Scrum Alliance

What Scrum Alliance does

Scrum Alliance is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, dedicated to advancing agile principles and scrum practices. It serves a global community of nearly 1.8–2 million professionals across 100+ countries through a portfolio that spans foundational, advanced, and professional scrum certifications (CSM, CSPO, CSD and successors at $50–$250 renewal tiers), a growing library of microcredentials covering AI integration, coaching, HR, marketing, and sales applications, and Coursera-distributed specializations. The organization monetizes through certification fees, annual memberships, on-demand and instructor-led course sales, enterprise training contracts, event registrations for its Global and Regional Scrum Gatherings, affiliate referrals, and co-developed content with partners including Northwestern University, The Pathwayz Group, Kanban University, and Marian University. Its technology stack centers on a digital learning management system with a member dashboard that tracks Scrum Education Units (SEUs), a Resource Library of articles and videos that double as SEU-earning activities, and an e-commerce front end — supplemented by a globally vetted Licensed Training Partner (LTP) network and partnerships with tooling providers Miro, Businessmap, and Comparative Agility that bundle member benefits. As a member-driven nonprofit governed by a Board of Directors, Scrum Alliance reinvests surplus into programs and mission-aligned activities rather than distributing profits, with CEO Tristan Boutros leading an executive team spanning product, growth, delivery, marketing, and operations.

Name

Scrum Alliance

Legal name

Scrum Alliance, Inc.

Website

https://scrumalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Scrum Alliance is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization that delivers globally recognized agile certifications, microcredentials, and community programs to roughly 1.8–2 million professionals across 100+ countries, monetizing through certification fees, memberships, courses, enterprise training, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification and Agile Training

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Foundational PM & Delivery Methods (Waterfall/Agile/Hybrid) (EDABAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Quality, Process Improvement & Lean/Six Sigma Certifications (EDAAANAC), Learning, Training & Corporate Education Consulting (BPAHAGAE)

Keywords

• Agile certification training
• Scrum master certification
• Professional microcredentials
• Membership continuing education
• Enterprise agile training

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Professional Certifications: Scrum Alliance generates revenue through certification fees for credentials including CSM, CSPO, CSD, and advanced/professional certifications. Each certification has an associated renewal fee and SEU requirements. Foundational certifications cost $100 with 20 SEUs required, advanced certifications cost $175 with 30 SEUs, and professional certifications cost $250 with 40 SEUs.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership provides access to exclusive resources, networking, discounts, and continuous learning opportunities. Members receive benefits including tools from partners like Miro, Businessmap, and Comparative Agility, plus discounts on courses and events.
3. On-Demand Courses: Sale of individual microcredential courses available online. Courses cover specific skills like AI for Scrum Masters, Agile for Marketing, Agile Coaching Skills, and more. One-year guaranteed access period following purchase.
4. Enterprise Training: Customized training solutions for organizations including bulk purchasing options, enterprise dashboards, and team training programs. Includes access to Licensed Training Partner network for instructor-led training.
5. Partnership Course Revenue: Revenue from courses developed in partnership with organizations like The Pathwayz Group, Northwestern University, and Kanban University. Courses are offered through both Scrum Alliance's platform and partner platforms like Coursera.
6. Event Registrations: Registration fees for Global Scrum Gatherings and Regional Scrum Gatherings. Attendees receive two-year membership with registration, fostering deeper community connections.
7. Affiliate Referrals: The Affiliate Partner Program enables individuals and organizations to earn commissions for each sale generated through official affiliate links, creating a referral revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Scrum Alliance is a nonprofit professional association that issues globally recognized agile certifications (Certified ScrumMaster, Certified Scrum Product Owner, Certified Scrum Developer) and sells skill-based microcredential courses through its digital learning platform. The organization delivers training through a network of Licensed Training Partners and certified trainers, supplemented by annual memberships, global events (Global and Regional Scrum Gatherings), and enterprise workforce training solutions.

Product overview

Scrum Alliance offers a comprehensive agile education platform built around three core pillars: professional certifications, microcredentials, and community. The certification portfolio includes foundational credentials (Certified ScrumMaster, Certified Scrum Product Owner, Certified Scrum Developer) alongside advanced and professional-level certifications. The microcredential library provides skill-based courses in areas including AI applications (AI for Scrum Masters, AI for Product Owners), agile essentials, leadership, coaching, and domain-specific skills (Agile in Sales, Agile for Marketing, Agile for HR). The platform extends through educational partnerships with Coursera (specializations in Agile Coaching Essentials and Agile for the Modern Product Manager) and Northwestern University (Change Management course). Community features include Global and Regional Scrum Gatherings, User Groups, and a Resource Library with SEU-tracking. Enterprise solutions, the Licensed Training Partner program, and a redesigned member dashboard support organizational adoption and professional development at scale.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

