SkillForge
SkillForge is a privately held instructor-led training company founded in 2010 near Chicago, delivering live online and onsite courses in Microsoft, Adobe, data, business, and AI skills to individual professionals, enterprises, and government agencies across North America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersRolling Meadows, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What SkillForge does
SkillForge is a privately held professional training company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company delivers instructor-led courses in software applications (Microsoft Office, Microsoft 365 Administration, Azure Cloud, Microsoft Power Platform, Adobe Creative Cloud), data and analytics (SQL, Tableau, Crystal Reports), business skills, and professional certifications, with a recently added category of AI training covering agentic AI, Microsoft Copilot, and generative AI tools. Courses are delivered either as live online sessions accessible to individual and SMB enrollees via a self-serve website catalog or as private group sessions delivered onsite at client locations or privately online for teams of five or more.
The underlying technology stack is intentionally lightweight: course delivery runs on standard web conferencing and learning management systems, with a student portal providing access to recorded sessions for up to one year and six months of post-class instructor email support. The company does not develop proprietary software products; its defensible assets are the curriculum (50+ course topics), the instructor bench, the no-cancellation guarantee, and the relationships evidenced by enterprise and government client logos.
The business model is professional services revenue on a per-course basis, with half-day courses priced at $245, standard one-day courses at $295-$695, intermediate multi-day courses at $590-$1,895, and premium four-to-five-day certification programs at $2,380-$2,995. Private group training for organizations is custom-quoted. Go-to-market is a hybrid of product-led growth for individual and SMB enrollment (driven by SEO, the course catalog, and customer testimonials) and a sales-led motion for enterprise and government private group engagements. The company has delivered 3,500+ courses and trained 10,000+ professionals across North America since founding, and serves clients including Cisco, HP, Siemens, Wells Fargo, Library of Congress, Kaiser Permanente, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
SkillForge firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SkillForge
- Legal name
- SkillForge
- Website
- https://skillforge.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SkillForge is a privately held instructor-led training company founded in 2010 near Chicago, delivering live online and onsite courses in Microsoft, Adobe, data, business, and AI skills to individual professionals, enterprises, and government agencies across North America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SkillForge industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Training Services
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.) (BPAEANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN), Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM), Productivity & Office Software Skills (EDAAAIAC)
Keywords
Where SkillForge is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rolling Meadows
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SkillForge business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual Course Enrollment: SkillForge generates revenue primarily through one-time fees for individual course enrollment. Students pay per course to attend live instructor-led training sessions, either online or onsite. Course prices range from $245 for half-day courses to $3,000+ for multi-day certification programs.
- Private Group Training: The company offers private training workshops for teams delivered either at the client's location or as private online sessions. These group sessions are custom-quoted based on team size and training requirements, representing a B2B services revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Half-Day AI Courses (0.5 days) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard One-Day Courses |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Intermediate-Value Courses (2-3 days) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Certification Courses (4-5 days) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | AI Business Courses |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Private Group Training |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
SkillForge product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SkillForge delivers live instructor-led training courses in software applications, business skills, leadership development, and professional certifications. Courses are delivered either as live online classes accessible from anywhere or as onsite private training at client locations. The company serves both individual learners through public course enrollment and organizations through custom-quoted private group training for teams of five or more.
Product overview
SkillForge is a professional training company offering instructor-led courses in software applications, business skills, and professional certifications. The core offering is the SkillForge Instructor-Led Training Platform, which delivers live online classes and private onsite/group training sessions. The platform is supplemented by a Student Portal providing post-class support and recorded course access. Course offerings span multiple categories including Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint), Microsoft Power Platform (Power BI, PowerApps, Power Automate), Azure Cloud, Adobe Creative Cloud, Data & Analytics (SQL, Tableau, Crystal Reports), Microsoft 365 Administration, and Business Skills. AI training is offered through dedicated courses covering agentic AI, Microsoft Copilot, and generative AI tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SkillForge Instructor-Led Training Platform A professional training delivery platform offering live instructor-led courses in software applications, business skills, leadership development, and professional certifications, delivered via online or onsite sessions. Targets both individual learners and organizations across North America.
- Live Online Public Classes
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,500+ courses delivered since founding
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SkillForge
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SkillForge technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
SkillForge partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
SkillForge competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pluralsight: Large-scale technology skills platform offering on-demand video courses and labs for IT professionals. Replaces SkillForge's ILT for some enterprise customers with cheaper, asynchronous content; directly overlaps Microsoft, cloud, and data curriculum.
- Udemy Business: Enterprise subscription platform with broad catalog of business and technology courses. Competes with SkillForge's business skills and Office productivity content via low-cost asynchronous subscriptions favored by L&D buyers.
Emerging players
- CertNexus: Emerging certification body offering AI, cybersecurity, and IoT credentials. Adjacent to SkillForge's growing AI training catalog and shares the instructor-led delivery partner model for certification prep.
Direct peers
- ONLC Training Centers: Authorized IT training provider offering live online and onsite instructor-led courses across Microsoft, Cisco, AWS, and Adobe. Closely comparable business model: live ILT, B2B private group sessions, and a broad enterprise/government customer base.
- Learning Tree International: Long-established IT and business skills training company delivering live instructor-led courses to enterprise and government clients. Overlaps SkillForge's catalog (Microsoft, project management, business skills) and ILT delivery model.
- ExitCertified: Authorized IT training provider focused on Microsoft, Cisco, AWS, and Oracle certifications with live online and onsite delivery. Comparable size and scale, with overlapping customer types in enterprise and government.
- Global Knowledge: Major worldwide authorized training partner for AWS, Cisco, Microsoft, Google Cloud, and other vendors. Directly comparable in vendor certification training, enterprise B2B delivery, and breadth of technology curriculum.
- New Horizons Computer Learning Centers: Largest global authorized Microsoft, Cisco, and Adobe training partner. Directly competes with SkillForge in vendor-authorized IT certification and end-user software training, with similar ILT delivery and enterprise/government channel focus.
Regional players
- Koenig Solutions: India-headquartered IT training company offering vendor certification courses (Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Cisco) to a global enterprise and individual customer base. Comparable catalog and ILT delivery but primarily serves APAC and EMEA rather than North America.
- QA (QA Limited): UK-based IT and business training provider delivering live instructor-led and accelerated certification courses. Comparable curriculum (Microsoft, cloud, project management) and B2B channel focus, but with a primarily UK/EMEA footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SkillForge social profiles
Digital presenceSkillForge financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SkillForge leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SkillForge funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SkillForge 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 SkillForge
What does SkillForge do?
SkillForge delivers live instructor-led training courses in software applications, business skills, leadership development, and professional certifications. Courses are delivered either as live online classes accessible from anywhere or as onsite private training at client locations. The company serves both individual learners through public course enrollment and organizations through custom-quoted private group training for teams of five or more.
Is SkillForge a public or private company?
SkillForge is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SkillForge founded?
SkillForge was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SkillForge based?
SkillForge is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, United States, in the North America region.
How does SkillForge make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual Course Enrollment is the primary driver. The others are private Group Training.
Who are SkillForge's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pluralsight and Udemy Business. CertNexus is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are ONLC Training Centers, Learning Tree International, ExitCertified, Global Knowledge and New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. Regional players are Koenig Solutions and QA (QA Limited).
Does SkillForge have an API?
No public API is recorded for SkillForge.
What industry is SkillForge in?
SkillForge's product category is Professional Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEANAA, Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.), with a secondary code of BPAEANAN, Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching). Its NAICS code is 61142 and its SIC code is 8200.