Verbal Aikido®

What Verbal Aikido® does

Verbal Aikido SASU/EURL is a privately held French communication training company founded in 2009 by Luke Archer and headquartered in Villeurbanne (Lyon). It commercializes a trademarked method for verbal conflict de-escalation structured around three core postures (MOI/TOI/NOUS), a DEP taxonomy of communication patterns to avoid, VA Kata technique sequences, and an O.S.E.R.® four-step rapid de-escalation process, delivered through a belt-level progression system analogous to martial arts ranking.

The company operates a multi-channel business model spanning five distinct revenue streams: (i) B2B professional services sold direct to enterprises (interactive conferences for up to 1,000 participants, 10-session team training, internal facilitator certification, and 3-hour VA Starter workshops), (ii) Dojo online membership subscriptions with weekly live practice sessions, (iii) e-commerce sales of books, practice cards, calendars, and bundles through the VA Store, (iv) VA Academy certification (two 45-hour cycles producing Official VA Facilitators), and (v) trademark licensing of the Verbal Aikido® and Verbal Stretching® marks to accredited facilitators. Distribution runs across five branded sites (Portal, Pro, Dojo, VA4Kids, VA Store) with payment processing via Stripe and PayPal.

The customer base is segmented across organizations (enterprise clients including Institut Curie, GRDF, Volvo Group, Arkema, Sanofi, BCG, and Sagess across healthcare, energy, automotive, chemicals, pharma, and consulting), private individuals (Dojo subscribers), schools (the VA4Kids program reaching 2,000+ children across 10 schools), and aspiring practitioners pursuing Academy certification. The company claims 15,000+ practitioners trained, a 98.5% satisfaction rate, and a 5/5 Google rating, and has expanded delivery capacity via facilitators in Paris, Bar-sur-Seine, and Tokyo. There is no external institutional funding; growth has been organically funded over a 15-year operating history.

Name

Verbal Aikido®

Legal name

Verbal Aikido EURL

Website

https://verbalaikido.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Verbal Aikido is a privately held French company founded in 2009 that sells a trademarked communication and conflict-de-escalation method to enterprises (team training, conferences, facilitator programs), private individuals (online Dojo membership), and schools (VA4Kids), generating revenue through subscriptions, professional services, e-commerce, certification, and trademark licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Communication Training Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAEANAN

Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching)

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/IT Training & Technical Enablement Services

Keywords

• Conflict management training
• Communication skills training
• De-escalation techniques
• Workplace training services
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeurbanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dojo Membership Subscriptions: Monthly recurring membership providing access to weekly live dojo sessions, the members-only Zoom room, a growing resource library (PDFs, videos, tools), and community access. Cancel anytime. Three tiers: Regular, Express, and Premium.
2. B2B Professional Training Services: Organization-facing services including: interactive introductory conferences (30–1,000 participants), team training programs (10×3hr sessions, 4–12 participants), internal VA facilitator training (20 half-days + individual coaching), and VA Starter rapid workshops (3 hours). Sold directly to enterprises, schools, and healthcare organizations.
3. Book and Resource Sales: Sale of published books and training materials through the VA Store: 'From Conflict to Conversation' practitioner's guide (€24.99/£/$), 'Verbal Aikido for Beginners' (€17.99/£17.99), VA Perpetual Calendar (€10.00/£10.00), VA Sacattaq' practice cards (€14.00/£14.00), VA Starter Kit bundle (€49.00/£49.00). Worldwide delivery available.
4. VA Academy Certification: Two-cycle certification program: Cycle 1 (45 hours) to become Autonomous VA Practitioner; Cycle 2 (45 hours over ~1 year) to become Official VA Facilitator. Certified facilitators may work as official VA Trainers in partnership with Verbal Aikido SASU and obtain a trademark license to provide and invoice VA training.
5. Trademark Licensing: Accredited Official VA Facilitators can obtain a Verbal Aikido® and Verbal Stretching® trademark license (1st year €600 excl. VAT, then €1,200 excl. VAT annually), which includes annual refresher training. Licensed facilitators may provide and invoice VA training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Verbal Aikido® delivers a trademarked communication and conflict de-escalation method through professional training services for organizations (team training, internal facilitator programs, interactive conferences, VA Starter workshops), an online dojo membership with weekly live practice sessions for individuals, a VA Academy certification pathway for facilitators, and physical/digital training tools (books, practice cards, calendars).

Product overview

Verbal Aikido® is a trademarked communication training method that teaches de-escalation techniques for transforming verbal conflict into constructive dialogue. The organization operates multiple platforms: the VA Portal (main hub), VA Pro (enterprise/business solutions), VA Dojo (individual membership practice), VA4Kids (school programs), and VA Store (e-commerce). The portfolio includes books ("From Conflict to Conversation" guide, "Verbal Aikido for Beginners"), training tools (VA Sacattaq', VA Perpetual Calendar, VA Starter Kit), professional services (Interactive Conferences, Team Training, Internal VA Facilitator Programs), and online membership with weekly live dojo sessions. The company offers structured progression through belt levels (yellow to black) for practitioners and facilitators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VA Academy: Certification program to become an Official VA Facilitator, with cycles including 'Autonomous VA Practitioner' and 'Official VA Facilitator' levels.
• VA4Kids
• VA Dojo
• VA Pro

Products and services

• Interactive Introductory Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.5% trainee satisfaction rate among those trained
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dale Carnegie & Associates: One of the longest-running global training brands in communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills. Closely comparable to Verbal Aikido in offering structured, in-person and workshop-based training on workplace communication and human relations, sold to both enterprises and individuals.
• Vistelar: Conflict de-escalation and crisis intervention training provider serving healthcare, security, education, and customer service. Highly comparable to Verbal Aikido's promise of practical verbal techniques for managing aggression in real-world settings.
• The Mediation Training Institute: Specializes in mediation and conflict resolution training for professionals. Comparable to VA in methodology (structured conflict management) and in serving individuals seeking certification, though more focused on formal mediation practice.
• Crucial Learning (formerly VitalSmarts): Specializes in training for difficult conversations, influence, and change (Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence). Direct competitor in the conflict-dialogue training category Verbal Aikido targets, with similar B2B workshop + course + certification model.

Broad incumbents

• Udemy Business: Major online learning platform offering thousands of soft-skills and communication courses including conflict management. Provides a low-cost substitute at the individual and SMB level, against which VA's premium positioning must compete.
• FranklinCovey: Large-scale leadership and organizational effectiveness training provider (7 Habits, etc.). Overlaps with VA in enterprise soft-skills training but at much broader scope and scale; a likely competitor or potential partner for large enterprise accounts.
• LinkedIn Learning: Enterprise-scale learning platform with extensive communication and management course catalogs bundled into LinkedIn Talent Solutions. Competes with VA for L&D budget at the enterprise layer, especially for self-serve learners.

Emerging players

• Peacemaker Ministries: Provides conflict resolution and mediation training rooted in structured frameworks and certification. Comparable niche to VA in teaching practical de-escalation, though with a faith-based orientation limiting addressable overlap.
• Stoco / Nonviolent Communication (NVC) trainers: Network of certified trainers delivering Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication methodology for conflict resolution and empathy. Closely adjacent to VA's de-escalation premise and practitioner certification structure, with global reach.

Regional players

• CPP Asia (Centre for Peaceful Possibilities): Asia-based conflict resolution and peace education training provider. Overlaps with VA's de-escalation curriculum and the VA4Kids school-based peace education model; relevant given VA's presence in Singapore and Japan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@verbalaikido3393
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verbal-aikido1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Verbal Aikido®