Smartsims

What Smartsims does

Smartsims International Limited is a privately held, New Zealand-incorporated educational technology company that develops and distributes web-based business simulation games for higher education and corporate training. The platform runs entirely in a browser on Windows, Apple, and Android devices, with no software installation required, and is built around six core products: MikesBikes Introduction (foundations of business), MikesBikes Advanced (strategic management and capstone), Music2Go Marketing (principles of marketing), MikesBikes Accounting (management accounting), AdSim Advertising (principles of advertising), and a Corporate Training simulation suite. Each simulation supports both Single-Player practice against computer opponents and Multi-Player competitive play against other student teams, and exposes an online Administrator interface for instructors together with features such as real-time market and financial reports, a Live Forecast Profit/Cash indicator, and configurable economic conditions including recessions, booms, and corporate-takeover modules.

The company operates a sales-led, instructor-targeted go-to-market with scheduled online demonstrations and free trials for faculty, supplemented by a product-led single-player practice mode and a multi-channel distribution stack that includes direct website purchase, campus-bookstore sales, institutional invoicing, and reselling through three of the largest global educational publishers — Cengage, McGraw-Hill, and Wiley. Native integrations with the Canvas and Blackboard learning management systems automate course provisioning and grade synchronization, deepening embedding within institutional infrastructure. Revenue is generated on an annual, per-student subscription basis, with institutional, bookstore, and publisher-led procurement paths and a quote-based pricing model that is not publicly disclosed.

Smartsims claims more than 20 years of operational history, an installed base spanning the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and additional markets visible through its MikesBikes World Champs competition, and named customers across higher education (Drexel, University of Auckland, University of Colorado Boulder, Arizona State, Santa Clara, DMACC, Madison Area Technical College) and corporate training (Microsoft, Intel, HP). The firm is sub-ten-employee, bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, and incorporated as Smartsims International Limited in New Zealand.

Name

Smartsims

Legal name

Smartsims International Limited

Website

https://smartsims.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smartsims is a privately held EdTech company that builds and distributes six web-based business simulation games — including MikesBikes, Music2Go, MikesBikes Accounting, and AdSim — for undergraduate and graduate business courses and corporate training, sold via per-student subscriptions through publishers, LMS integrations, and direct institutional sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Business Simulation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Simulation-Based Learning & Virtual Labs (EDAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Simulation, Scenario & Serious Games Design (EDAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Business simulation games
• Experiential learning software
• Educational simulations
• Business strategy simulation
• Corporate training simulations

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedford

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Student Subscription: Pricing is based on number of students annually with various payment options including direct website purchase, bookstore purchase, through publishing partners (Cengage, McGraw-Hill, Wiley), or institutional invoicing.
2. Publishing Partner Distribution: Distribution through major educational publishers including Cengage, McGraw-Hill, and Wiley as sales channels, likely involving revenue sharing or licensing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Smartsims develops and sells web-based business simulation games used in higher education and corporate training. Its portfolio of six simulations (MikesBikes Introduction, MikesBikes Advanced, Music2Go Marketing, MikesBikes Accounting, AdSim Advertising, and Corporate Training) lets students and professionals manage a virtual company and make decisions across sales, marketing, operations, finance, and product development. Simulations are sold on a per-student annual subscription basis through direct sales, publishers, bookstores, and LMS integrations.

Product overview

Smartsims offers a suite of six business simulation games designed for experiential learning in educational and corporate settings. The core portfolio includes MikesBikes Introduction (foundations of business), MikesBikes Advanced (strategic management capstone), Music2Go Marketing (principles of marketing), MikesBikes Accounting (management accounting), AdSim Advertising (principles of advertising), and Corporate Training simulations. All simulations are web-based, accessible through any browser, and feature both Single-Player (practice against computer) and Multi-Player (competitive against other students/teams) modes. The simulations are used across higher education institutions and corporations worldwide for workforce readiness and business education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MikesBikes Introduction: Foundations of Business Simulation - progressively introduces business terms, concepts and decision-making for introductory business students
• MikesBikes Advanced
• Music2Go Marketing
• MikesBikes Accounting
• AdSim Advertising
• Corporate Training

