Skill Up
Skill Up is a UK-based online learning platform offering 3,000+ CPD-accredited and QLS-endorsed courses to individual learners and corporate clients, generating revenue through one-time course sales, a Lifetime Prime subscription, certificate add-ons, and enterprise Team Training.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Skill Up does
Skill Up is a UK-based online learning platform and e-commerce LMS that aggregates and resells CPD-accredited and QLS-endorsed professional development courses to individual learners and corporate clients. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in London, the company offers 3,000+ courses across categories including Health & Care, Accounting & Finance, IT & Software, Business, Management, Design, Teaching, and Personal Development, delivered through a cloud-based LMS with 24/7 access, self-paced video content, downloadable resources, and instant course material delivery. The platform is built on standard web infrastructure with Stripe and PayPal checkout, social login (Facebook/Google), and supports multiple course formats including individual courses (£19-£39), career bundles (£89-£109), and premium Job Ready Programmes (£449-£450).
The company operates a hybrid revenue model combining one-time course purchases (with 92-94% discounts off original list prices), a Lifetime Prime subscription offering 67% off all courses, and ancillary certificate fulfillment (PDF, hardcopy, QLS-endorsed) priced from £3.99 to £109. An enterprise Team Training line targets corporate and organizational workforce development clients, anchored by an NHS relationship. Distribution is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer website sales, marketplace listings on Reed and Alison, and promotional deals via Groupon, Wowcher, Hyperli, and Daddy's Deal. The company has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and operates as a standalone private limited company in the UK with 101-250 employees and 10,000+ enrolled students.
Skill Up firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Skill Up
- Legal name
- Skill Up LTD
- Website
- https://skill-up.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Skill Up is a UK-based online learning platform offering 3,000+ CPD-accredited and QLS-endorsed courses to individual learners and corporate clients, generating revenue through one-time course sales, a Lifetime Prime subscription, certificate add-ons, and enterprise Team Training.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Skill Up industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Professional Education
- NAICS
- Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries) (EDAFAIAH), Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB), Project, Process & Quality Certification Prep (PMP, PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) (EDANAIAE)
Keywords
Where Skill Up is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Skill Up business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Course Sales: One-time purchase model where learners pay per course. Individual course prices range from £19 to £109 depending on course type and depth. Certificates and add-ons (lifetime access, transcripts) sold as optional extras per transaction.
- Subscription Membership (Lifetime Prime): Recurring subscription model offering unlimited access to all courses with membership discounts (67% off regular pricing). Provides recurring revenue from dedicated learners seeking comprehensive access.
- Certificate and Credential Sales: Separate revenue stream from certificate fulfillment including PDF certificates (£6.99-£9.99), hardcopy certificates with transcripts (£14.99-£25), and QLS endorsement certificates at various levels (£0-£109 depending on bundle).
- Team/Corporate Training: Enterprise licensing for organizational workforce development with dedicated team training packages for businesses seeking to upskill multiple employees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Individual Courses - £19-£39 per course |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Career Bundles and Diploma Programs - £89-£109 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Job Ready Programmes - £449-£450 |
| Subscription | Annual | Lifetime Prime Membership Subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Certificate Add-ons - £3.99-£109 |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate/Team Training |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Skill Up product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Skill Up sells CPD-accredited and QLS-endorsed online courses across categories such as IT & Software, Business, Health & Care, Management, Design, Teaching, and Personal Development, delivered through a cloud-based LMS with 24/7 access and expert tutor support. Revenue is generated through individual course purchases (£19-£450), Career Bundles, QLS-endorsed certifications, certificate add-ons, and a Lifetime Prime subscription offering 67% off access to all courses. The platform also offers Team Training packages for organizational workforce development and sells supporting services such as PDF/hardcopy certificates, student ID cards, gift cards, and voucher redemption.
Product overview
Skill Up operates as a UK-based online learning marketplace and LMS offering over 3000+ CPD accredited and QLS-endorsed courses. The platform provides a subscription model (Lifetime Prime Membership offering 67% discount) alongside individual course purchases and Career Bundles. The core offering centers on professional development across IT & Software, Business, Health & Care, Management, Design, Teaching, and Personal Development categories. Certificate services (CPD-QS accredited) are available as add-ons in PDF or hardcopy formats, with unlimited annual subscription options. The platform also provides Team Training for organizational learning and Job Ready Programmes for career-focused learners. Course delivery features include 24/7 tutor support, lifetime access options, and social login (Facebook/Google) authentication.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Skill Up Online Courses Platform Online learning management system offering CPD-accredited and QLS-endorsed courses across categories including IT & Software, Business, Health & Care, Management, Design, Teaching, and Personal Development. Supports subscription-based and individual course purchasing with lifetime membership access.
