SMSB Academy

What SMSB Academy does

SMSB Academy operates as an official National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) partner that delivers three NCCA-accredited certifications — Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Corrective Exercise Specialization (CES), and Performance Enhancement Specialization (PES) — to US college students pursuing Exercise Science and related majors. The platform is 100% online and self-paced, with a 180-day access window and typical completion in 10-15 weeks (or as few as 4 weeks). The underlying technology is an online learning portal distributing NASM's curriculum; SMSB does not develop proprietary content but layers a career-matched interview process on top to direct students to the appropriate track.

The business runs a dual-channel go-to-market. The primary motion is B2B2C via direct partnerships with university Exercise Science departments: SMSB brings a regional scholarship program to eligible students at no administrative cost to the institution, and guarantees one fully-covered certification for every 25 applicants from a given university. To date the program has reached 800+ scholarship applicants across 79 US universities and awarded $34,975 in scholarships. The secondary motion is self-serve direct enrollment via the website, available year-round with interest-free payment plans starting at $38/month and a 90-day job guarantee attached to the CPT track.

Revenue is generated primarily from direct-enrollment payment plans (subscription-style monthly billing) and from the company's own funding of scholarship certifications. Pricing is low-ticket by design, targeting students rather than enterprises. No revenue, funding, ARR, or headcount trend figures are disclosed; the company is a private, small operation (11-50 employees) that functions as a marketing and distribution layer over the NASM credential rather than as a content developer.

Name

SMSB Academy

Legal name

SMSB Academy

Website

https://smindsbody.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SMSB Academy is an online NASM certification platform that delivers CPT, CES, and PES credentials to US Exercise Science students through university partnerships and direct enrollment with payment plans starting at $38 per month.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Russellville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Certification Enrollment: Students pay for NASM certification programs through interest-free monthly payment plans starting at $38/month. Revenue generated from certification fees paid by students who enroll directly.
2. Scholarship Program: Fully covered scholarships awarded to qualifying Exercise Science students, funded by the company. All applicants receive discounts regardless of scholarship outcome.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SMSB Academy delivers NCCA-accredited NASM fitness certifications (CPT, CES, PES) to Exercise Science college students through an online, self-paced learning platform. Students access certifications either via a regional Scholarship Program that fully covers costs for winners and offers discounts to all applicants, or through year-round Direct Enrollment with interest-free monthly payment plans starting at $38.

Product overview

SMSB Academy is a unified educational platform offering three NASM certification tracks (CPT, CES, and PES) through two pathways: a Scholarship Program providing fully covered certifications to qualifying Exercise Science students, and Direct Enrollment with interest-free payment plans starting at $38/month. All certifications are 100% online, self-paced, NCCA-accredited credentials focused on career-matched outcomes for fitness and exercise science careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NASM CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) NCCA-accredited NASM general fitness certification for students pursuing personal training, wellness coaching, or studio management careers. Includes a 90-day job guarantee from date of passing and is delivered 100% online and self-paced with a 180-day access window, most students complete in 10-15 weeks.
• NASM CES (Corrective Exercise Specialization) NCCA-accredited NASM post-injury care certification track designed for students entering clinical, rehab, or allied health careers, including DPT, OT, ATC, and chiropractic programs. Delivered online and self-paced with a 180-day access window.
• NASM PES (Performance Enhancement Specialization) NCCA-accredited NASM performance coaching certification track for students pursuing athletic performance and strength careers, covering speed, power, and periodization. Delivered online and self-paced with a 180-day access window.
• Scholarship Program Fully covered NASM certifications awarded each regional round to qualifying Exercise Science students, with the certification track (CPT, CES, or PES) matched to the student's career path via an interview. Guarantees one scholarship per 25 applicants from each partner university, and all applicants receive a discount regardless of scholarship outcome.
• Direct Enrollment Year-round self-serve enrollment option for any student to choose a NASM certification track (CPT, CES, or PES) and begin immediately, with interest-free monthly payment plans starting at $38/month. Available independently of scholarship rounds.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 60% discount on NASM certifications
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMSB Academy is an official NASM Partner providing certifications to Exercise Science students. NASM provides the certification curriculum (CPT, CES, PES), which is NCCA accredited and recognized by employers including NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, NWSL, WNBA, and MLB teams. SMSB Academy offers NASM certifications at up to 60% off through scholarships and direct enrollment.
• University Exercise Science DepartmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMSB Academy partners directly with university Exercise Science departments to bring scholarship programs to eligible students. Partners include 79 universities across the country. The partnership is at no cost or administrative burden to the university, with guaranteed scholarship awards based on application volume (1 per 25 applicants).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large online education platform that partners with universities and credentialing bodies. Relevant as a potential distribution and disintermediation threat if it adds fitness certification pathways that bypass niche aggregators like SMSB.
• NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine): The credential issuer and SMSB's core partner. NASM sells the same CPT, CES, and PES certifications directly to consumers, sets partner economics, and controls the brand SMSB depends on. Most directly comparable because it is both supplier and competitor.

Direct peers

• ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine): Long-established NCCA-accredited certification body offering EP-C and clinical exercise credentials. Comparable because it serves students pursuing clinical, allied health, and performance careers overlapping with SMSB's CES and PES tracks.
• NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association): NCCA-accredited provider of CSCS and other strength and conditioning certifications, with strong adoption in collegiate and professional sports performance — directly competing with SMSB's PES track for the same athletic performance careers.
• ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association): Major online personal training and fitness certification provider selling directly to students worldwide. Competes for the same Exercise Science and career-changer buyer with self-paced online programs, payment plans, and job-readiness positioning.
• ACE (American Council on Exercise): NCCA-accredited fitness certification provider offering personal trainer and health coach credentials online. Targets the same entry-level fitness professional buyer and competes on employer recognition and study flexibility.
• NCSF (National Council on Strength and Fitness): NCCA-accredited personal trainer and strength coach certification provider selling directly to students online. Competes in the same CPT-equivalent category with comparable self-paced delivery and price points.
• AFPA (American Fitness Professionals & Associates): Online fitness and nutrition certification provider offering personal trainer and specialty credentials. Targets a similar entry-level and career-changer audience with comparable self-paced, online-only delivery.

Emerging players

• Precision Nutrition: Premium online nutrition coaching and certification company. Comparable because it sells specialized, credentialed continuing education to fitness professionals — an adjacent specialization SMSB could expand into.
• Functional Aging Institute: Niche continuing education provider for fitness professionals working with older adults. Comparable as a small specialty credentialing brand using self-paced online delivery to a defined professional segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smsb-academy

Compliance1 record

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 SMSB Academy