What CeriFi does

CeriFi is a private, PE-backed professional education and certification provider headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. The company delivers exam preparation, continuing education (CE), and licensing/certification programs to professionals in financial services, legal, and tax/accounting disciplines, alongside workforce training solutions for the employers and institutions that sponsor them. Since 2018, CeriFi has executed an aggressive acquisition roll-up, consolidating 10+ specialized education brands — including Checkpoint Learning, West LegalEdcenter, MarkMeldrum.com, Spidell Publishing, Fast Forward Academy, Solomon Exam Prep, CPMI Professional Development, Bionic Turtle, Pass Perfect, and Keir Financial Education — into a single platform. The most recent strategic addition, the Small Business Wealth Advisor™ certificate program launched in January 2026 with Wake Forest University, extends the platform into university-accredited advisory competency training aimed at the underserved U.S. small business market.

The core technology is a professional education content platform spanning licensing prep, certification courses, and CE compliance material across multiple verticals. The portfolio is delivered through acquired brand identities (mostly retained post-acquisition) and a recurring subscription revenue model. Distribution is primarily enterprise field sales targeting 5,000+ employers and 200+ educational institutions, with the new Wake Forest partnership opening a co-branded academic channel.

Revenue mechanics are subscription-based and recurring, monetized through employer contracts, institutional licensing, and individual professional subscriptions tied to certification cycles and CE requirements. Leeds Equity Partners provides the financial backing for the roll-up strategy, and the company remains private with no disclosed revenue or valuation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

CeriFi

Legal name

CeriFi

Website

https://cerifi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

CeriFi is a PE-backed professional education platform that delivers exam preparation, certification, and continuing education courses to financial, legal, and tax professionals via a portfolio of 10+ acquired brands, serving 5,000+ employers and 200+ institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education and Certification

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications (EDAAANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ), Accounting & Finance Certification Prep (CPA, CMA, CFA, FRM) (EDANAIAD), Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD) (MPAJACAL)

Keywords

• Professional education
• Certification preparation
• Continuing education
• Exam preparation
• Workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpharetta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Education Services: CeriFi generates revenue through professional education offerings including exam preparation, continuing education courses, and certification solutions for financial and legal professionals. Revenue is derived from serving employers, institutions, and individual professionals seeking licensing and professional development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

CeriFi is a diversified professional education, training, and certification provider serving financial, legal, tax, and accounting professionals. The company offers exam preparation, continuing education, and licensing/certification courses through a portfolio of acquired brands, with content delivered via enterprise partnerships with employers and educational institutions.

Product overview

CeriFi operates as a professional education and workforce training partner for the financial services industry, offering a portfolio of acquired brands and new product offerings. The portfolio includes Checkpoint Learning (professional licensing education), West LegalEdcenter (legal education), MarkMeldrum.com (CFA exam preparation), Spidell Publishing and Fast Forward Academy (tax and accounting education), plus the newly launched Small Business Wealth Advisor™ certificate program developed in partnership with Wake Forest University. The company serves over 5,000 employers and 200 institutions with professional development, training, and certification solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Business Wealth Advisor™ (SBWA™) Certificate Program University-accredited certificate program designed to prepare financial advisors to serve private business owners across their entire business lifecycle.
• Checkpoint Learning Professional licensing and education platform providing continuing education and certification preparation for legal and financial professionals.
• West LegalEdcenter Legal education platform offering professional development, licensing preparation, and continuing education courses for legal professionals.
• MarkMeldrum.com CFA exam preparation company providing study materials and courses for candidates pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
• Spidell Publishing Provider of tax and accounting education content and continuing education materials for financial professionals.
• Fast Forward Academy Provider of tax and accounting exam preparation and continuing education courses for accounting and financial professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than 5% of advisors currently trained to serve the 34.8 million small businesses in the U.S.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.

• Wake Forest UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2026CeriFi partnered with Wake Forest University to launch the Small Business Wealth Advisor™ (SBWA™) certificate program, marking the first university-accredited curriculum designed to prepare financial advisors to serve private business owners. Enrollment opens January 2026.
• Thomson ReutersminorOthersThomson Reuters sold Checkpoint Learning and West LegalEdcenter to CeriFi as part of the acquisition transaction completed in December 2022.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Becker Professional Education: Direct competitor in CPA, CFA, and financial certification exam preparation. Targets the same professional learner segments as CeriFi's MarkMeldrum, Fast Forward Academy, and Pass Perfect brands.
• Kaplan Financial Education: Direct peer offering exam prep and continuing education across financial services, insurance, and securities licensing — overlapping with CeriFi's Checkpoint Learning and West LegalEdcenter offerings.
• Wiley Efficient Learning: Direct peer providing CPA, CMA, and CFA exam review plus continuing professional education. Operates in identical certification prep and CPE categories as multiple CeriFi subsidiaries.
• Surgent Accounting & Financial Education: Direct peer focused on CPA exam prep and continuing professional education for accountants. Competes head-to-head with CeriFi's Fast Forward Academy, Pass Perfect, and Solomon Exam Prep brands.
• Roger CPA Review: Direct peer in CPA exam preparation, targeting the same accounting candidate market as CeriFi's CPA-prep subsidiaries with a similar subscription-style delivery model.
• Bisk Education: Direct peer providing continuing professional education and exam prep for CPAs, EAs, and financial professionals — overlapping significantly with CeriFi's CPE/portfolio offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Thomson Reuters: Large incumbent that previously owned Checkpoint Learning and West LegalEdcenter (now part of CeriFi). Continues to operate adjacent legal and tax professional content and serves overlapping enterprise customers.
• Wolters Kluwer: Broad incumbent in legal and tax compliance publishing and professional software. Competes with CeriFi's legal and tax brands via CCH and similar professional information products at enterprise scale.
• Skillsoft: Broad incumbent in enterprise learning and professional development, including compliance and leadership content. Competes for enterprise L&D budgets that CeriFi also targets through employer channels.
• 2U: Broad incumbent in online professional education and bootcamp delivery, with university partnerships similar in form to CeriFi's Wake Forest collaboration. Relevant comparable for the accredited program strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A10 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about CeriFi