ExcelGuru
Excelguru Consulting Inc., founded by Ken Puls in Nanaimo, Canada, delivers Microsoft Excel and Power BI training, published books, and the Monkey Tools Excel add-in for individual professionals, SMBs, and corporate teams seeking practical data modeling and reporting skills.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersNanaimo, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What ExcelGuru does
Excelguru Consulting Inc. is a privately held Canadian company founded by Ken Puls, based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, that delivers training, content, and software tools focused on Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX, and dimensional modeling. The company serves individual business professionals, SMBs, and corporate teams seeking practical skills to improve data analysis, reporting, financial modeling, and dashboarding using the Microsoft BI suite. Operations are run by a team of approximately five people with a globally distributed customer base reached primarily through digital channels.
The company generates revenue through four primary streams: recurring online training subscriptions delivered through the Skillwave Training platform (co-founded in 2020 with Matt Allington and Miguel Escobar), one-time book sales (including Master Your Data with Excel and Power BI, M is for (Data) Monkey, Power Query Recipes, and Ribbon X), a freemium and paid-tier Monkey Tools Excel add-in (with "Monkeys" automation and "Sleuths" audit feature collections), and private team training delivered online or in-person. Supporting assets include an extensive article catalogue, a twice-monthly "News from the Data Monkey" newsletter, the free DIY BI eBook series, and consulting referral partnerships with Excel Rescue and a private consultant network.
Excelguru's go-to-market is product-led and community-led, anchored by Ken Puls's personal brand — Microsoft MVP every year since 2006, Fellow of the CMA Society since 2014, and over 30 years of business and IT experience. The Vancouver Power BI and Modern Excel User Group (run since 2016), word-of-mouth referrals, and content marketing drive demand generation. The company is bootstrapped with no institutional funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries disclosed in the input data.
ExcelGuru firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ExcelGuru
- Legal name
- Excelguru Consulting Inc.
- Website
- https://excelguru.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Excelguru Consulting Inc., founded by Ken Puls in Nanaimo, Canada, delivers Microsoft Excel and Power BI training, published books, and the Monkey Tools Excel add-in for individual professionals, SMBs, and corporate teams seeking practical data modeling and reporting skills.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ExcelGuru industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Intelligence Training and Tools
- NAICS
- Computer Training (611420), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Productivity & Office Software Skills (EDAAAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Data, Analytics & AI Training (BI, Data Engineering, ML/GenAI) (BPAEANAH), Tools & Platforms Training (Jira, Azure DevOps, MS Project, Smartsheet, etc.) (EDABAHAH)
Keywords
Where ExcelGuru is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nanaimo
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ExcelGuru business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Online Training Courses: On-demand and coached training delivered through Skillwave Training platform. Includes registration with access to exclusive Skillwave Discussions Forum.
- Book Sales: Sales of published books including Master Your Data with Excel and Power BI, M is for (Data) Monkey, Power Query Recipes, Ribbon X, and DIY BI eBook series.
- Monkey Tools Add-in Licenses: Excel add-in with Forever Free option and paid Pro versions. Available at monkeytools.ca.
- Private Team Training: Private hands-on training for teams or groups in Excel, Power Query, Power Pivot, Power BI, Dimensional Modeling, Charting and Dashboarding. Delivered in hybrid format with pre-recorded video and live online Q&A, or in-person.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Monkey Tools Forever Free |
| Subscription | Monthly | Training Courses |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
ExcelGuru product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Excelguru provides training, education, and productivity tools for Microsoft Excel and the Power BI suite (Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX, Dimensional Modeling). Its offerings include on-demand and coached video courses delivered through the Skillwave Training platform, private team training sessions, published books (Master Your Data, Power Query Recipes, M is for Data Monkey), the Monkey Tools Excel add-in, and an article/newsletter content library targeted at business professionals and corporate teams.
Product overview
Excelguru offers a portfolio of training products and resources focused on Microsoft business intelligence tools. The core offering is instructor-led and on-demand training programs (delivered via the Skillwave Training platform partnership) covering Excel, Power BI, Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX, and dimensional modeling. This is complemented by the Monkey Tools Excel add-in (with free and Pro tiers) that provides productivity tools for Power Query and data modeling workflows. The product line also includes published books (Master Your Data with Excel and Power BI, Power Query Recipes) and the free DIY BI eBook series available via the 'News from the Data Monkey' newsletter.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Monkey Tools: An Excel add-in containing a set of tools to help users build better data models more quickly and follow data modeling best practices. Targeted at modelers and analysts who work primarily in Excel, but also useful for those who push their models into Power BI.
- Skillwave Training
Products and services
- Monkey Tools An Excel add-in containing two collections of tools — Monkeys (which automate tasks) and Sleuths (which audit and diagnose issues) — to help users build better data models more quickly, follow data modeling best practices, export model data to CSV, document work, audit files, and import Power BI files into Excel. Targeted at modelers and analysts working in Excel or Power BI. Available in Forever Free and Pro versions.
- Master Your Data with Excel and Power BI A comprehensive 369-page book focused on leveraging Power Query's Get & Transform capabilities for data cleaning and transformation. Covers Power Query fundamentals, M language, data transformation patterns, query optimization, and moving queries between Excel and Power BI. Available in digital and print formats through Amazon, Mr. Excel Bookstore, and MrExcel.com.
- Power Query Recipes A set of ready-to-use recipe cards that lead users step-by-step through a variety of Power Query data transformations and techniques. Created based on years of real-world experience, available through Skillwave Training.
