What Institute of Performance Nutrition does

The Institute of Performance Nutrition is a UK-based online education provider operating under the legal entity Guru Performance Limited (company number 07710171). Founded in 2011 by Dr Laurent Bannock and headquartered in London with founder roots in Edinburgh, the company delivers postgraduate qualifications in sports nutrition to individual learners globally, reaching graduates in over 60 countries. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees paid by individual learners enrolling in the Level 7 PGDip in Sports Nutrition, the MSc Sports Nutrition top-up (60 credits), and the full MSc pathway (180 credits), all academically validated by the University of Portsmouth and endorsed by the Association for Nutrition (AfN) and the Sport and Exercise Nutrition register (SENr). The company received the 2016 BDA SENr Professor Sir Clyde Williams OBE Award.

The product surface extends beyond postgraduate degrees into a short-course CPD unit (Exercise Physiology for Sports Nutritionists, priced at £1,250 plus VAT), the We Do Science Podcast (188 episodes, over 1 million downloads), and the IOPN Community platform that serves as a continuing-professional-development hub for the 1,500+ graduate network. SENPRO, a practitioner-facing software tool launched in 2020, operates as a spin-off from the education business and extends monetisation into subscription tooling for working nutritionists. Delivery is built on WordPress (web) and Canvas LMS (learning management), with the IOPN Three-Step Learning Framework as the pedagogical backbone. The team numbers approximately 12, and the business is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding rounds.

Commercially, IOPN is a B2C, online-first operation: learners self-enrol, often on instalment plans, and pricing is set per programme rather than per enterprise contract. Distribution is largely organic, with the podcast functioning as the principal demand-generation channel and graduate placement outcomes (Manchester United, England Rugby, Team GB, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Mavericks, Team Jumbo-Visma) serving as evidence of credential value rather than as contracted revenue lines. No AI or machine-learning capabilities are disclosed across the product set.

Name

Institute of Performance Nutrition

Legal name

Guru Performance Limited

Website

https://theiopn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute of Performance Nutrition (Guru Performance Limited) is a UK-based online education provider offering postgraduate sports nutrition qualifications, including a Level 7 PGDip and MSc pathway validated by the University of Portsmouth, serving learners globally across 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Nutrition Education

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fitness & Exercise Training Education (Strength, Cardio, Mobility) (EDAAAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health, Wellness & Healthy Aging Education (Chronic disease, mobility, nutrition) (EDAAAMAG), Sports Nutrition & Performance Fueling (HSADAFAD)

Keywords

• Sports nutrition education
• Postgraduate nutrition programs
• Performance nutrition training
• Accredited sports nutrition
• Online nutrition courses

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Postgraduate Programme Fees: Revenue generated from accredited postgraduate programmes including PGDip in Sports Nutrition, MSc Sports Nutrition (top-up), and MSc Sports Nutrition (full pathway). Fees are paid online via debit/credit card or PayPal, with instalment options available.
2. Short Course Fees: Revenue from short courses such as Exercise Physiology for Sports Nutritionists (£1,250 + VAT) with flexible payment plans (2 or 3 instalments).
3. SENPRO Software: Client coaching and practice management software launched in 2020, providing tools for sports nutrition professionals to manage clients online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The IOPN delivers fully online, accredited postgraduate education in Sports Nutrition, including a Level 7 PGDip (120 credits) and an MSc pathway (180 credits total) validated by the University of Portsmouth and endorsed by SENr and AfN. It also offers a short certificate course (Exercise Physiology for Sports Nutritionists) and operates SENPRO, a purpose-built client coaching and practice management software for sport and exercise nutrition professionals.

