The acquisition of TrainHub’s international education industry training ecosystem, software platform and proprietary technology will allow ApplyBoard to “drive student mobility and strengthen international student pathways”, the company said.

Since 2020, Panda Portal has sought to connected educational institutions with recruitment partners to “support their shared ongoing education and training needs using in-depth, up-to-date and approved materials”. Rebranded as TrainHub, the company now has more than 150 global educational institution partners.

The acquisition is part of a series of initiatives ApplyBoard has taken to “help provide the best level of quality and training of our recruitment partners and ultimately help students receive stellar advice and service through their application journey”, according to co-founder and chief marketing officer Meti Basiri.

“Ever since my brothers and I came to Canada as international students, we have strived to empower and strengthen the entire international student sector and with the acquisition of TrainHub we are doing just that,” he said.

“It is exciting to now be part of one of the most dynamic technology companies in the world,” founder and head of TrainHub Jimmy Battaglia added.

“It is exciting to now be part of one of the most dynamic technology companies in the world”

“Remaining a stand alone platform, with the backing and support of ApplyBoard, will allow TrainHub to continue to expand and bring our product and services to more schools, and more recruitment partners, who play a vital role in helping students navigate their study abroad journey.”

As ApplyBoard’s first acquisition in its seven-year history, TrainHub is part of the platform’s overall global strategy to “enable recruitment partners worldwide to ensure international students consistently receive best-in-class support and accurate information to position them for success, helping to bridge gaps in the study abroad journey and support global economies”.

In June 2021, ApplyBoard was valued at US$3.2 billion, following a raise of $300m in Series D funding. In the past year, it highlighted that it has invested more than $1m in training and professional development of recruitment partners through its ApplyBoard Counsellor Course.

With TrainHub’s goal to enable international education professional to access training and education, ApplyBoard added that the ecosystem is “exceptionally aligned” to its own mission.