind Master's program equipping mid-career professionals, working executives, and aspiring entrepreneurs for careers in corporate, development, public, or enterprise sectors through online, in-class, and experiential learning.
• International Internship Program A program that provides students with a simulated workplace environment, well-defined job roles and responsibilities, and skill enhancement through the 3E approach (Engage, Educate, Empower).
• SAR100 - South Asia Region Women Engineers Leadership Program A professional development program designed to empower 100 mid-career women engineers from South Asia to lead in the energy sector, equipping participants with advanced technical, strategic, and leadership skills.
• EDSMAT - Energy Development Services Management and Technology Program Professional development program offering training on hydropower financing, dam construction, grid stations operation management, and administration/HR management for energy sector professionals.
• EDSMAT-3: Dam Construction Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Established in 2009, celebrating 15 years of operations and impact in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OP Jindal Global UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2023OP Jindal Global University and AIT signed an MOU on April 5, 2023 to strengthen academic and research collaboration between the two institutions and foster routine teacher and student exchanges. YCA's Development Management team organizes workshops to enhance OPJGU's position as India's top-ranked private university.
• Yunus ThailandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYunus Thailand operates as a foundation promoting social business in Thailand, coinciding with the approval of Thailand's Social Enterprise Promotion Act. YCA President Prof. Faiz Shah serves as President of Yunus Thailand.
• Yunus Social Business Center at Kasetsart UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating Yunus center at Kasetsart University in Thailand to promote social business concepts and sustainable solutions to social problems while bridging the gap between corporate world and social objectives.
• Kyushu University (Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Portable Health Clinic system for the Genki Campus Initiative, providing affordable and accessible healthcare solutions. Kyushu University contributes expertise in health technology and tele-health systems.
• Grameen Communications (Bangladesh)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Genki Campus Initiative leveraging Grameen Communications' experience with the Portable Health Clinic system. YCA has built on the PHC collaboration with Grameen Communications in Bangladesh for innovative need-responsive health and wellbeing programs.
• Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYCA is a collaboration between Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and AIT. The center leverages AIT's knowledge infrastructure and global research network. YCA is integrated with AIT Extension and draws upon AIT's faculty and facilities.
• Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on EDSMAT-3 Professional Development Program for hydropower and dam construction training. UNITEN contributed expert lecturers including Prof Datin Ir Dr Lariyah Mohd Sidek and other faculty from the Institute of Energy Infrastructure.
• Grameen BangladeshcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Professor Yunus, Grameen Bangladesh, and the global Yunus network. YCA strengthens collaborations with Grameen organizations and contributes to editorial boards, conference committees, and consortiums.
• World Bank (WePOWER Initiative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYCA serves as the Regional Knowledge Hub for WePOWER, a regional network for female power sector engineers in South Asia established by the World Bank. YCA hosts the SAR100 training program for women professionals in the energy sector.
• Scholars of Sustenance FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Rescue Kitchen Program where students participate in redistributing surplus food from restaurants, hotels, and grocery stores to local communities in need.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Asian Institute of Technology (AIT): YCA's parent institution and academic host. AIT is a large international postgraduate university offering broader degrees in engineering, environment, and management that overlap with YCA's professional masters and capacity-building offerings.
• Ashoka: Global organization supporting social entrepreneurs. Comparable mission in the social business / social entrepreneurship education ecosystem, though Ashoka focuses on fellowship and changemaker identification rather than degree programs.
• SAID Business School, University of Oxford: Major global business school offering executive education with social enterprise and impact investing focus. Comparable as an institution blending academic degrees with professional development training for impact-oriented professionals and policy makers.
• Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: World Economic Forum-affiliated foundation that identifies and supports leading social entrepreneurs. Comparable mission in advancing social business and a global network footprint, though it operates at a higher, more selective tier than YCA.
• INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Initiative: INSEAD's program supporting social entrepreneurs through research, MBA electives, and executive education. Comparable as a business-school-anchored social business education offering competing for similar students, partners, and corporate clients.
• Thunderbird School of Global Management: ASU's global management school with a focus on emerging markets, sustainability, and social impact. Comparable as a globally-oriented professional masters and executive education provider serving similar emerging-market and development segments.

Direct peers

• Acumen Academy: Acumen's online learning platform delivering social sector leadership and social enterprise courses. Comparable as a provider of professional development and capacity-building content targeted at social entrepreneurs and development professionals in emerging markets.
• Yunus Centre Dhaka: The original Yunus Centre founded by Prof. Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh. YCA is its closest peer, being the first spin-off embedded with an academic institution; both coordinate on the Seven Principles of Social Business and co-host events like the Social Business Academia Conference.
• Social Enterprise Academy: UK-based learning and development organization providing training programs for social enterprises and mission-led organizations. Comparable as a capacity-building and training provider serving the social business ecosystem.

Regional players

• Yunus Social Business Centre Berlin: European-based Yunus center affiliated with the global Yunus network. Comparable as a regional Yunus network affiliate promoting social business education in a different geography (Europe) and a co-member of the Yunus Centers ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yunuscenterait
• Facebookfacebook.com/yunuscenteratait
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yunuscenterait2024

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Yunus Center AIT (YCA)