Product overview

The Institute of Performance Nutrition operates a multi-product education platform centred on sports nutrition. The core offering comprises three postgraduate programmes: the PGDip in Sports Nutrition (Level 7, 120 credits, University of Portsmouth validated), the MSc in Sports Nutrition (Top-Up) for PGDip graduates seeking a full MSc (60 additional credits, 180 total), and the complete MSc pathway combining both. Supporting these are a short course — Exercise Physiology for Sports Nutritionists (IOPN Certificate, EQF Level 6, 3 months, 300 hours) — and content/media products including the award-winning We Do Science Podcast. A professional community platform provides ongoing networking for graduates, while SENPRO software delivers client coaching and practice management tools. Founded in 2011, IOPN has grown to over 1,500 graduates across 60+ countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PGDip in Sports Nutrition A Level 7 postgraduate diploma (120 credits) in Sports Nutrition, validated by the University of Portsmouth and endorsed by SENr and AfN. The world's only fully accredited, vocationally focused, postgraduate Level 7 diploma in Sports Nutrition, aimed at current and aspiring Sport and Exercise Nutritionists.
• MSc in Sports Nutrition (Top-Up) A 60-credit top-up programme (180 credits total including the PGDip) leading to a full MSc in Sports Nutrition, validated by the University of Portsmouth, for evidence-based practitioners seeking to apply evidence-based strategies in practice.
• MSc in Sports Nutrition (Full Pathway) The IOPN's full MSc pathway combining PGDip and MSc Top-Up for evidence-based practitioners seeking a complete Level 7 (180-credit) postgraduate qualification in Sports Nutrition, validated by the University of Portsmouth.
• Exercise Physiology for Sports Nutritionists (IOPN Certificate)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 graduates working in sports nutrition globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of PortsmouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IOPN's MSc in Sports Nutrition is validated by University of Portsmouth, providing graduates with a globally recognised Master's degree. This partnership ensures academic rigour and institutional accreditation for the postgraduate programme.
• SENPROminorOthersSENPRO is a client coaching and practice management software co-founded by Sean Buxton (IOPN Operations Manager) in 2020. Purpose-built for Sport and Exercise Nutrition professionals to manage clients online.
• SENr (Sport and Exercise Nutrition register)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOPN Diploma re-endorsed by SENr until 2023. SENr endorsement provides practitioner registration pathway for graduates and validates the programme against industry standards.
• AfN (Association for Nutrition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIOPN Diploma re-endorsed by AfN until 2024. AfN endorsement validates the programme against UK nutrition profession standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN): ISSN offers the CISSN certification and runs the flagship Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. It is the closest professional-body analogue to IOPN, serving the same cohort of practising and aspiring sports nutritionists seeking credentialed recognition.
• Liverpool John Moores University - MSc Sport Nutrition: LJMU's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences has run a long-standing MSc in Sport Nutrition, one of the UK's flagship postgraduate pathways. Several IOPN team members (Dr Stephen Smith, Dr Mark Hearris) trained at LJMU, and it directly competes for the same postgraduate applicant pool.
• University of Stirling - MSc Sport Nutrition: Stirling offers an online MSc Sport Nutrition aimed at practitioners seeking accredited postgraduate credentials. It directly overlaps IOPN's postgraduate target market in the UK and internationally.
• St Mary's University Twickenham - MSc Applied Sport Nutrition: St Mary's delivers an applied sport nutrition postgraduate programme with strong practitioner focus, overlapping IOPN's niche and serving a comparable UK and international applicant pool.
• University of Roehampton - MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition: Roehampton offers an MSc in Sport and Exercise Nutrition with vocational and applied components, competing for UK and international postgraduate applicants seeking accredited practitioner pathways.
• IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition: Delivered through Olympic Solidarity, this is a postgraduate-level diploma aimed at sports nutrition practitioners globally. Like IOPN it is positioned as an elite, evidence-based qualification for working with high-performance athletes, making it a direct competitor for international enrolments.
• Massey University - Graduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science: Massey is internationally recognised for sport and exercise nutrition and offers a postgraduate pathway delivered largely online. It is a leading alternative destination for international students who might otherwise choose IOPN's PGDip/MSc.

Others

• SENPRO: SENPRO is a sport and exercise nutrition practice-management software co-founded by IOPN's Operations Manager Sean Buxton. It is an ecosystem participant - a tool built for IOPN's graduate community rather than a direct competitor in education.

Broad incumbents

• Precision Nutrition: Precision Nutrition is the largest commercial nutrition coaching certification (Pn1, Pn2, L2) globally, serving personal trainers and nutrition coaches. It overlaps IOPN on practitioner education but at a broader, less sport-specialised tier.
• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): NASM is a major US-based fitness and performance certification body with nutrition-adjacent credentials. It serves a broader fitness audience than IOPN but competes for the same career-advancement wallet of personal trainers and aspiring performance professionals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheIOPN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzhLArSFAM1cpEtk3wYKMyA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/theiopn
• Instagraminstagram.com/TheIOPN

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Institute of Performance Nutrition