Products and services

• MikesBikes Introduction Foundations of Business Simulation that progressively introduces business terms, concepts, and decision-making. Students manage a bicycle company, making sales, marketing, and operations decisions in a safe learning environment. Designed for introductory undergraduate business courses.
• MikesBikes Advanced Strategic Management and Capstone Simulation where students manage a bicycle manufacturing company across Sales, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and Product Development. Includes features for simulating recessions, booms, and corporate takeovers. Used in undergraduate, MBA, and corporate training courses.
• Music2Go Marketing Principles of Marketing Simulation where students develop and implement their own Strategic Marketing Plan in a reflective learning environment. Gradually introduces core marketing concepts and sales and marketing management.
• MikesBikes Accounting Management Accounting Simulation teaching key principles of management accounting through a business strategy game involving financial report analysis, strategy development, and business decision-making. Recommended for Chartered Accounting Accreditation and management accounting courses.
• AdSim Advertising Principles of Advertising Simulation where students develop their own Strategic Advertising Plan with a realistic scenario including a fixed budget. Useful for sales promotion management, advertising management, and integrated marketing communications (IMC) courses.
• Corporate Training Simulations Experiential Learning Simulations providing competitive, team-based reflective learning activities for staff training, company conferences, executive events, and team building. Used by enterprise-level companies including Microsoft, Intel, and HP.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students report increased confidence in job interviews and workplace success after completing simulations (based on Professor Darl Kolb's 15 years of use at University of Auckland).
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CengagecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublishing partner distributing Smartsims business simulations as part of Cengage's educational content catalog. Institutions can purchase simulation access through Cengage platforms.
• McGraw-HillcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublishing partner distributing Smartsims business simulations as part of McGraw-Hill's educational content catalog. Institutions can purchase simulation access through McGraw-Hill platforms.
• WileycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublishing partner distributing Smartsims business simulations as part of Wiley's educational content catalog. Institutions can purchase simulation access through Wiley platforms.
• BlackboardcoreTechnology or IntegrationLMS integration partner enabling automated course setup through Blackboard Learn platform. Supports seamless student provisioning and grade synchronization.
• Canvas (Instructure)coreTechnology or IntegrationLMS integration partner enabling automated course setup through Canvas platform. Used by instructors like Scott Livengood at University of Colorado Boulder for course management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Capsim: Capsim is a direct peer offering business strategy and management simulations (Capsim Core, Capsim Foundation) used in the same undergraduate and MBA business capstone courses that Smartsims targets with MikesBikes Advanced.
• Knowledge Matters: Knowledge Matters builds business and career-focused simulations (e.g., Virtual Business) for high school and post-secondary programs, overlapping with Smartsims on experiential business learning outcomes and educational distribution.
• Forio (DecisionSim): Forio's DecisionSim platform hosts business simulations for management education, placing it in direct competition with Smartsims' web-based business simulation suite for business school use.
• Interpretive Simulations (StratSim): Interpretive Simulations produces StratSim and related business strategy simulations for higher-ed business schools, making it a direct peer in the strategy and capstone simulation category where MikesBikes Advanced competes.
• GoVenture: GoVenture offers small business, CEO, and life simulations used in business, entrepreneurship, and personal finance courses, positioning it as a direct peer in the same experiential business learning category.
• BizCafe: BizCafe is a short-cycle café business simulation used in introductory business courses, closely comparable to MikesBikes Introduction in scope, audience, and pedagogical use case.
• Glo-Bus: Glo-Bus is a best-selling, low-cost business strategy simulation used widely in undergraduate business strategy courses, competing head-to-head with MikesBikes Introduction and Advanced in the same instructor buyer set.
• Marketplace Simulations (Innovative Learning Solutions): Marketplace Simulations offers web-based business simulations for marketing, strategy, and entrepreneurship courses, directly overlapping Smartsims' Music2Go and MikesBikes product set in higher-ed business programs.

Emerging players

• Watershed Publications (Strategy Explorer): Watershed's Strategy Explorer is a free, open simulation used in strategic management courses, representing a lower-cost emerging alternative that could constrain pricing for Smartsims in the same instructor segment.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Business Publishing Education (HBX Simulations): HBX offers Harvard-branded business simulations and case content to business schools and corporate learners; it is a broad incumbent in the same educational simulation category with stronger brand and pricing power.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/smartsims
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartsims
• Xx.com/smartsims
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartsims

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 Smartsims