CALDO Universities

What CALDO Universities does

CALDO Universities is an Ottawa-based consortium founded in 2011 that connects prospective Latin American graduate students with member Canadian universities through a free, guidance-driven application support model. The organization operates as a non-commercial coordination body, providing personalized assistance via Academic Coordinators who help candidates identify programs, prepare applications, source scholarships, and match with thesis supervisors. Its membership comprises 10 Canadian universities (University of Alberta, Université Laval, McMaster, Queen's, Waterloo, Ottawa, Brock, Ontario Tech, New Brunswick, McGill, and Memorial University), collectively offering hundreds of graduate programs across 11 research areas delivered in English and French.

CALDO's revenue is generated through membership fees paid by partner Canadian universities rather than direct student charges, making it a B2B-funded consumer-facing service with all student-facing operations free of charge. The organization runs bilingual digital marketing campaigns in Spanish and Portuguese, country-specific events across nine Latin American countries, webinars, website content, and social media engagement to drive inbound interest. Since inception, CALDO has placed more than 4,000 Latin American students into graduate programs across its member network. Formal partnerships with national scholarship agencies in Mexico (FUNED, CONAHCYT), Colombia (COLFUTURO), Paraguay (BECAL), Panama (SENACYT), Uruguay (ANII), Peru (PRONABEC), and Costa Rica (CONAPE) extend the consortium's financial advisory capacity and embed it within the regional higher-education funding ecosystem, supplemented by a May 2026 MOU with ANUIES, the association representing 200-plus Mexican higher education institutions.

The core product is a four-step application workflow (find a program, find financing, choose a supervisor, apply to university) supported by a program search browser, supervisor matching tools, language test preparation resources (TOEFL/IELTS), and an academic CV builder. Underlying infrastructure is primarily web-based information delivery rather than proprietary technology; there are no APIs, mobile applications, or AI components disclosed. Governance is distributed across member universities, with four new members added between July 2025 and February 2026 and a strategic MOU with ANUIES signed in May 2026.

Name

CALDO Universities

Legal name

CALDO Consortium

Website

https://caldo.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CALDO Universities is an Ottawa-based consortium of 10 Canadian universities founded in 2011 that connects prospective Latin American graduate students with member universities through free application guidance and partnerships with regional scholarship agencies across nine Latin American countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Enrollment & Third-Party University Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Study Abroad Provider Networks, Consortia & Membership Organizations (EDAIAAAK), Private Pathway & Foundation Providers (EDAIAJAB)

Keywords

• Graduate education consulting
• University consortium services
• International student recruitment
• Academic application support
• Study abroad advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Free student services: CALDO provides free support services to prospective graduate students from Latin America, including application guidance, program identification, and scholarship information. Revenue is generated through membership fees from partner Canadian universities rather than direct student charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CALDO Universities connects Latin American students with graduate programs at ten partner Canadian universities through a free, relationship-driven service. The consortium provides personalized application guidance, program search tools, language test preparation resources, supervisor-matching support, and direct consultations with academic coordinators to help prospective students successfully navigate admission to Canadian graduate schools. Services are offered at no cost to students, with the consortium funded by membership fees from partner Canadian universities.

Product overview

CALDO Universities is a consortium of ten leading Canadian universities offering a unified platform connecting prospective graduate students from Latin America with top-ranked programs in English and French. The core offering is the connection service itself, supported by a suite of application tools including a program search browser, supervisor finding resources, language test preparation materials, and webinar series. The consortium provides free personalized support through Academic Coordinators who guide candidates through the four-step application process: finding a program, finding financing through Latin American scholarship agencies, contacting a thesis supervisor, and applying to the university.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Graduate Program Connection Services Core service connecting prospective Latin American students with graduate programs at ten partner Canadian universities, providing personalized guidance and curated program recommendations for students pursuing master's or doctoral studies in Canada.
• Program Search Browser Web-based search tool that allows prospective students to browse and filter graduate programs offered by the ten partner Canadian universities in the CALDO consortium.
• Application Support Tools Resources designed to help prospective students prepare competitive graduate school applications, including CV writing guidance and tools to help students identify and contact potential supervisors at partner Canadian universities.
• Language Test Preparation Resources Resources to help prospective Latin American students prepare for required English or French language proficiency tests (such as TOEFL or IELTS) needed for admission to Canadian graduate programs.
• Research Area Directory Directory of research areas and academic disciplines available at the ten partner Canadian universities, helping prospective students identify institutions and programs aligned with their research interests.
• Webinar Series Online webinar series featuring presentations and information sessions delivered by partner Canadian universities and academic coordinators to inform prospective Latin American students about graduate program opportunities, application processes, and student experiences.
• Contact and Consultation Services Personalized consultation services providing prospective students with direct access to academic coordinators for individualized guidance on program selection, application strategy, and the Canadian graduate school admissions process.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since founding in 2011, CALDO has collaborated with more than 4,000 Latin American students pursuing graduate studies

