Centrum Nauki i Biznesu ŻAK

What Centrum Nauki i Biznesu ŻAK does

Centrum Nauki i Biznesu ŻAK is a private Polish adult-education network headquartered in Łódź, founded in 1998, operating the largest chain of post-secondary vocational and adult schools in Poland with approximately 100 physical locations across the country and 397 employees. The company delivers state-recognized diplomas (dyplom państwowy) and qualification exam preparation across vocational, medical, caregiving, beauty, and digital disciplines, plus adult general secondary education (Liceum ogólnokształcące dla dorosłych). Cumulative alumni exceed 500,000.

The core technology stack is a blended-learning platform combining synchronous online classes, video-on-demand recordings (the ONLINE + VIDEO mode), and in-person weekend sessions (zjazdy), accessed through the proprietary Strefa słuchacza student portal. The platform supports a multi-format curriculum — 2-year post-secondary vocational programs, 10-month online one-year programs in digital/remote-work skills, short in-person vocational courses in beauty, and adult high school programs. An AI feature powered by ElevenLabs adds text-to-speech narration on article pages.

Żak operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer go-to-market with three primary revenue mechanics: freemium vocational and medical programs (free with 50% minimum attendance, otherwise 179 PLN/month), paid professional courses and annual programs in beauty/IT/marketing/design (with installment plans and 10–25% seasonal discounts), and subscription tuition for adult high school with a summer fee break. Government funding channels (Dobry Start 300 PLN allowance; Usługi Rozwojowe database) supplement revenue, and early B2B corporate training partnerships (e.g., Eagle programy dla firm) and brand-aligned curriculum partnerships (InsERT, Neonail) extend monetization. Customer segments span career changers, healthcare and caregiving professionals, beauty practitioners, and digital-economy entrants — typically Polish adults aged 18+ seeking state-recognized credentials.

Name

Centrum Nauki i Biznesu ŻAK

Legal name

Centrum Nauki i Biznesu ŻAK

Website

https://zak.edu.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Żak is Poland's largest network of adult and post-secondary vocational schools, operating ~100 locations and serving over 500,000 cumulative students with state-recognized vocational, medical, beauty, digital, and adult high school programs delivered via blended online and in-person formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Vocational Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Services (611), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health, Wellness & Lifestyle Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAH)

Keywords

• Adult vocational education
• Post-secondary schools
• Professional training courses
• Online learning platform
• Medical caregiver training

Headquarters

HQ city

Bełchatów

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices80 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Post-secondary vocational school tuition (selected programs): Selected policealne (post-secondary vocational) and medyczne (medical) school programs are offered free of charge, contingent on maintaining minimum 50% attendance. Programs include opiekun osoby starszej, opiekun w domu pomocy społecznej, higienistka stomatologiczna, and other medical/care tracks. If attendance falls below the threshold, a fee of 179 PLN per month is charged.
2. Paid professional courses and annual training programs: Short professional courses (kursy) and one-year programs (kształcenie jednoroczne) such as beauty, IT, marketing, and design courses are paid programs. Payment can be spread across installments (raty). Some promotions offer discounts (e.g., 10% off, 'STRZAŁ W DZIESIĄTKĄ').
3. Liceum ogólnokształcące dla dorosłych (Adult high school): Adult general secondary education (LO dla dorosłych) with tuition. The 'SuperLiceum' variant includes free online courses bundled with enrollment. Seasonal fee relief programs apply (e.g., 'Wakacje od płacenia' — no fees in July and August).
4. Government subsidy programs (Dofinansowanie / Dobry Start): Żak participates in Poland's 'Dobry Start' government program, which provides 300 PLN school supply allowances to eligible students. Additionally, Żak is listed in the Usługi Rozwojowe (Development Services) Database, enabling students to access government funding for courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Centrum Nauki i Biznesu ŻAK is a Polish adult education school network operating across approximately 100 cities, offering two-year post-secondary vocational programs (policealne) in medical, caregiving, beauty, and administrative fields; one-year online programs in digital and remote-work disciplines; in-person beauty and wellness vocational courses; and an adult general secondary school (Liceum ogólnokształcące dla dorosłych). Programs are delivered via a blended model combining synchronous online classes, video-on-demand recordings, and weekend in-person sessions, and culminate in state-recognized diplomas (dyplom państwowy) and professional qualifications. Selected programs are tuition-free conditional on minimum attendance, while others are paid via subscription, installments, or one-time fees.

