IFAGE
IFAGE is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation, established in 1955, delivering adult continuing education — languages, management, ICT, industry/building, and federal diploma/brevet preparation — to individual learners, job seekers, immigrants, and corporate clients across three campuses and two online platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1955
- HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What IFAGE does
IFAGE (Fondation pour la formation des adultes à Genève) is a private, non-profit Swiss foundation established in 1955 that delivers adult continuing education and certification services in Geneva. It serves individual adult learners, job seekers, language learners (including immigrants preparing for Swiss naturalization), and corporate clients through five product categories: Languages (12 languages with DELF/DALF/FIDE certification), Management and Administration (banking, accounting, HR, secretarial), ICT (programming, web development, applied AI, design, audiovisual), Industry and Building (watchmaking, electrical, machining, BIM), and Adult Trainer Training. Federal diplomas (CHF 6,500–20,600) and brevets (CHF 4,750–16,128) sit at the top of the catalog, supported by professional certificates (CHF 2,100–7,330) and short-form language courses (CHF 539–1,450).
The technology footprint is modest and infrastructure-led rather than IP-led: a Moodle-based virtual campus (campus.ifage.ch), the Smart-Academie digital learning platform, and an online examination infrastructure of 220 computer-based proctoring stations housed at the ifage Augustins site. Three Geneva campuses — Augustins (HQ, 46 rooms), Montbrillant (renovated 2020, 10 rooms with a 10-station Mac lab near Cornavin station), and Pont-Rouge (7 classrooms plus 2 IT labs) — support in-person and blended delivery, with capacities from 4 to 70 seats. A network of nearly 350 examiners and exam supervisors powers both internal federal-exam preparation and external exam administration services for third-party organizations.
Revenue is generated through three streams: course tuition (one-time per course, with installment options), exam-organization services for external organizations (full exam-center capabilities and logistics), and room rental to enterprises. Costs for students are partially offset by two government financing mechanisms — SEFRI federal subsidies (50% refund up to CHF 9,500 for brevets and CHF 10,500 for federal diplomas) and the Canton of Geneva's Chèque annuel de formation (CHF 500–750 per eligible course over 40 hours). The organization is financed as a foundation with no disclosed parent company, investors, or funding rounds.
IFAGE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IFAGE
- Legal name
- Fondation pour la formation des adultes à Genève
- Website
- https://ifage.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1955
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- IFAGE is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation, established in 1955, delivering adult continuing education — languages, management, ICT, industry/building, and federal diploma/brevet preparation — to individual learners, job seekers, immigrants, and corporate clients across three campuses and two online platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IFAGE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Adult Continuing Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Language Schools (611630), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Language & Communication Continuing Education (EDAAAEAF)
Keywords
Where IFAGE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Geneva
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
IFAGE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Course Tuition Fees: One-time fees charged per course, ranging from CHF 500 to CHF 20,600 depending on course type, duration, and certification level. Individual courses and certificate programs generate primary revenue.
- Examination Organization Services: Revenue from organizing exams for external organizations, including full exam center services, logistical support, and room rental. Since 1955, ifage has specialized in exam organization.
- Room Rental Services: Rental of training rooms (up to 70 seats) across three Geneva sites for external organizations' training, meetings, exams, and events. Includes catering partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Federal Diploma Programs - CHF 6,500 to 20,600 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Federal Brevet Programs - CHF 4,750 to 16,128 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Professional Certificates - CHF 2,100 to 7,330 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Language Courses - CHF 539 to 1,450 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CAF-Eligible Courses |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
IFAGE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IFAGE is a Geneva-based foundation that delivers adult continuing education and professional training across five domains: Languages, Management and Administration, ICT, Industry and Building, and Adult Trainer Training. It prepares learners for Swiss federal diplomas and brevets, administers professional examinations (with 220 online proctoring stations), and rents training rooms across three Geneva locations. Revenue comes primarily from course tuition fees, supplemented by examination organization services and room rentals.
Product overview
IFAGE (Fondation pour la formation des adultes à Genève) is a Swiss adult education foundation providing professional training and certification services in Geneva since 1955. The organization operates primarily as an educational services provider rather than a software platform. Its core offerings consist of the Campus Virtuel Ifage (Moodle-based LMS for online and hybrid learning) and Smart-Academie for digital training, complemented by in-person courses across five main categories: Languages (12 languages with DELF/DALF/FIDE certifications), Management and Administration (banking, accounting, HR, secretarial), ICT (programming, web development, AI, design, audiovisual), Industry and Building (watchmaking, electrical, machining, BIM), and Adult Trainer Training. Supporting services include professional exam administration with 220 online proctoring stations, room rental at three Geneva locations, and financing assistance through Swiss federal (SEFRI) and Geneva state (CAF) programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Smart-Academie: Digital learning platform for online professional training courses.
- Campus Ifage
Products and services
- Language Courses (Langues)
Quantifiable outcome
- SEFRI subsidy of 50% of training costs for federal exam candidates (max CHF 9,500 for brevets, CHF 10,500 for diplomas)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use IFAGE
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
IFAGE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
IFAGE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- ARPIH (Ecole supérieure du domaine social)corePartnership between ifage (Fondation pour la formation des adultes) and ARPIH (école supérieure du domaine social) marks a major step in professionalizing job coaching in French-speaking Switzerland. This alliance recognizes the quality and rigor of the program offered by the Geneva training institute.
