SmartBuilder

Name

SmartBuilder

Legal name

Strategic Technology Solutions, Inc.

Website

https://smartbuilder.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SmartBuilder (Strategic Technology Solutions, Inc.) is a Carlsbad, California-based e-learning software company that sells a no-code visual authoring platform to instructional designers at enterprises and mid-market organizations for building interactive compliance, sales, and scenario-based training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

E-learning Authoring Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Rapid eLearning Authoring Tools (EDAFAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Standards, Packaging & Interoperability Tools (SCORM/xAPI/cmi5/LTI) (EDAFAHAH)

Keywords

• Elearning authoring software
• Interactive course development
• SCORM compliant authoring
• Learning record store
• Visual authoring tool

Headquarters

HQ city

Encinitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software License Subscriptions: Monthly or annual subscription for software access and usage. License fees are paid per license key with concurrent use restrictions based on the number of licenses purchased.
2. Evaluation/Trial Software: Free trial period (thirty-day evaluation license term) provided at no cost. Converts to paid subscription upon ordering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SmartBuilder provides a code-free, visual elearning authoring platform built around its proprietary Action Blocks™ system, allowing instructional designers to build interactive scenarios, simulations, games, software training, and compliance courses that output as SCORM/xAPI-compliant modules. The platform is delivered as a subscription SaaS product with a 30-day free trial and is paired with SmartTracker, an integrated Learning Record Store for advanced learner analytics.

Product overview

SmartBuilder is a single-product elearning authoring platform built around its flagship SmartBuilder tool and the proprietary Action Blocks™ visual authoring system. The platform enables instructional designers to create interactive elearning content including scenarios, simulations, games, and compliance training without coding. SmartTracker serves as an integrated learning record store for advanced analytics. The Action Blocks system is the core differentiator, allowing users to build logic by snapping visual blocks together rather than writing code.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartTracker: Learning Record Store (LRS) and tracking component for elearning analytics

Products and services

• SmartBuilder Authoring Tool Primary elearning authoring tool that enables instructional designers to create interactive, engaging digital learning content without coding, featuring visual block-based authoring through Action Blocks™. Targeted at corporate training teams, compliance departments, instructional designers, and government training programs.
• Action Blocks™ Visual block-based authoring system where blocks snap together like puzzle pieces, combining triggers, conditions, and responses in single actions to create meaningful interactivity faster and more intuitively than traditional authoring tools. Targeted at non-programmer instructional designers and training teams.
• SmartTracker Learning Record Store (LRS) and analytics system that captures learner data including xAPI statements, providing detailed tracking and reporting beyond standard SCORM capabilities for enterprise and training customers.
• AI Powered Templates AI powered template feature that allows users to generate and refine interactive elearning content, including scenarios, simulations, and games, using simple text prompts. Targeted at instructional designers seeking faster content creation within the SmartBuilder authoring tool.

Quantifiable outcome

• Near 100% course completion rates with minimal learner follow-up required, up from 25-50% with previous elearning tools

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gomo Learning: Gomo is a cloud-native, collaborative eLearning authoring platform acquired by GP Strategies. It competes directly with SmartBuilder for enterprise authoring contracts, with an emphasis on multi-device responsive output and team-based workflows.
• Elucidat: Elucidat is a cloud-based eLearning authoring platform focused on collaborative course creation for enterprise L&D teams. It competes with SmartBuilder for enterprise authoring budgets with similar emphasis on speed, collaboration, and SCORM/xAPI output.
• dominKnow | ONE: dominKnow | ONE is a cloud authoring and content workflow platform targeting enterprise training teams with strong SCORM/xAPI compliance. It competes with SmartBuilder for the same buyer in the same compliance and software training use cases.
• Lectora (by Trivantis / ELB Learning): Lectora is a desktop and cloud eLearning authoring tool owned by ELB Learning that targets corporate and compliance training teams. It overlaps directly with SmartBuilder's value proposition of building interactive, SCORM-compliant courses, and is a frequent comparison point in the authoring category.
• Adobe Captivate: Adobe Captivate is a long-standing direct competitor in the eLearning authoring category, offering interactive course creation with software simulations and VR. SmartBuilder explicitly compares itself against Captivate on its competitive comparison page, and both compete for enterprise training departments seeking interactive authoring without heavy coding.
• Articulate: Articulate (Storyline and Rise) is the dominant rapid eLearning authoring platform for instructional designers and is the most direct competitor to SmartBuilder. Both target SMB and enterprise course authoring teams with interactive content creation; SmartBuilder differentiates on Action Blocks and customization, while Articulate leads on market share and ecosystem.
• iSpring Solutions: iSpring Suite is a PowerPoint-integrated eLearning authoring toolkit that converts presentations into SCORM/xAPI courses. It targets a similar buyer persona (instructional designers in corporate training) and competes head-to-head with SmartBuilder on rapid authoring and simulation features.

Broad incumbents

• Whatfix: Whatfix is a digital adoption platform (DAP) that includes in-app authoring and simulation features overlapping with SmartBuilder's software simulation and process training use cases. As a much larger, venture-backed incumbent, it competes for software/process training budgets but with a broader application enablement focus.
• Docebo: Docebo is an enterprise LMS platform with a built-in authoring tool that competes for the same training department budgets as SmartBuilder. As a public, scaled incumbent, Docebo can bundle authoring within a broader learning platform, posing a threat to standalone authoring vendors.
• SAP Litmos: SAP Litmos is an LMS with built-in course authoring that competes with SmartBuilder in the corporate compliance and sales training space. As part of SAP's broader portfolio, it offers integrated LMS + authoring as a single platform, putting pressure on standalone tools like SmartBuilder.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smrtbuilder
• Facebookfacebook.com/smartbuilderelearning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups/4334539

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SmartBuilder