Product overview

ŻAK is a network of adult education schools operating across ~90 locations in Poland, offering a multi-format portfolio of vocational and professional programs. The core offering consists of post-secondary vocational schools (policealne) delivering 2-year programs across medical, caregiving, administrative, beauty, logistics, IT, and other disciplines, concluding with state professional exams. Complementing these are one-year online programs (kształcenie jednoroczne) in digital and remote-work fields (graphic design, video editing, marketing, e-commerce, social media, web design) available in ONLINE and ONLINE+VIDEO (recorded lecture) formats; in-person vocational courses in beauty fields (makeup, nails, lashes, hairdressing, floristry); and a general high school for adults (Liceum ogólnokształcące dla dorosłych / eLO) for completing secondary education and taking the matura exam. All programs are supported by ŻAK's own e-learning platform and student portal. Notable differentiators include exclusive additional modules (Polish Sign Language for caregivers, dementia care) offered at no extra cost within selected programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Szkoły policealne (Post-secondary vocational schools)
• Kursy branżowe (Industry-specific vocational courses)
• Kształcenie jednoroczne online (One-year online programs)
• Liceum ogólnokształcące dla dorosłych (General high school for adults)
• Opiekun w domu pomocy społecznej & Opiekun osoby starszej (Caregiver programs)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500,000 students have graduated from Żak schools
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• InsERTcoreTechnology or IntegrationInsERT, a leading Polish accounting software provider, partnered with Żak for the 'Rachunkowość i finanse' (Accounting and Finance) course. Students learn using InsERT's real-world accounting systems (subiekt, nexera), gaining practical, employer-relevant software skills. This partnership provides Żak students with hands-on experience on industry-standard platforms.
• NeonailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeonail, a professional nail products brand, partnered with Żak for the Stylistka paznokci (Nail Technician) course. The partnership provides students with access to Neonail products and techniques, enhancing the practical component of nail styling training. Neonail benefits from Żak's nationwide student base as a pipeline of trained future professionals.
• Szlachetna Paczka (Stowarzyszenie WIOSNA)minorOthersŻak has partnered with the Szlachetna Paczka charitable initiative (run by Stowarzyszenie WIOSNA) as a 'Partner Inwestor' (Social Investor), supporting community volunteering and assistance for families in need. Żak has participated in this initiative for multiple years.
• Akademia Przyszłości (Stowarzyszenie WIOSNA)minorOthersŻak supports the Akademia Przyszłości program by Stowarzyszenie WIOSNA, a national initiative pairing student volunteers with children from low-income families for tutoring and mentoring. Żak employees volunteer as tutors in the program.
• LKS Poroniec PoroninminorOthersŻak is one of the sponsors of Ludowy Klub Sportowy Poroniec Poronin, a local sports club. This sponsorship supports young athletes who balance sports with education, aligning with Żak's mission of supporting personal development.
• Eagle (programy dla firm)minorOthersEagle (programy dla firm) is listed as a partner on Żak's website, suggesting a B2B corporate training partnership where Żak may deliver custom training programs for Eagle's business clients or employees.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• DataCamp: DataCamp is an online learning platform focused on data, analytics, and digital skills, serving adult career changers — an emerging player whose audience overlaps with Żak's IT/digital course category.
• infoShare Academy: infoShare Academy is a Polish IT and digital-skills training provider offering part-time and online courses for adults, targeting the same digital-economy learner audience as Żak's kształcenie jednoroczne streams.
• Codecool: Codecool is a Polish coding bootcamp operator offering intensive programming courses for adult career changers — overlapping with Żak's digital/IT vocational portfolio but with a more specialized, cohort-based model.

Direct peers

• TEB Edukacja: TEB Edukacja operates a national chain of private vocational schools and post-secondary policealne programs in Poland, covering medical, IT, and business tracks with state-recognized qualifications — a direct competitor to Żak's school network.
• Ap Edukacja (formerly Syntea): Ap Edukacja is a Polish private education group operating post-secondary vocational schools (policealne) and adult-learning centers across multiple cities, with a course portfolio overlapping heavily with Żak's medical, business, and IT tracks.
• Cosinus (Cosinus Plus): Centrum Edukacji Cosinus is one of the largest private networks of post-secondary vocational schools (policealne) and adult schools in Poland, operating dozens of locations and offering state-recognized vocational diplomas in medical, technical, and business streams — directly comparable to Żak's core policealne offering.
• WSiZ (Wyższa Szkoła Informatyki i Umiejętności): WSiZ is a Łódź-based private higher education institution offering vocational and IT-focused programs to adult learners, overlapping with Żak's hometown market and its digital/IT course portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Coursera is a global online learning platform serving adult learners with professional certificates and vocational tracks worldwide — a broad incumbent whose digital-skills catalog overlaps with Żak's online course offerings.
• Udemy: Udemy is a global online course marketplace covering IT, marketing, design, and business skills — a broad incumbent whose self-paced, low-cost model partially competes with Żak's paid online vocational courses.
• WSB Merito (Wyższe Szkoły Bankowe): WSB Merito is one of Poland's largest private higher education networks with degrees, post-graduate studies, and vocational tracks across multiple cities — a broader incumbent whose adult-learner audience and multi-city footprint partially overlap with Żak's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centrum-nauki-i-biznesu-%C5%BCak

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Centrum Nauki i Biznesu ŻAK