Altius Education

Operating from San Francisco, Altius Education functioned as an Online Program Manager (OPM), partnering with traditional universities to expand access to higher education. The company's business model revolved around forming joint ventures with academic institutions to develop and manage online degree programs. Altius was responsible for the technology, student support, and administrative aspects, while partner universities handled curriculum and instruction. This model generated revenue by providing these comprehensive services to its partner institutions. The firm successfully raised $26.6 million in two funding rounds from investors including Maveron, Spark Capital, and Charles River Ventures.

The flagship service of Altius was Ivy Bridge College, created in 2008 as a joint venture with Tiffin University. Ivy Bridge offered a fully online associate's degree program designed as a transfer college, providing students a direct path to a four-year bachelor's degree. A key feature was the assignment of a personal success coach to each student, guiding them from application to graduation to boost retention and success rates. The program established a network of over 140 partner institutions where students with satisfactory academic standing could seamlessly transfer. Altius also developed Helix, a proprietary cloud-based, competency-based online learning platform with advanced analytic tools.

In 2013, Altius Education faced significant challenges after its primary partner, Tiffin University, was ordered by its accreditor to cease offering degrees through Ivy Bridge College due to concerns about academic rigor and quality. Following this, in October 2013, the company was acqui-hired by Datamark (which became Helix Education). The acquisition included the Altius brand name, its technology platforms like Helix, and 42 of its employees, but excluded assets related to the defunct Ivy Bridge College.