- Excelguru Training Programs Training programs delivered in multiple formats — on-demand video courses, coached training with live Q&A, and private instructor-led sessions (online or in-person) — covering Excel, Power Query, Power BI, Dimensional Modeling, DAX, Power Pivot, charting, and dashboarding. Delivered through the Skillwave Training platform.
- DIY BI eBook Series A free eBook series available exclusively to Excelguru newsletter subscribers. Each book contains five tips, tricks, and techniques for Excel, Power Query, Power Pivot, and Power BI, developed over years of research and real-world experience.
- News from the Data Monkey Newsletter A twice-monthly email newsletter containing the latest articles and videos from Excelguru experts, updates on Excel and Power BI, new product announcements, and information on training, events, and promotions through Excelguru, Skillwave Training, and Monkey Tools.
Quantifiable outcome
- Saving 4 hours per week of manual time is not uncommon for users who embrace Power Query
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ExcelGuru
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ExcelGuru technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
ExcelGuru partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Skillwave TrainingcoreSkillwave Training was co-founded in 2020 by Ken Puls, Matt Allington, and Miguel Escobar as a training platform focused on developing and delivering world-class online training on topics such as Power Query, Power BI, Excel, Power Pivot, and Dimensional Modeling. Excelguru courses are delivered through this platform.
- Excel RescueminorReferral partnership for small Excel projects. Excelguru refers customers needing help with small tasks (under 4 hours) to Excel Rescue, which offers fast, secure solutions with a money-back guarantee.
- Vancouver Power BI and Modern Excel User GroupminorCommunity user group run by Ken Puls since 2016 for Power BI and Modern Excel enthusiasts in Vancouver.
- Private Consultants NetworkminorExcelguru refers customers needing help with larger Excel or Power BI projects to recommended consultants who can assist with fine-tuning, troubleshooting, or building new solutions.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ExcelGuru competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SQLBI: SQLBI (Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari) is a leading Power BI, DAX, and data modeling training company. Its deep focus on DAX and dimensional modeling overlaps directly with ExcelGuru's curriculum and is a benchmark peer.
- XelPlus: Leila Gharani's XelPlus offers Excel and Power BI courses, books, and a YouTube channel with millions of views. It targets the same business professional segment with similar premium training subscriptions and is a direct competitor in the Excel/Power BI training space.
- Excel Campus: Jon Acampora's Excel Campus focuses on Excel, VBA, and add-in development, including a popular VBA add-in. It is a direct peer in Excel productivity tools and online training.
- MrExcel: Founded by Bill Jelen, MrExcel is one of the largest Excel-focused communities and publishes MrExcel books through the same retail channels as ExcelGuru. It is the closest direct peer in Excel training content, books, and community.
- RADACAD: RADACAD, founded by Reza Rad, offers Power BI and data analytics training, consulting, and community events. It is a direct competitor in Power BI training and a similar-sized independent training business.
- Pragmatic Works: Pragmatic Works offers Power BI, Azure, and broader data platform training along with consulting. It is a direct peer in Power BI/Excel training but operates at a larger scale with a broader BI portfolio.
- Curbal: Curbal, run by Ruth Pozuelo Martinez, provides Power BI tutorials, training, and a large YouTube community. It is a direct peer in Power BI training content delivery, especially self-serve video.
- MyOnlineTrainingHub: Mynda Treacy's MyOnlineTrainingHub provides online Excel and Power BI training courses with a similar subscription model. It is a direct peer in Power Pivot, DAX, and Power BI training targeting business professionals.
- PowerPivotPro: PowerPivotPro, founded by Matt Allington (a Skillwave Training co-founder), provides Power Pivot, Power BI, and DAX training. It is a direct peer and an indirect strategic connection through the Skillwave partnership.
Broad incumbents
- Maven Analytics: Maven Analytics provides broader data analytics and Power BI courses, learning paths, and a large community. It is a broader incumbent covering multiple BI tools and is comparable on business model (subscription training) and target learner.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ExcelGuru social profiles
Digital presenceExcelGuru financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ExcelGuru leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ExcelGuru funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ExcelGuru M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ExcelGuru
What does ExcelGuru do?
Excelguru provides training, education, and productivity tools for Microsoft Excel and the Power BI suite (Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX, Dimensional Modeling). Its offerings include on-demand and coached video courses delivered through the Skillwave Training platform, private team training sessions, published books (Master Your Data, Power Query Recipes, M is for Data Monkey), the Monkey Tools Excel add-in, and an article/newsletter content library targeted at business professionals and corporate teams.
Is ExcelGuru a public or private company?
ExcelGuru is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ExcelGuru founded?
ExcelGuru was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ExcelGuru based?
ExcelGuru is headquartered in Nanaimo, Canada, in the North America region.
How does ExcelGuru make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Online Training Courses are the primary driver. The others are book Sales, monkey Tools Add-in Licenses and private Team Training.
Who are ExcelGuru's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SQLBI, XelPlus, Excel Campus, MrExcel, RADACAD, Pragmatic Works, Curbal, MyOnlineTrainingHub and PowerPivotPro. Maven Analytics is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ExcelGuru have an API?
No public API is recorded for ExcelGuru.
What industry is ExcelGuru in?
ExcelGuru's product category is Business Intelligence Training and Tools. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAIAC, Productivity & Office Software Skills, with a secondary code of BPAEANAH, Data, Analytics & AI Training (BI, Data Engineering, ML/GenAI). Its NAICS code is 611420 and its SIC code is 7372.