astar

Name

astar

Legal name

Astar AB

Website

https://astar.se

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

Keywords

• Vocational education services
• Adult learning programs
• Labor market training
• Swedish language instruction
• Workforce skills development

Headquarters

HQ city

Solna

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices23 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded vocational education: Astar operates as a municipal adult education provider (Komvux) and labor market training provider. Revenue comes from government funding arrangements with municipalities and Arbetsförmedlingen. Students can apply for CSN study support for tuition-free programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Astar provides adult vocational education (Komvux), SFI Swedish-for-Immigrants language courses, and Arbetsmarknadsutbildning labor market training programs across Sweden in fields including healthcare, construction, electrical, VVS, hospitality, IT, and facility management. The company combines classroom instruction with extensive workplace-based learning (APL) and apprenticeships, supplemented by three operating training restaurants that function as commercial kitchens for culinary students.

Product overview

Astar operates as an educational services provider offering a portfolio of vocational training programs primarily for Swedish adults. The core offerings include Komvux (municipal adult education), Arbetsmarknadsutbildning (labor market training via Arbetsförmedlingen), and SFI (Swedish for Immigrants language programs). Programs span diverse sectors including healthcare (undersköterska), construction trades (VVS-montör, electrician), hospitality (chef, baker), facility management (localvårdare), and IT. The company runs parallel restaurant operations including Brandstation Restaurang & Catering in Sundsvall, Astar Kitchen in Eskilstuna, and Restaurang Karpalund in Kristianstad, which serve as training environments for culinary students while operating commercial food service. Additional services include examination administration (prövningar), recruitment-focused training programs developed with specific employers, and workplace-based learning (APL) integrated across all vocational offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vuxenutbildning (Adult Education / Komvux) Vocational adult education programs across multiple disciplines including construction, healthcare, IT, hospitality, electrical, VVS, and trades, combining theoretical instruction with workplace-based learning (APL). Programs are tuition-free and funded via municipalities with CSN study support available.
• Arbetsmarknadsutbildning (Labor Market Training) Occupational training programs developed in collaboration with the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen), tailored to labor market demands and designed to lead directly to employment for unemployed participants.
• SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) Swedish language instruction for immigrants, including vocational SFI programs that combine language learning with career preparation, job interview coaching, CV writing, and internship placement.
• Rekryteringsutbildningar (Employer Recruitment Training) Customized training programs co-developed with specific employers (including Atria, KLS, HKScan, Jakobsdals Charkuteri, Protos, Andersson & Tillman, Berglund Bygg) to meet their recruitment needs, combining theory with workplace-based learning at the hiring company and leading to direct employment of graduates.
• Industrial Electrician Training - English (Skellefteå) Full-time industrial electrician training conducted in English in Skellefteå for English-speaking participants, combining theoretical and practical components covering industrial electrical installation, maintenance, and repair.
• Brandstation Restaurang & Catering (Sundsvall) Restaurant and catering operation in Sundsvall's historic 1899 fire station, serving lunch buffets and hosting events while simultaneously training culinary students.
• Astar Kitchen Eskilstuna Training restaurant in Eskilstuna where students practice to become chefs, offering lunch service and catering while receiving instruction in cooking, service, and hospitality.
• Restaurang Karpalund (Kristianstad) Restaurant in Kristianstad operating in partnership with Astar's culinary training programs, continuing the area's food production heritage.
• Undersköterska (Assistant Nurse) Training Healthcare assistant training covering dementia care, mental health, disabilities, anatomy, and nursing, with 12 weeks of workplace-based learning.
• VVS-montör (Plumber/Heating Engineer) Training Vocational training for plumbing, heating, ventilation, and sanitation systems installation and repair, including theoretical instruction and workplace practicum.
• Service- och installationselektriker (Electrical Installer) Training Electrical installation and service training covering theoretical foundations, practical execution, reading blueprints, and workplace-based learning at electrical firms.
• Lokalvårdare (Cleaner/Facility Caretaker) Training Facility cleaning and maintenance training covering cleaning techniques, materials handling, workplace safety, ergonomics, and customer service skills.
• Kock och Servering (Chef and Restaurant Service) Training Culinary arts and restaurant service programs preparing students for careers as chefs, bakers, pastry chefs, and waitstaff, with practical training in professional kitchens.
• Prövningar (Examinations) Academic examination services allowing individuals to obtain or improve grades for prior knowledge, available in the Stockholm region.