- CVPC Sion (Centre valaisan de perfectionnement continu)coreIFAGE Genève and CVPC Sion combine their expertise to offer federal HR diploma preparation specifically designed to pass the HRSE (Human Resources Swiss Exams). This partnership enables innovative pedagogy, individualized approach, and high-level support.
- AGIR (Association de Grandes Institutions Romandes de formation)majorAssociation of major Romandie training institutions working together on professional development and certification programs.
- CIP Tramelan (Centre interrégional de Perfectionnement)majorCIP of Tramelan, CVPC of Sion, and IFAGE of Geneva combined their skills to offer migration specialist training. The 5-module program is coordinated by CIP Tramelan.
- EIT.swisscoreEIT.swiss is the examining body for electrical project manager brevets. IFAGE prepares candidates for the final EIT.swiss examination for Electrical Project Manager in Installation and Safety (BPEL).
- Association Cours des Installateurs Electriques Genevois (CIEG)supportingAssociation of Geneva electrical installers collaborating on electrical training programs and professional development.
- Luna FilmssupportingFilm production company partner for audiovisual techniques training programs.
- SSFV (Syndicat Suisse Film et Vidéo)supportingSwiss professional association for film and video that works for Swiss cinema and fair working conditions, collaborating on audiovisual training.
- VisualssupportingLeading Swiss supplier of equipment, systems, services, and technical support for film, video, broadcast, and photography industries, providing equipment for audiovisual training.
- FARP Lausanne (Formation et Recherche Professionnelle)supportingLausanne location partner for certain ifage programs including Job Coach training, expanding reach beyond Geneva.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
IFAGE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- ECAP (Ente di Cultura e di Apprendimento Permanente): Swiss adult-education foundation providing vocational and continuing-education programs primarily in Italian-speaking Switzerland (Ticino). Operates under a similar non-profit, federally accredited model to IFAGE but serves a different linguistic region.
Direct peers
- Berlitz Switzerland: Major private language-school chain with Swiss locations offering German, English, French, and corporate language training. Direct overlap with IFAGE's 12-language course catalog and DELF/DALF/FIDE exam preparation.
- FARP Lausanne (Formation et Recherche Professionnelle): Lausanne-based professional training partner of IFAGE that extends certain programs (e.g., Job Coach) into Vaud. Operates a parallel adult-vocational training model aligned to Swiss federal certifications.
- CIFOM (Centre interrégional de formation des montagnes): Vaud-based vocational and continuing-education center (Morges/Lausanne area) preparing candidates for Swiss federal certifications in technical trades — closely comparable to IFAGE's Industry & Building and federal-brevet programs.
- ARPIH (École supérieure du domaine social): Geneva-based higher school for the social domain that partnered with IFAGE on the Job Coach federal-brevet professionalization track. Operates in the same Swiss federal-certification ecosystem with overlapping student populations in Geneva.
- CVPC (Centre valaisan de perfectionnement continu): Continuing-education center in Sion (Valais) with the same Swiss federal-diploma and brevet preparation model as IFAGE. They are both co-delivery partners and competitors on programs like the federal HR diploma, making them the closest operational peer in Romandie.
- CIP Tramelan (Centre interrégional de Perfectionnement): Interregional continuing-education center in the Bernese Jura that co-delivers federal brevets and migration-specialist programs with IFAGE. Comparable mandate, federal-exam focus, and Romandie footprint.
Broad incumbents
- HES-SO Formation continue: Continuing-education umbrella of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, offering federal-diploma-aligned programs. A broader public-sector incumbent in the same Romandie market where IFAGE competes.
- Klubschule Migros: Switzerland's largest adult continuing-education provider, offering language, management, IT, and craft courses across multiple cantons. Overlaps directly with IFAGE's catalog and represents a broader, well-capitalized incumbent in the same Swiss continuing-education market.
- EPFL Continuing Education (EPFL Formation continue): Continuing-education arm of EPFL offering advanced professional programs in ICT, AI, and management. Competes with IFAGE's premium ICT and AI Business Specialist tracks while operating from a university extension mandate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
IFAGE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IFAGE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
IFAGE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IFAGE 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 IFAGE
What does IFAGE do?
IFAGE is a Geneva-based foundation that delivers adult continuing education and professional training across five domains: Languages, Management and Administration, ICT, Industry and Building, and Adult Trainer Training. It prepares learners for Swiss federal diplomas and brevets, administers professional examinations (with 220 online proctoring stations), and rents training rooms across three Geneva locations. Revenue comes primarily from course tuition fees, supplemented by examination organization services and room rentals.
Is IFAGE a public or private company?
IFAGE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was IFAGE founded?
IFAGE was founded in 1955.
Where is IFAGE based?
IFAGE is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does IFAGE make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Course Tuition Fees are the primary driver. The others are examination Organization Services and room Rental Services.
Who are IFAGE's main competitors?
ECAP (Ente di Cultura e di Apprendimento Permanente) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Berlitz Switzerland, FARP Lausanne (Formation et Recherche Professionnelle), CIFOM (Centre interrégional de formation des montagnes), ARPIH (École supérieure du domaine social), CVPC (Centre valaisan de perfectionnement continu) and CIP Tramelan (Centre interrégional de Perfectionnement). Broad incumbents are HES-SO Formation continue, Klubschule Migros and EPFL Continuing Education (EPFL Formation continue).
Does IFAGE have an API?
No public API is recorded for IFAGE.
What industry is IFAGE in?
IFAGE's product category is Adult Continuing Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAEAA, University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs, with a secondary code of EDAAAEAF, Language & Communication Continuing Education. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.