What Sassoon Academy does

Sassoon Academy is a hairdressing education provider operating under license from Coty through VS salons UK Ltd. It delivers professional hair training across eight physical academies in London, Manchester, Beverly Hills, New York, Boston, McLean, Scottsdale, and Toronto, plus a global online learning platform (Sassoon Online) for remote and subscription-based study. Its core technology is a proprietary hairdressing curriculum — recognized globally as a premium hair-education standard — covering cutting, coloring, barbering, and styling from beginner through specialist levels, delivered via in-person hands-on instruction and digital content.

The portfolio is organized as eight topical course tracks: Beginners, Short Term Cut, Long Term (diploma), Short Term Cut & Colour, Barber, Month Of Mondays, Specialist, and Short Term Colour. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers contact the sales team by phone or email for quotations. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time course fees for in-person training, with an additional recurring stream from Sassoon Online subscriptions. The customer base is predominantly individual professionals and small salon teams seeking career credentials or skill upgrades, with named examples including KH Hair Hinckley sending three team members to an ABC cutting course.

Go-to-market is sales-led through an online course finder portal, live chat, scheduled calls, and direct phone/email contact. The academy also runs the Connect Schools Partner Program, embedding Sassoon curriculum into third-party educational institutions as a channel-based distribution layer. Additional services include Model Appointments (for student practice) and professional Salon Services at affiliated locations. The Sassoon name — controlled by Coty — functions as a credential that grants graduates reputational positioning in the international hairdressing industry.

Name

Sassoon Academy

Legal name

VS salons UK Ltd

Website

https://sassoon-academy.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sassoon Academy is a globally recognized hairdressing education provider, operating eight physical academies in the UK, US, and Canada alongside an online learning platform. It serves aspiring and working hairdressers seeking credentialed training in cutting, coloring, barbering, and styling, and operates under a brand license from Coty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Hairdressing Education

NAICS

Cosmetology and Barber Schools (611511), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hair Styling & Cutting (EDAOALAB)

Keywords

• Hairdressing education
• Cosmetology training
• Professional hair courses
• Barber training programs
• Vocational beauty education

Headquarters

HQ city

Canley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: One-time fees charged for individual hairdressing courses ranging from short-term programs (days/weeks) to long-term diploma programs. Courses include Beginners, Short Term Cut, Long Term, Short Term Cut & Colour, Barber, Month Of Mondays, Specialist, and Short Term Colour programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sassoon Academy is a hairdressing education provider that delivers structured professional courses covering cutting, coloring, styling, and barbering techniques. Training is delivered through hands-on in-person instruction at 8 global academy locations in the UK, US, and Canada, complemented by a subscription-based online learning platform offering tutorials and technique guides.

Product overview

Sassoon Academy operates as a hairdressing education provider offering a portfolio of courses and services. The core products are the educational programs organized by topic: Beginners Courses for foundational training, Short Term Cut and Short Term Colour courses for focused skill-building, Long Term Programs for comprehensive education, combined Cut & Colour courses, Barber courses for men's grooming, Specialist courses for advanced techniques, and Month Of Mondays for progressive weekly learning. These courses are delivered at physical academy locations (London, Manchester, Beverly Hills, New York, Boston, McLean, Scottsdale, Toronto) and supported by an Online Learning Platform for digital content access. Additional services include Model Appointments for practical training and Salon Services at Sassoon's global salon locations. The Spring Summer 2026 Collection represents their creative/fashion offerings alongside the educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beginners Courses Introductory hairdressing courses designed for individuals new to the hair industry, providing foundational cutting, coloring, and styling skills and techniques.
• Short Term Cut Courses Focused short-duration cutting courses that deliver targeted skill development in specific cutting techniques for working professionals.
• Long Term Programs Extended hairdressing education programs offering comprehensive training over a longer period for in-depth skill development and full career preparation.
• Short Term Cut & Colour Courses Combined short-duration courses covering both cutting and coloring techniques in an integrated curriculum for professionals expanding their service offerings.
• Barber Courses Specialized barber training programs focusing on men's haircutting, clipper work, and traditional barbering techniques for modern barber businesses.
• Month Of Mondays A structured course format spanning consecutive Mondays, allowing students to learn progressively over multiple weeks without full-time commitment.
• Specialist Courses Advanced specialized hairdressing courses for experienced professionals seeking to master specific techniques or areas of expertise beyond foundational training.
• Short Term Colour Courses Color-focused short-duration courses dedicated to hair coloring techniques, color theory, and application methods for color specialists.
• Online Learning Platform (Sassoon Online) Subscription-based digital learning platform offering tutorials, technique guides, and virtual learning modules accessible globally for remote hairdressing education.
• Model Appointments Service providing model slots for students to practice their hairdressing skills during training, scheduled through a dedicated contact number.
• Salon Services Professional hairdressing services offered at Sassoon salon locations across London, Manchester, Beverly Hills, New York, Boston, McLean, Scottsdale, and Toronto.

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CotycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerVS salons UK Ltd operates Sassoon Academy under license from Coty. Coty is the global brand licensor for the Sassoon brand name and intellectual property used in the academy's hairdressing education services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Empire Beauty Schools: Large US-based network of cosmetology and beauty schools offering accredited vocational training. Comparable in target audience and physical academy model, but broader cosmetology scope and a more value-tier positioning than the premium Sassoon brand.

Direct peers

• Schwarzkopf Professional Academy: Henkel-owned professional hair brand operating academies delivering in-person and digital training to stylists. Closely comparable to Sassoon Academy in product category (hairdressing), customer segment (professional stylists), and education-led go-to-market.
• Aveda Institutes: Estée Lauder-owned network of cosmetology and hairdressing schools offering accredited programs in the US and beyond. Comparable to Sassoon Academy in vocational cosmetology education, multi-location physical delivery, and brand-anchored positioning.
• Wella Education (Wella Company): Wella's education division delivers cutting, colouring, and barbering training to professional hairdressers worldwide. Direct competitor to Sassoon Academy given overlapping curriculum scope, similar use of brand-owned academies, and shared target customer base of salon professionals and salon groups.
• Trevor Sorbie International: British hairdressing brand offering professional training programs and courses. Comparable to Sassoon Academy as a heritage UK-based hairdressing brand monetising education, serving similar professional stylist and salon-chain customer base.
• Paul Mitchell Schools: John Paul Mitchell Systems' network of cosmetology schools in the US delivering state-licensed cosmetology and barbering programs. Comparable in physical academy model, vocational training focus, and brand-licensing-based operating structure.
• L'Oréal Professionnel Education: L'Oréal's professional education arm offers hairdressing training programs and academies globally. Directly comparable to Sassoon Academy as a major beauty-industry-branded hairdressing education provider with similar curriculum, instructor-led model, and target audience of working professionals and salon staff.
• Toni&Guy Academy: Iconic hairdressing brand with global academies offering accredited hairdressing qualifications and short courses. Directly comparable to Sassoon Academy across curriculum structure, target learner, and brand-led positioning in the premium hairdressing education segment.

Others

• Milady (Cengage): Leading publisher of cosmetology and barbering educational textbooks and digital curriculum used by beauty schools. Adjacent peer — supplies much of the standardised curriculum infrastructure Sassoon and its Connect Schools partners could leverage or compete against.
• Vidal Sassoon (historical parent brand): The eponymous brand under which the academy operates and which is itself part of the broader Sassoon global hair ecosystem (salons, products, collections). Closely intertwined rather than a true competitor, but useful reference point for brand portfolio context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SassoonAcademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/SassoonAcademy

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 Sassoon Academy