• Culinary Training for Kriminalvården (Prison Education) Culinary training delivered to inmates at Luleå prison in partnership with the Swedish Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården), supporting rehabilitation and post-release employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• VVS-utbildning Tyresö received 5.8/6 rating from Arbetsförmedlingen's student satisfaction survey
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Skellefteå MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2025Partnership to deliver industrial electrician training entirely in English, targeting English-speaking workers including those laid off from Northvolt. Training runs from May 2025 to February 2026.
• Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for labor market training programs. Arbetsförmedlingen refers job seekers to Astar's vocational training programs and provides funding for participant support during training.
• Kriminalvården (Swedish Prison and Probation Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide culinary training to inmates at Luleå prison. Kriminalvården built a restaurant kitchen and Astar provides education. Goal is employment for participants after release.
• AtriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeat processing company partnering for recruitment training programs. Part of industry collaboration for butchery, sausage making, and meat processing training.
• KLS (Mat för Sverige)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeat processing company partnering for recruitment training programs in butchery and meat processing.
• HKScanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeat processing company partnering for recruitment training programs in butchery and meat processing.
• Jakobsdals CharkuteriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerButchery company partnering for recruitment training programs.
• ProtosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerButchery company that partnered with Astar for recruitment training. Alexandra Sjögren was hired through this program.
• Andersson & Tillman (Mat från Uppland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeat processing company partnering for recruitment training in butchery and meat processing.
• Mittuniversitetet (Mid Sweden University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnered with Astar/Brandstation for catering at international symposium on entrepreneurship and innovation in Sundsvall.
• BizMakerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation hub that partnered with Astar for catering at international symposium on entrepreneurship and innovation in Sundsvall.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lernia: Lernia is a major Swedish provider of vocational training, labor market programs, and recruitment services, with strong partnerships with Arbetsförmedlingen. It competes directly with Astar in labor market training and recruitment-focused vocational education.
• Medborgarskolan: Medborgarskolan is a Swedish adult education association offering SFI, Komvux, and vocational programs. It competes directly with Astar in municipal adult education and language training across multiple Swedish regions.
• Hermods: Hermods is one of Sweden's largest adult education providers, offering Komvux, SFI, and vocational training programs across multiple locations nationally. It directly competes with Astar in municipal adult education, labor market training, and corporate recruitment training.
• Campus Mölndal / Yrgo: Yrgo is a major Swedish vocational education provider offering trade and technical programs in the Västra Götaland region, competing directly with Astar for vocational training students and municipal contracts.
• TUC/Yrkeshögskolan (YrkesAkademin): Yrkesakademin is a Swedish vocational training provider offering programs in construction, electrical, and industrial trades. It overlaps with Astar's vocational program portfolio and competes for both municipal and employer contracts.
• Frans Schartaus: Frans Schartaus is a Stockholm-based private education company offering Komvux, SFI, and vocational training programs. It directly competes with Astar in adult secondary education and language training in the greater Stockholm region.
• Newton (Yrkeshögskolan): Newton is a Swedish vocational and higher vocational education provider offering technical and trade programs. It competes with Astar in the post-secondary vocational space, particularly in IT and technology trades.

Others

• Komvux municipalities (Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö): Public municipal adult education providers run by Sweden's largest cities. While not for-profit companies, they are key competitors/vendors in the same Komvux market and often distribute students to private providers like Astar through procurement arrangements.

Regional players

• Ambea / Humana (special-needs vocational services): While primarily healthcare and social services, Humana's training arm operates in adjacent special-needs and integration-focused vocational education in the Nordics. It is thematically comparable to Astar's SFI and integration-vocational programs.

Broad incumbents

• Academedia (adult education division): Academedia is Sweden's largest education company, operating across multiple segments including adult education and vocational training. Its breadth and capital backing make it a broad incumbent that competes with Astar across multiple education verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@astar1419
• Facebookfacebook.com/astarsverige
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astar-se
• Instagraminstagram.com/astar.ab
• TikToktiktok.com/@astarutbildning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 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 astar