What AJ&Smart does

AJ&Smart GmbH is a Berlin-based private company (founded 2011, 11-50 employees) that operates as a multi-vertical holding entity over three branded divisions: Facilitator.com (facilitation training), AJ&Smart Studio (boutique product design and strategy), and AJ&Smart Partners (marketing and growth advisory using funnel strategies). The Studio division delivers interface, game, and product design on a project basis to enterprise and mid-market clients such as Google, N26, IKEA, the UN World Food Programme's ShareTheMeal app, Oak Meditation, and Zero Fasting Tracker. The Partners division sells high-ticket consulting and group events—the €2,997 Summer Camp Mastermind, the from-€100,000 2-Day Growth Jam, and a 12-18 month Partnership tier capped at 3 companies per year with a stated €1,000,000 minimum revenue/profit impact commitment.

Revenue mechanics are predominantly professional services and event-based, with subscription/recurring training under Facilitator.com as an emerging stream. Distribution combines direct high-touch sales (discovery calls required for Partnership tier), self-serve e-commerce for event tickets, and thought-leadership marketing via the Jake and Jonathan podcast, The Unscheduled CEO podcast, The Facilitation Newsletter, and social channels including YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The company is led by CEO Jonathan Courtney, is bootstrapped (no disclosed venture or institutional funding), and was restructured in 2024 into its current three-entity form under a stated mission to "Bring Joy and Creativity back to work" and to "shorten the loop of Idea to Execution."

Name

AJ&Smart

Legal name

AJ&Smart GmbH

Website

https://ajsmart.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AJ&Smart GmbH is a Berlin-based, founder-led company operating three divisions: Facilitator.com (facilitation training), AJ&Smart Studio (boutique product design and strategy for clients such as Google, N26, and IKEA), and AJ&Smart Partners (high-ticket funnel and growth advisory for founders).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Business Partnership Consulting: Long-term partnerships (12-18 months) working directly with founders to transform their businesses using funnel strategies. Revenue generated through high-value consulting engagements.
2. 2-Day Growth Jam: Intensive 2-day workshops at the AJ&Smart Berlin office focused on tackling specific growth blockers. Offered at premium pricing (from €100,000) for high-impact interventions.
3. Summer Camp Mastermind: 3-day online group mastermind events teaching practical strategies for business growth and funnel implementation. Sold as tickets at €2997.
4. Facilitation Training: Training programs under Facilitator.com brand covering facilitation skills and real-time collaboration techniques.
5. Product Design Services: Boutique design and strategy studio creating interfaces, games, and other products for external clients on a project basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AJ&Smart operates across three divisions: Facilitator.com delivers facilitation training to solve real-time collaboration issues; AJ&Smart Studio is a boutique product design and strategy studio creating interfaces, games, and creative products for clients; AJ&Smart Partners is a business growth partnership program that helps founders and companies leverage funnel strategies for predictable revenue growth, including Group Masterminds, 2-Day Growth Jams, and full Partnership engagements.

Product overview

AJ&Smart is a facilitation company that operates across three divisions: Facilitator.com (facilitation training), AJ&Smart Studio (product design and strategy), and AJ&Smart Partners (funnel and marketing services). The company also produces media content including podcasts and a newsletter. In addition to client work, AJ&Smart Studio creates entertainment products like the board game Top Bun and video game Airlock.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Facilitator.com The world's best facilitation training with the mission to solve real-time collaboration issues at every company on earth so people can find joy in their work. Targeted at organizations and individuals seeking to improve team collaboration and facilitation skills.
• AJ&Smart Studio A boutique product design and strategy studio based in Berlin that designs interfaces, games, and other creative products. Clients include Google, N26, IKEA, UN World Food Programme (ShareTheMeal), Oak Meditation, and Zero Fasting Tracker.
• AJ&Smart Partners A business growth and marketing partnership program that helps creators, entrepreneurs, and companies leverage funnel strategies to grow their products predictably. Includes Group Masterminds, 2-Day Growth Jams, and full Partnership programs (12-18 months, €100,000+, capped at 3 companies per year).
• Summer Camp Mastermind A 3-day online Mastermind event teaching practical strategies for business growth with high-impact funnel implementation. Sold as tickets at €2,997, serving as an entry point into Partners funnel expertise.
• 2-Day Growth Jam An intensive 2-day workshop with Jonathan and Laura held at the AJ&Smart Berlin office, focused on tackling specific growth blockers. Offered from €100,000 and only delivered when projected business impact exceeds €200,000.
• Top Bun A board game created by AJ&Smart Studio for entertainment purposes.
• Airlock A co-op multiplayer video game created by AJ&Smart Studio for entertainment purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• $3-5 million saved for Pip Decks through strategic aha-moment in first hour of engagement
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Jake KnappcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNew York Times bestselling author of Sprint, Make Time, and Click. Worked with AJ&Smart Partners on book launch campaign for 'Click' which was described as 'incredibly successful'. Partners team handled strategy, copywriting, launch webinar planning, and website development.
• John ZeratskycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNew York Times bestselling author of Sprint, Make Time, and Click. Collaborated with AJ&Smart Partners on book launch for 'Click' - described as one of the most professionally rewarding weeks of their careers.
• Pip DeckscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness tools company led by CEO Charles Burdett. Received strategic consultation resulting in $3-5 million savings and $100k first-day revenue from recommended funnel format. Transformed their business approach.
• d.MBAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness education company founded by Alen Faljic. Partnership resulted in their best quarter ever within one month. Described as 'the single most powerful investment' for the business.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Voltage Control: Voltage Control is a facilitation training and workshop design company, directly comparable to the Facilitator.com division's mission of solving real-time collaboration issues in companies.
• Section4: Section4 is a high-ticket online business education platform for founders and operators, sharing AJ&Smart's premium, cohort-based model and founder audience overlap.
• Workshopper: Workshopper delivers facilitation training, workshops, and resources to companies seeking to improve collaboration, closely paralleling the Facilitator.com offering and audience.

Direct peers

• The Futur: The Futur, founded by Chris Do, is a creative business education and coaching platform that combines high-ticket programs, content, and agency services — very closely aligned to AJ&Smart's Partners + Studio positioning targeting entrepreneurs and creators.
• DigitalMarketer: DigitalMarketer (and the related ClickFunnels ecosystem) sells funnel-building training, certification programs, and consulting — directly comparable to AJ&Smart Partners' Magic Funnel System and mastermind-driven GTM.
• Reforge: Reforge offers high-end, cohort-based growth and product strategy education for senior operators, mirroring AJ&Smart Partners' premium, application-based, and outcome-oriented advisory experience.

Broad incumbents

• Frog Design: Frog is a long-standing product design and strategy firm serving large enterprises, comparable in offering to AJ&Smart Studio's interface, game, and product design engagements.
• IDEO: IDEO is a globally recognized design and innovation consultancy, providing a broad incumbent parallel to AJ&Smart Studio's boutique design and strategy work for enterprises like Google and IKEA.
• Pentagram: Pentagram is a multi-disciplinary design firm with a partner-led model — structurally similar to AJ&Smart Studio's boutique, senior-led design engagements for enterprise clients.
• Hyper Island: Hyper Island is an established education provider focused on creative business leadership, teamwork, and facilitation — overlapping with Facilitator.com's training audience and methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AJSmart/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aj&smart/mycompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/ajsmartdesign/?hl=en
• Xx.com/ajsmartdesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 AJ&Smart