Smith Gruppe
Smith Gruppe is a Charlotte, NC-based business advisory and commercial finance firm founded in 1992 that consults SMBs, non-profits, and lower middle-market companies on structure, strategy, leadership, and access to capital, augmented by the UpSkill AI/ML career assessment platform and a $10M Search Fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Smith Gruppe does
Smith Gruppe, LLC is a private business advisory, consulting, and commercial finance firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded in 1992 by Chairman & CEO Antoine Smith. The firm serves small-to-medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, and lower middle-market companies (up to approximately $50 million in annual revenue), delivering engagements across business structure advisory, strategy definition, leadership development, change management, project and program management, and access to capital — including SBA loans, equipment leasing, asset-based lending, factoring, mezzanine financing, and structured finance. The firm operates through a single founder-led advisory practice augmented by a branded network of capabilities partners, with regional offices in Charlotte (headquarters and Commercial Loan Center) and Greensboro, NC.
The firm's technology stack is anchored by UpSkill, an AI and Machine Learning education and career assessment platform with filed patent protection that assesses 84+ data points across Spirit, Profession, Purpose, and Reward vectors. The UpSkill ecosystem extends into MyMentor (asynchronous K-12 mentorship), E3CoE (trademarked Education-Economic Development-Entrepreneurship Center of Excellence), SBDN (Small Business Data Network), and DaaS API integrations into Workday, Power BI, and Tableau. Underlying compute is delivered via IEDC (Infrastructure Edge Data Center) facilities — five deployed over an 18-month period — supporting Managed Tech-Stack as a Service (MTSaaS) for hybrid cloud and on-premise AI workloads. A 2016 acquisition of a majority interest in A-PLUS Community Solutions, Inc. extends capacity into the technology sector.
Revenue is generated through professional services fees (project-based, hourly, or success-fee structures tied to milestone deliverables, typically on multi-year contracts), transaction fees from commercial financing placements, the 2025-launched $10 Million Smith Gruppe Search Fund for Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, Growth Through Acquisition, and M&A advisory, and technology platform revenue from UpSkill and managed infrastructure services. Distribution is primarily direct sales via a structured KYC Pro Web Application intake process with 48-hour business analyst follow-up, supplemented by self-serve PLG motion through the UpSkill platform, chamber referral networks, and a strategic partner ecosystem spanning workforce development boards and economic development agencies. The firm reports 1,053 completed engagements, 378 active engagements, 5,360 engagement hours in 2023, and 96.2% client recidivism.
Smith Gruppe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smith Gruppe
- Legal name
- Smith Gruppe, LLC
- Website
- https://smithgruppe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Smith Gruppe is a Charlotte, NC-based business advisory and commercial finance firm founded in 1992 that consults SMBs, non-profits, and lower middle-market companies on structure, strategy, leadership, and access to capital, augmented by the UpSkill AI/ML career assessment platform and a $10M Search Fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Smith Gruppe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Smith Gruppe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Business Advisory and Consulting Services: Advisory and consulting engagements for small-to-medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, and lower middle-market companies. Fee structures are flexible: project assignment basis, hourly rate, or success-fee based upon meeting milestone deliverables. Pricing is relative to engagement breadth, scope, and length, working with client budgets.
- Access to Capital / Commercial Funding: Direct access to capital and business finance services including SBA loans, equipment leasing, asset-based lending, factoring, mezzanine financing, private equity, and structured finance. Transaction and closing services with quick turnaround.
- Workforce Development Solutions (UpSkill): Direct sourcing talent recruitment and retention services using AI/ML platform. Includes candidate curation, job matching, and direct hire placement services for employers.
- Smith Gruppe Search Fund: Investment fund providing $10 Million for ETA (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition), GTA (Growth Through Acquisition), and M&A advisory services
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Flexible engagement-based pricing tailored to client needs and budget |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Smith Gruppe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smith Gruppe provides business advisory, consulting, project management, and commercial finance services for small-to-medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, and lower middle-market companies. The firm also offers an AI/ML-powered UpSkill education and career assessment platform, IEDC edge computing infrastructure, and a $10 Million Search Fund for entrepreneurship through acquisition.
Product overview
Smith Gruppe operates as a multi-product business advisory and technology firm with a portfolio of integrated platforms and service offerings. The core product is the UpSkill AI and Machine Learning Education and Career Assessment Platform, which serves as the central hub for talent matching, workforce development, and career planning. This platform integrates with subsidiary products including MyMentor (asynchronous mentorship), the E3CoE Center of Excellence brand, and the SBDN (Small Business Data Network) for mentoring. Underlying infrastructure includes IEDC (Infrastructure Edge Data Centers) for edge computing and managed IT services. The company also offers professional services including business advisory, access to capital, project management, and change management. The BI.SmithGruppe.com unit provides business intelligence analytics. The KYC Pro web application supports client onboarding. All offerings are tied together through API integrations enabling connectivity with enterprise systems like Workday, Power BI, and Tableau.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- UpSkill: AI and Machine Learning Education and Career Assessment Software Platform for workforce development, education, and career planning for marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities.
- E3CoE (Education-Economic Development-Entrepreneurship)
- MyMentor
- Smith Gruppe Search Fund
- IEDC (Infrastructure Edge Data Center)
- SBDN (Small Business Data Network)
Quantifiable outcome
- 2X, 3X, 5X, and 10X growth multiples for clients
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Smith Gruppe
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Smith Gruppe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability9 records
Feature5 records
Smith Gruppe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- A-PLUS Community Solutions, Inc.coreStrategic resource partner providing technology sector expertise. Smith Gruppe acquired a second majority interest in 2016. A-PLUS delivers on its brand promise to identify systemic problems and develop agile solutions. The partnership provides Smith Gruppe with expanded advisory and services capacity into the technology sector, with A-PLUS maintaining a deep talent bench for projects.
