QA

What QA does

QA Limited is a UK-headquartered commercial technology and digital training company founded in 1985, operating as QA Limited (registered in England, No. 2413137) with its registered office in London and a US subsidiary, QA USA, Inc. (formerly Cloud Academy, Inc.), in New York. The company positions itself as "Europe's biggest" and "North America's fastest growing" technology and digital training partner, serving more than 7,000 organisations and 500,000+ learners across 150+ countries, with a stated 40-year operating history, 450 in-house subject matter experts, and an authorised partnership network of approximately 40 technology vendors and certification bodies (Microsoft, AWS, NVIDIA, Google, Red Hat, Cisco, ISC2, ISACA, CompTIA, BCS, PeopleCert, Scaled Agile, DevOps Institute, etc.). Customer logos include Apple, Walmart, Microsoft Copilot, NHS England, the UK Ministry of Justice, Centrica, Cognizant, Capgemini, and Costa Coffee, alongside dedicated UK public sector divisions for England, Scotland, NHS, MOD, and local councils, and a higher-education sub-brand (QA Higher Education).

QA's product portfolio is built around four learning modalities - instructor-led (classroom and virtual), self-paced online learning (the platform.qa.com Cloud Academy platform), a blended learning experience combining the two, and government-funded apprenticeships (12-42 months in AI, cloud, cyber, data, DevOps, software, project management, plus degree apprenticeships) - supported by enterprise services such as Managed Learning Services and the Skills Licence, a pre-paid training entitlement. Underlying technology comprises the Cloud Academy self-paced content library (operated by QA USA, Inc.), a blended learning orchestration layer, a Skills Licence subscription platform, and a separately marketed AI/AI Security/AI Legal learning pathway suite; the company has an Ofsted 'Good' rating in all aspects for its apprenticeship provision and is an approved provider for the UK Apprenticeship Levy and Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) schemes.

The business model blends per-course one-time fees (publicly listed in GBP on the qa.com storefront, e.g. ICAgile Agile Fundamentals from £1,110+VAT, PRINCE2 7 from £1,608+VAT, ITIL 5 Foundation from £1,161+VAT, Microsoft Azure AZ-104 from £1,866+VAT, OffSec OSCP from £5,395+VAT), recurring self-paced subscriptions and Skills Licence entitlements sold via contact form, multi-year apprenticeship contracts funded by the UK Apprenticeship Levy and ELC, managed learning services delivered under enterprise outsourcing agreements, and co-marketed training programmes with ~40 technology and certification partners. The go-to-market mixes direct enterprise and public sector field sales, a self-serve e-commerce catalogue, apprenticeship delivery, and authorised training partner channels, with brand-led content marketing (blog, podcasts, case studies, SEO role-based landing pages) supporting demand generation.

Name

QA

Website

https://qa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

QA is a UK-founded technology and digital training company that delivers instructor-led, self-paced, blended, and apprenticeship-based learning to 7,000+ organisations and 500,000+ learners across 150+ countries, through a 40-vendor partner ecosystem covering cloud, AI, cyber, data, and project management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Technology Training Services

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Computer Training (61142), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

QA, Test Automation & Software Quality (Manual/Automated Testing, Performance) (EDABAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.) (BPAEANAA), Cloud Computing & Infrastructure (AWS/Azure/GCP, Virtualization) (EDABAFAB), Quality Assurance (QA), Coaching & Performance Management (EDABACAF), Quality Management Systems (QMS) & ISO Training (ISO 9001/IATF/AS9100) (EDABAKAD)

Keywords

• Technology training services
• Professional certification courses
• IT apprenticeship programs
• Corporate learning services
• Digital skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Slough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Instructor-led training course fees: Per-course pricing for classroom and virtual instructor-led training (e.g., ICAgile Agile Fundamentals from £1,110+VAT, APMG AgilePM from £3,070+VAT, PRINCE2 7 F&P from £1,608+VAT). One-time purchase per course.
2. Self-paced learning subscriptions: Recurring subscription access to the online learning library at platform.qa.com (Cloud Academy) for unlimited self-paced tech content.
3. Apprenticeship programmes (Apprenticeship Levy funded): Multi-month to multi-year apprenticeships (12-42 months) across AI, Cloud, Cyber, Data, DevOps, Software, Project Management and degree apprenticeships; funded via UK Apprenticeship Levy, ELC, or employer direct.
4. Managed Learning Services and Skills Licence: Tailored programmatic learning at scale for enterprise customers including custom courses, labs, learning paths, and managed programme delivery.
5. Certification and exam bundles: Course bundles (e.g., ITIL Foundation Online Learning with manual & online exam) and certification prep packages sold as one-time purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

QA is a UK-based technology and digital training company that delivers instructor-led classroom and virtual training, self-paced online learning via the Cloud Academy platform, blended learning, and government-funded apprenticeship programmes. It also provides managed learning services and a Skills Licence subscription to enterprise and public sector customers, alongside individual course and certification sales. The portfolio spans hundreds of vendor-accredited certifications (Microsoft, AWS, Cisco, Google, Red Hat, CompTIA, ISC2, ITIL, PRINCE2, SAFe, Scrum) and 11+ course categories including AI, Cloud, Cyber Security, Data, Agile, Project Management, and Service Management.

