Circle of Excellence | Private Members Club

What Circle of Excellence | Private Members Club does

Circle of Excellence is a private members club founded in 2006 and headquartered in Strand, Western Cape (Cape Town area), South Africa, serving entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and speakers globally. The core product is an annual membership at $480/year that bundles access to a vetted peer community, with stated reach across 50+ countries and 300,000+ entrepreneurs served cumulatively. The platform is delivered through a commercial SaaS stack (GrooveTech/GrooveSell) that handles membership management, payments, course delivery, webinars, and an affiliate marketplace.

Revenue mechanics combine the base subscription with a layered set of upsell products: 1-on-1 coaching, a certified coach credential built around proprietary methodologies (I.M.P.A.C.T. Leadership, Money Train, and the Intelligent Pathway framework), premium tier offerings (Gold Membership and Platinum Mastermind), an annual Bali Business School event, online courses, and an Area Leader franchise/regional operator program. The certification curriculum has been externally accredited by Education Alliance Finland.

Operationally the company is lean — 6 employees — and is structured around a founder-led brand supported by regional Area Leaders acting as distribution partners. Governance was formalized with an Ethics Policy adopted in February 2024. The business is founder- and IP-centric, with distribution advantages derived from trademarks, awards (12 business awards), and published authority (7 international best-selling books), rather than from technology differentiation or proprietary AI capability.

Name

Circle of Excellence | Private Members Club

Legal name

Circle of Excellence

Website

https://circleofexcellence.club

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Circle of Excellence is a vetted private members club serving entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and speakers globally, offering annual subscriptions alongside coaching, certification, mastermind tiers, and immersive events across 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Members Club / Professional Networking Community

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Premium/Upmarket Membership Clubs (CRAEADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer/User Conferences & Client Advisory Boards (THAHAMAD)

Keywords

• Private members club
• Business networking community
• Entrepreneur coaching programs
• Coach certification licensing
• Leadership development courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Club Membership: Core membership subscription at $480 per annum. Provides access to global community, weekly live events, online courses, co-creation pods, marketplace, and member discounts. Valid for 12 months from payment.
2. Area Leader/Club Franchise: Representatives in cities or regions earn income by building local business networks using Circle of Excellence systems and hosting events.
3. 1-on-1 Coaching Services: 9-month structured coaching program delivered by certified coaches. Members receive 50% discount. Follows a 9-module process tailored to client goals.
4. Coach/Speaker Certification: Certification program allowing coaches, consultants, and speakers to use Circle of Excellence intellectual property with their own clients. Includes annual renewal fee. Members receive 50% discount.
5. Premium Membership Upgrades: Gold membership (12-month A-team engagement), Platinum Mastermind (4-day intensive in exotic location), Bali Business School (5-day annual retreat), and coaching upgrades offering 20-70% discounts to club members.
6. Referral/Affiliate Revenue: Members earn remuneration when they invite others to join the Circle of Excellence Private Members Club, creating their own round table.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Circle of Excellence operates a paid annual private members club ($480/year) that provides vetted entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and speakers with a global community platform, weekly live online events, co-creation pods, online learning courses, a member marketplace, featured member showcases, reciprocal partner club rights, and significant discounts on upgrade offerings. The core subscription is supplemented by upsell programs including 1-on-1 coaching (9-month structured), Certified Coach/Speaker licensing, Gold Membership, Platinum Mastermind retreats, and the annual Bali Business School.