- E3CoE (Education-Economic Development-Entrepreneurship) NetworkcoreSmith Gruppe's branded Center of Excellence network bringing together educational institutions, economic development agencies, and entrepreneurs in a collaborative ecosystem to drive workforce development and economic opportunity in marginalized and underserved communities.
- Charlotte Chamber of CommerceminorDirector-level membership in Charlotte, NC Chamber of Commerce. Smith Gruppe participates in Business Retention Programs and committee activities.
- Metro Atlanta Chamber of CommerceminorOriginal chamber membership since 1992 when Smith Gruppe opened its doors, providing business development workshops and contract opportunities.
- North Carolina A&T State UniversitycoreAntoine Smith serves as Executive Entrepreneur In Residence at NC A&T State University and sits on the Board of Advisors to the Entrepreneur and Innovation Center in the School of Business Management and Economics.
- International Commercial Finance AssociationminorSmith Gruppe and CEO Antoine Smith accepted invitation to join ICFA, providing networking and industry recognition for commercial finance activities.
- Corporate Finance InstituteminorAntoine Smith secured individual membership and registered Smith Gruppe as a corporate member of the Corporate Finance Institute.
- Workforce Development BoardscoreStrategic partnerships with workforce development boards to deliver UpSkill platform services and direct sourcing solutions, supporting WIOA-compliant programs and capacity-building initiatives.
- Economic Development AgenciescorePartnerships with economic development agencies for workforce development initiatives, apprenticeships, on-the-job training programs, and direct hire placement of candidates from strategic talent pipelines.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Smith Gruppe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ICF International: Professional services firm combining advisory, technology, and program management with strong public-sector and non-profit focus. Comparable to Smith Gruppe in targeting underserved communities and providing change management services.
- Resources Connection (RGP): Global consulting firm providing advisory, project management, and change management services to mid-market clients. Directly comparable to Smith Gruppe's core business advisory and project portfolio management offerings.
- GP Strategies Corporation: Workforce development and performance improvement consulting firm serving mid-market and enterprise clients. Directly comparable to Smith Gruppe's UpSkill workforce development and change management service lines.
- Huron Consulting Group: Mid-market management consulting firm offering advisory services across strategy, operations, and technology. Comparable to Smith Gruppe in serving middle-market clients with integrated consulting offerings, though at significantly larger scale.
- BTS Group: Business advisory and leadership development firm focused on strategy execution and people development. Directly comparable to Smith Gruppe's leadership development and business advisory core offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Kforce Inc. Professional staffing and workforce solutions firm providing talent placement in technology and finance. Comparable to Smith Gruppe's direct sourcing talent recruitment services and job matching capabilities.
- iCIMS: Enterprise talent acquisition platform providing ATS, candidate matching, and recruitment marketing. Comparable to Smith Gruppe's workforce development and direct sourcing services, but serving larger enterprise customers.
Emerging players
- Eightfold AI: AI-powered talent intelligence platform for skills assessment, job matching, and DE&I hiring. Most direct technology competitor to Smith Gruppe's UpSkill platform, though operating at much larger scale with significant venture funding.
- Pymetrics: AI-based soft skills and cognitive assessment platform for talent acquisition and career development. Comparable to UpSkill's focus on gamified aptitude and soft skills assessment across multiple vectors.
Regional players
- Live Oak Bank: Specialized SBA and small business lender focused on providing capital access to SMBs. Comparable to Smith Gruppe's Access to Capital services including SBA loans, equipment leasing, and structured finance offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Smith Gruppe social profiles
Digital presenceSmith Gruppe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smith Gruppe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Smith Gruppe subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Smith Gruppe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smith Gruppe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Smith Gruppe
What does Smith Gruppe do?
Smith Gruppe provides business advisory, consulting, project management, and commercial finance services for small-to-medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, and lower middle-market companies. The firm also offers an AI/ML-powered UpSkill education and career assessment platform, IEDC edge computing infrastructure, and a $10 Million Search Fund for entrepreneurship through acquisition.
Is Smith Gruppe a public or private company?
Smith Gruppe is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smith Gruppe founded?
Smith Gruppe was founded in 1992. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Smith Gruppe based?
Smith Gruppe is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Smith Gruppe make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Business Advisory and Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are access to Capital / Commercial Funding, workforce Development Solutions (UpSkill) and smith Gruppe Search Fund.
Who are Smith Gruppe's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ICF International, Resources Connection (RGP), GP Strategies Corporation, Huron Consulting Group and BTS Group. Broad incumbents are Kforce Inc. and iCIMS. Emerging players are Eightfold AI and Pymetrics. Live Oak Bank is listed as a regional player.
Does Smith Gruppe have an API?
Yes. The UpSkill platform offers API access as part of its DaaS (Data As A Service) offering, allowing customers to consume data and build their own talent intelligence solutions through direct API access. It enables real-time data access from anywhere and is fully integratable with existing ERP, HR, and other tools. API calls are used to provide enhanced access to UpSkill Talent Pools, seamlessly integrating with tools like Workday and most ERM tools. Additionally, the platform mentions integration with Power BI or Tableau for stakeholder access and reporting.