Product overview

QA operates a multi-modality training platform rather than a single product, with four primary learning modalities (Instructor-led Learning, Self-paced Learning via the Cloud Academy platform, Blended Learning Experience, and Apprenticeships) plus supporting enterprise services (Managed Learning Services, Skills Licence, TAP Learning) and vertical solutions (AI Skills at Scale, Cloud Adoption, Data Upskilling, AI Security, Public Sector Training). The Cloud Academy self-paced platform, operated by QA USA, Inc. (formerly Cloud Academy, Inc.), underpins the digital subscription product and is referenced across the homepage, while Circus Street, acquired in July 2021, extends the portfolio into digital skills training. The product portfolio spans 11+ course categories (Agile, AI, Cloud, Cyber Security, Data, Digital Marketing, IT, Leadership, Product Management, Project Management, Service Management, Software) and corresponding apprenticeships, with the AI Leadership apprenticeship units and the ITIL 5 suite being the most recent additions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Instructor-led Learning In-person and virtual classroom training for individuals and corporate cohorts, including options for Managed Learning Services, Skills Licence, and TAP (Training the Trainer) for L&D teams.
• Self-paced Learning (Cloud Academy) Subscription-based online learning platform providing unlimited access to QA's tech content library with learning paths, hands-on labs, and exam preparation for major cloud, AI, and security certifications.
• Blended Learning Experience Combines instructor-led virtual or classroom sessions with self-paced digital content into a single learning experience, available across multiple certification tracks including ITIL, PRINCE2, and BCS Business Analysis.
• Apprenticeships Workplace-based apprenticeship programmes covering AI, Cloud, Cyber Security, Data, DevOps, Digital Marketing, IT, Product, Project Management, and Software Development, with newly launched AI Leadership apprenticeship units.
• Managed Learning Services Enterprise managed-learning service for organisations to outsource administration and delivery of their training programmes, including custom courses, labs, learning paths, and tailored programme delivery.
• Skills Licence Pre-paid training entitlement that lets organisations draw down instructor-led courses across the QA catalogue, with programmatic provisioning and tracking of learning at scale.
• Degree Apprenticeships Longer-format degree-level apprenticeships including BSc (Hons) Digital Technology Solutions and BSc (Hons) Project Management.
• TAP Learning QA's Training Apprenticeship Programme (TAP) for L&D professionals, covering learning design, facilitation, training delivery for new and experienced trainers, eLearning design, and learning evaluation.
• Public Sector Training Solutions Tailored learning programmes for UK public sector organisations including Public Sector England, Public Sector Scotland, NHS, Local Councils, and Education.
• QA Higher Education QA's higher education arm, operating as a separate sub-brand offering degree pathways alongside QA's training portfolio.
• ITIL 5 (Version 5) Suite ITIL 5 (Version 5) Foundation Certificate and the full ITIL 5 service management certification suite, evolving the ITIL framework for digital and AI-driven environments.
• NVIDIA AI Engineer Apprenticeship (Level 6) Level 6 AI Engineer apprenticeship developed with NVIDIA, plus a Fundamentals of Deep Learning course, leveraging NVIDIA accelerated training infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~7,000 organisations served globally; 500,000+ learners across 150+ countries (post-2021 Circus Street acquisition).
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• NVIDIAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026QA announced a new collaboration with NVIDIA for AI training and apprenticeships, including an NVIDIA AI Engineer Level 6 apprenticeship and a Fundamentals of Deep Learning course. NVIDIA is featured as a homepage 'trending' partner.
• MicrosoftflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-marketed learning paths for Microsoft Copilot, Azure, Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Dynamics 365, and Security. Trending skills include Microsoft Copilot. Microsoft Copilot is also featured as a customer case study (early adoption).
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerQA Ltd is an advanced partner of AWS. Offers the full AWS catalogue (Architecting, Developing, Security, CloudOps, Data Analytics, ML, etc.) plus AWS certifications and AWS Apprenticeship pathways.
• Google CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationQA is a Google Cloud training partner offering courses on Google Cloud Platform, Data Engineering, Kubernetes, BigQuery, and Google Cloud certifications.
• Red HatcoreTechnology or IntegrationQA is an approved trainer of Red Hat, delivering the full Red Hat curriculum (RH124, RHCSA, OpenShift, Ansible, etc.).
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorised Cisco training partner delivering CCNA, ENCOR, ENARSI, DCID, SCOR, and many other Cisco-certified courses.