Product overview

Circle of Excellence is a private members club serving entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and speakers, built around a core annual membership ($480/year). The product portfolio centers on the Private Members Club as the foundational platform, supplemented by paid upgrade tiers: 1-1 Coaching (a 9-month structured program), the Certified Coach/Speaker Program, Area Leader/Club franchise opportunities, Bali Business School (annual 5-day event), Platinum Mastermind (4-day intimate retreats), and Gold Membership (12-month premium engagement). Core online learning offerings include the I.M.P.A.C.T. Leadership Course and Money Train Marketing Course included with club membership. A 21-Day Challenge is also offered as a community engagement tool. Since 2006, the group has worked with over 300,000 entrepreneurs across 50+ countries through over 3,000 events, 7 best-selling books, and 12 business awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circle of Excellence Private Members Club Flagship annual membership program at $480/year providing vetted entrepreneurs, coaches, consultants, and speakers with a global community platform, weekly live online events, co-creation pods, online courses, a members marketplace, member features and leaderboards, book library access, reciprocal partner club rights, and significant discounts on upgrade services.
• 1-on-1 Coaching Personalized 9-month business coaching delivered by certified Circle of Excellence coaches through a structured 9-module process tailored to client goals. Club members receive a 50% discount.
• Certified Coach / Speaker Program Global certification program licensing Circle of Excellence intellectual property and systems (including the Intelligent Pathway framework) to coaches, speakers, and consultants for use with their own clients. Accredited by Education Alliance Finland. Includes annual renewal fee; members receive 50% discount.
• Area Leader / Run a Club in Your Area Franchise-style area leadership program enabling individuals to represent Circle of Excellence in their city or region, organizing monthly social events, quarterly one-day events, masterminds, and group coaching, while earning income from building a local community using COE systems.
• Bali Business School Annual 5-day immersive business learning event held in Bali, Indonesia, for Gold Member clients and club members worldwide, focused on learning, sharing, collaboration, and networking.
• Platinum Mastermind Small-group (6-8 individuals) 4-day intensive mastermind held at exceptional global destinations, working alongside Circle of Excellence founders on business and impact outcomes.
• Gold Membership Premium 12-month engagement in which the Circle of Excellence A-team and founders work directly with members to build their business and create greater impact at the highest personalized support tier.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68% average increase in gross revenue for coaching clients last year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GrooveTechcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology infrastructure provider hosting the Circle of Excellence platform, member community, and e-commerce checkout system. Provides website hosting, image/CDN services, and sales page tracking capabilities.
• GrooveSellcoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform handling membership checkout and payment processing for the Circle of Excellence Private Members Club.
• Education Alliance FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation body that has certified Circle of Excellence's coaching and speaker certification program at the highest global level, equivalent to university accreditation standards.
• Global Partner Networking SitesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal rights with partner networking sites and spaces globally, allowing members to network beyond their local club when traveling.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Tony Robbins Business Mastery / Platinum Partners: Large-scale premium business and leadership programs with tiered memberships, masterminds and live events. Comparable premium-priced entrepreneur coaching/community model, but at vastly greater scale and global brand reach.
• Vistage: Large-scale peer advisory and executive coaching organization serving CEOs and business leaders worldwide. Comparable business model of recurring membership + facilitated peer groups + coaching, but at much greater scale and broader executive focus.

Direct peers

• Genius Network (Joe Polish): High-end curated mastermind and networking community for entrepreneurs built around vetted members and premium events. Directly comparable positioning around trusted, vetted peer networks for growth-stage entrepreneurs.
• Robin Sharma Membership / The Club: Premium membership community built around a personal-brand founder, including courses, live events and retreats for high-achieving professionals. Closely comparable founder-led premium-club model with tiered offerings.
• Mastermind.com: Curated group-mastermind platform that matches entrepreneurs into small facilitated groups. Comparable model of paid curated masterminds for business owners seeking peer accountability and growth.
• Mindvalley: Online personal-development and entrepreneurship learning community with subscription access to courses, live events and a global member base. Comparable recurring-membership content-and-community model targeting personal and business growth.
• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global membership-based community of entrepreneurs with peer-learning forums, events and member-only resources. Comparable membership/association model serving entrepreneurs in dozens of countries.
• Strategic Coach: Premium subscription-based coaching and community for entrepreneurs, with multi-tier programs and exclusive events. Closely comparable business model (recurring fees, entrepreneur focus, tiered coaching, in-person and virtual experiences).
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): Global peer network for chief executives built around chapters, forums and curated events. Closely analogous premium 'members club' model for senior business leaders with vetted admission.

Others

• Mighty Networks: Software platform powering paid communities, courses and events — analogous offering for community-led GTM, but operating as a SaaS enabler rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circleofexcellenceprivatemembersclub

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 Circle of Excellence | Private Members Club