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ANUIES (Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Memorandum of Understanding signed May 2026 with ANUIES representing over 200 higher education institutions in Mexico. Strengthens academic mobility, joint research, and collaboration between Mexican and Canadian higher education ecosystems.
• Memorial UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Joined CALDO in February 2026. Located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Recognized for academic excellence, research impact, and focus on ocean studies, sustainability, energy, and coastal development.
• McGill UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Joined CALDO in September 2025. World-renowned for academic excellence with students from over 150 countries. Located in Montreal, Québec.
• Ontario Tech UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Joined CALDO in July 2025. Offers innovative, technology-focused graduate programs with emphasis on research excellence.
• University of New BrunswickcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Joined CALDO in July 2025. Canada's oldest public university offering diverse graduate programs with strong research focus.
• Brock UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Member of CALDO consortium offering diverse graduate programs. Located in Niagara region of Ontario.
• McMaster UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Joined CALDO in March 2020. Ranked among the top four Canadian universities worldwide. Offers world-class research and teaching facilities.
• Queen's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Founding member of CALDO consortium. Provides access to graduate programs at one of Canada's most prestigious universities.
• University of WaterloocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Founding member known for innovation and co-op programs. Offers hundreds of graduate programs across various disciplines.
• University of OttawacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Founding member offering programs in both English and French. Largest bilingual university in the world.
• University of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Founding member of CALDO consortium offering top-ranked graduate programs in English. One of Canada's leading research-intensive universities.
• Université LavalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Founding member offering programs in French. Provides French-language graduate program options for students.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ApplyBoard: Canadian-founded online platform that connects international students (with strong LATAM presence) to study programs at North American institutions. Operates in the same Canada-Latin America international education corridor as CALDO with a tech-enabled marketplace model.
• INTO University Partnerships: Operates pathway and direct enrollment programs partnering with universities to recruit international students, including from Latin America. Closely comparable to CALDO's pathway-to-enrollment model for graduate study abroad candidates.

Broad incumbents

• Navitas: Large global provider of university pathway programs (foundation, diploma, pre-master's) for international students, including LATAM, partnered with multiple universities worldwide. Comparable as a multi-institution pathway facilitator though broader in scope than CALDO.
• IDP Education: Global education services company placing students into study abroad programs, with active LATAM operations. Comparable as a multi-destination study abroad placement provider serving similar international student segments.
• Kaplan International: International education provider offering pathway programs and English language preparation for university-bound students worldwide. Comparable in facilitating international student enrollment into English-speaking universities.
• QS Quacquarelli Symonds: Global higher education data, events, and recruitment organization serving universities and prospective international students. Comparable in supporting international student recruitment to top-ranked universities, including from LATAM.

Emerging players

• Studyportals: Online global study program search and discovery platform used by prospective international students to find and compare graduate programs across universities. Comparable as a discovery and information layer complementing CALDO's curated enrollment support.
• Adventus.io: International student recruitment platform connecting students to programs worldwide, with strong presence in LATAM source markets. Directly comparable as a tech-enabled LATAM-focused international student recruitment platform.

Regional players

• EducationUSA: U.S. Department of State network promoting study in the United States to international students, including from Latin America. Comparable as a government-affiliated network facilitating international student recruitment but for the US rather than Canada.
• British Council: UK's international organization promoting British education and facilitating international student recruitment globally, including Latin America. Comparable as a multi-country study abroad promotional organization but serving the UK rather than Canada.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/caldo.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-caldo-consortium

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 CALDO Universities