• OraclecoreTechnology or IntegrationDelivers Oracle University curriculum including Oracle Database performance management, PL/SQL, multitenant architecture.
• CompTIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthorised CompTIA Platinum Training Partner delivering CompTIA certifications.
• BCS (British Computer Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCS Accredited Training Partner, delivering BCS certifications in AI, business analysis, agile, data analysis, stakeholder engagement, etc.
• DevOps InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElite Partner of the DevOps Institute, delivering DevOps Foundation, DevOps Leader, Continuous Testing, and SRE certifications.
• ISC2coreTechnology or IntegrationDelivers ISC2 certifications including CISSP, CCSP, CISSAP, CISSMP, and Systems Security Certified Practitioner.
• APMG InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial training partner of APMG, delivering AgilePM, AgileBA, MSP, MoP, MoV, P3O, Change Management and Better Business Cases.
• APM (Association for Project Management)coreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial training provider of APM, delivering PFQ, PMQ, and APM Risk certifications.
• ICAgilecoreTechnology or IntegrationICAgile training partner delivering ICP, ICP-APO, ICP-PDM, ICP-ACC, Foundations of AI.
• SAFe (Scaled Agile)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAFe Platinum partner delivering Leading SAFe, SAFe for Teams, SAFe PO/PM, SAFe Scrum Master and Release Train Engineer courses, with multiple 'AI-Empowered SAFe' variants.
• PeopleCertcoreTechnology or IntegrationApproved PeopleCert training provider delivering ITIL 4 and ITIL 5 (Version 5) certifications.
• Circus StreetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQA completed the acquisition of Circus Street, a digital skills training provider, on 6 July 2021. The deal enhances QA's ability to deliver digital transformation solutions and expands its global reach, serving over 500,000 learners in more than 150 countries.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pluralsight: US-listed tech skills platform offering cloud, AI, cyber and software development courses to enterprises. Directly comparable to QA's self-paced Cloud Academy subscription and enterprise skills licence motion, and a frequent head-to-head competitor for large enterprise L&D budgets.
• Skillsoft: Global enterprise learning company delivering technology, leadership and compliance training via subscriptions, immersive content and instructor-led programmes. Closely comparable to QA across modalities, enterprise GTM and certification prep, though Skillsoft is larger and US-listed.
• Global Knowledge: Worldwide IT and professional skills training provider delivering vendor-authorised instructor-led and virtual training for AWS, Cisco, Microsoft, Google and others. Direct competitor to QA in enterprise tech training and certification prep, with similar partner-led GTM.
• Firebrand Training: UK-headquartered accelerated IT training provider delivering intensive instructor-led courses and certification programmes. Direct UK competitor to QA on instructor-led tech training, with overlapping vendor accreditations and enterprise customers.
• New Horizons: Global network of IT training centres offering instructor-led and online courses across Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA and cloud vendors. Comparable to QA's blended learning model and franchise-style delivery footprint.
• Learning Tree International: Enterprise IT and management training company combining instructor-led, virtual and on-demand courses for corporate and public-sector clients. Comparable modality mix and customer profile to QA, particularly in UK government and defence.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large online learning marketplace partnering with universities and tech vendors (Google, IBM, AWS) to deliver certificates and degrees. Competes with QA in self-paced enterprise upskilling, especially for AI and cloud credentials, but is broader and not apprenticeship-focused.
• Udemy: Global marketplace for tech and business courses sold to individuals and enterprises via Udemy Business. Overlaps with QA's self-paced catalogue and individual learner motion; less overlap in UK Apprenticeship Levy programmes and instructor-led delivery.

Emerging players

• Mthree: Tech training and apprenticeship provider placing graduates into investment banks and enterprise IT teams, with academy-to-hire programmes. Competes with QA on UK tech apprenticeships and graduate reskilling, though more narrowly focused on financial services.
• Corndel: UK apprenticeship and professional development provider specialising in data, tech and leadership programmes funded via the Apprenticeship Levy. Direct overlap with QA's apprenticeship portfolio and Levy-funded delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QAtraining
• Facebookfacebook.com/QALtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qa-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QA