Quantifiable outcome

• 69% of organizations pay higher salaries to individuals with agile skills
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Marian UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Partnership to pioneer a new model for career-ready leadership preparing students for the AI era. Combines academic rigor with agile training to prepare graduates for workforce demands.
• The Pathwayz GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Partnership to develop a course helping agile leaders improve business acumen and connect agile practices to enterprise strategy. The course focuses on practical skills including financial fluency, strategic decision-making, and influencing enterprise value. Combines Scrum Alliance's community and expertise with The Pathwayz Group's leadership development programs.
• CourseracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 January 2026Platform partnership for delivering online specializations including 'Agile Coaching Essentials' and 'Agile for the Modern Product Manager'. Features five self-paced courses covering agile principles, prompt engineering, AI applications in product discovery, and metrics-driven outcomes. Targets product leaders and managers seeking skills for AI-influenced environments.
• Northwestern UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025Collaboration to launch a change management course focused on agile transformation. The course equips leaders and practitioners with practical strategies to foster adoption and overcome resistance during organizational change. Northwestern University School of Professional Studies contributes academic rigor and research-based methodologies.
• Kanban UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partnership to create 'Scrum Better with Kanban' course that blends scrum with kanban methodologies. Combines Scrum Alliance's agile expertise with Kanban University's specialized knowledge to help practitioners optimize their workflow approaches.
• MiroflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMiro is the official Mission Sponsor of Scrum Alliance, providing powerful collaboration tools to support teams and professionals worldwide. Partnership includes exclusive member discounts, free access for nonprofits and startups, custom Miro templates for sprint planning and design thinking, and co-development of purpose-driven initiatives supporting the shared mission of advancing agility.
• BusinessmapminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides Scrum Alliance members with a three-month extended trial of Businessmap's enterprise agility platform. Platform helps strategic operators break down complex objectives, align cross-functional teams, and track value delivery with complete clarity.
• Comparative AgilityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides Developer Skill Assessment and Improvement Plan tool for agile developers. Includes detailed progress tracking and personalized recommendations to support continuous improvement and career growth in complex environments.
• The Agile NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides Scrum Alliance members with complimentary annual pass to The Agile Network's valuable virtual conferences ($180 value). Supports member learning and professional development through access to industry conferences.
• Agile AcademyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as an event sponsor and partner contributing to Scrum Alliance's mission of advancing agility. Supports events and community initiatives.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Scaled Agile: Scaled Agile is the for-profit provider of the SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), the dominant enterprise agile scaling framework. Competes for the same enterprise training budget Scrum Alliance targets with enterprise solutions, but operates in the adjacent 'scaled agile' niche rather than team-level scrum.
• Disciplined Agile (PMI): Disciplined Agile is PMI's agile framework offering with certifications like DA Scrum Master and DA Product Owner. Overlaps directly with Scrum Alliance's CSM/CSPO offerings but bundled under PMI's larger professional association brand and member benefits ecosystem.
• AXELOS (PeopleCert): PeopleCert (which acquired AXELOS) administers PRINCE2, ITIL, and related certifications for project and IT service management practitioners. Comparable as a professional certification and training business model serving enterprise L&D budgets, though focused on adjacent PM/ITSM frameworks rather than agile specifically.
• Project Management Institute (PMI): PMI is the global professional association for project managers offering PMP, PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Practitioner), and Disciplined Agile certifications. Overlaps with Scrum Alliance in agile certification but covers broader PM methodologies and benefits from a much larger established member base.

Direct peers

• Scrum.org: Founded by Ken Schwaber, co-creator of Scrum, Scrum.org offers the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) certifications that directly compete with Scrum Alliance's CSM and CSPO. Most direct head-to-head competitor serving the same scrum practitioner market with similar course and certification model.
• Agile Alliance: Agile Alliance is the nonprofit organization behind the original Agile Manifesto, hosting Agile conferences, the Agile Glossary, and community programs. A peer nonprofit in agile education and community-building that operates in the same broader ecosystem though less focused on individual certification.
• ICAgile: ICAgile is an independent certification body offering agile and agile-related certifications (ICAgile Certified Professional, ICP tracks) through a global network of member organizations. Competes directly with Scrum Alliance for both individual certification revenue and accredited training organization partnerships.
• Kanban University: Kanban University provides Kanban certifications (KMP, KSD, TKP) and training that overlap with Scrum Alliance's practitioner audience. Already a partner of Scrum Alliance (co-developed 'Scrum Better with Kanban' course), but also a competitor for the same enterprise and individual training dollars.

Others

• Coursera: Coursera is a strategic distribution partner hosting Scrum Alliance's 'Agile Coaching Essentials' and 'Agile for the Modern Product Manager' specializations. Comparable as an online learning marketplace but operates as a channel rather than a direct competitor, with Coursera also hosting competing agile content from other providers.

Emerging players

• Atlassian University: Atlassian's training arm offers Atlassian-certified agile and DevOps courses (including Agile with Jira) that overlap with Scrum Alliance's enterprise training, particularly for organizations using Jira. Adjacent rather than direct competition, but increasingly an alternative for tool-centric agile learning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ScrumAlliance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/scrumalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/scrumalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scrum-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/scrumalliance
• TikToktiktok.com/@scrumalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Scrum Alliance