- Lifetime Prime Membership Subscription membership offering unlimited access to 3,000+ CPD-accredited courses with a 67% discount, providing career-focused training and accredited certification for dedicated learners.
- Career Bundles Pre-curated course bundles designed around real roles, practical skills, and career progression, combining multiple related courses at discounted bundle pricing (e.g., Accounting and Finance bundle).
- QLS Endorsed Courses Quality Licence Scheme endorsed courses that add credibility and recognition to learning, offering verified quality assurance and stronger career prospects through regulated certification.
- Certificate Services CPD-QS accredited certificates and transcripts available in PDF, hardcopy, or combined formats, with options for individual course certificates or unlimited annual certificate packages.
- Team Training Organizational training solution enabling team-wide access to courses for workforce development and corporate training purposes, used by 1,000+ UK organisations including the NHS.
- Job Ready Programme Career-focused course packages (£449-£450) designed to prepare learners for specific job roles with comprehensive training and certification, such as Accountant Job Ready Skills and Accounts/Finance Manager Job Ready Programme.
- Student ID Card Digital student identification card service for enrolled learners to verify their student status.
- Gift Card Gift card service allowing users to purchase course access for others as a present.
Companies that use Skill Up
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Skill Up technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Skill Up partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ReedcoreReed partnership enables course distribution through Reed's established UK learning marketplace, extending Skill Up's reach to Reed's existing customer base of job seekers and professionals seeking career development.
- AlisoncoreAlison partnership provides course distribution through Alison's global learning platform, expanding Skill Up's international learner acquisition capabilities.
- GrouponminorGroupon partnership offers promotional course deals to Groupon's UK customer base, enabling price-sensitive learners to access Skill Up courses at discounted rates.
- WowcherminorWowcher partnership provides flash deal and discount offer distribution to Wowcher's UK marketplace customers.
- HyperliminorHyperli partnership extends promotional course reach through deal platform marketing.
- Daddy's DealminorDaddy's Deal partnership provides additional promotional distribution channel for course offerings.
- NHScoreNHS partnership indicates institutional trust in Skill Up's healthcare and clinical training courses for NHS workforce development and professional training.
- Janets (Quality Licence Scheme)coreJanets-approved resale partnership for Quality Licence Scheme (QLS) Endorsed courses. This partnership provides accreditation verification, quality assurance, and credibility for Skill Up's endorsed certification programs.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights8 records
Skill Up competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- edX: edX is a global online education platform founded by Harvard and MIT, offering university-level courses, professional certificates, and microcredentials. It overlaps with Skill Up in professional certification but skews toward higher-education and formal credentials.
- LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) is a major subscription-based professional development platform owned by Microsoft. It competes with Skill Up in business, IT, and creative skills training, but with stronger enterprise distribution through LinkedIn's professional network.
- Coursera: Coursera is a global online education platform partnering with universities and companies to offer courses, certificates, and degrees. It competes with Skill Up in professional certification but operates at much larger scale with formal academic and enterprise credentials.
Direct peers
- Skillshare: Skillshare is a subscription-based online learning community focused on creative and business skills. It is comparable to Skill Up in subscription model and self-paced course delivery, though it skews toward creative rather than vocational/CPD categories.
- Reed Courses: Reed.co.uk Courses is a UK-based online course marketplace offering CPD and professional development courses directly competing with Skill Up. Reed is also a Skill Up distribution partner, making it the closest peer in geography, audience, and catalog overlap.
- FutureLearn: FutureLearn is a UK-based online course platform owned by Global University Systems, offering short courses, microcredentials, and degrees. It overlaps with Skill Up in CPD-style professional development courses for UK and international learners.
- Udemy: Udemy is a global online course marketplace offering individual courses, bundles, and subscription tiers across business, IT, and personal development. It is comparable to Skill Up in product-led, self-paced course sales with frequent heavy discounting.
- Alison: Alison is a global free online learning platform with a large catalog of CPD-certified courses. It is both a peer (similar course marketplace model targeting professional learners) and a Skill Up distribution partner.
- Janets: Janets is a UK online learning platform that provides Quality Licence Scheme (QLS) endorsed courses and is Skill Up's approved resale partner for QLS courses. Both operate in the same UK CPD/QLS course marketplace with overlapping content in accounting, healthcare, and business training.
Others
- Thinkific: Thinkific is a SaaS platform that enables creators and businesses to build, market, and sell online courses. While Skill Up is a course seller/marketplace rather than a course platform provider, both operate in the online learning ecosystem with overlapping technology stacks (LMS, e-commerce, subscriptions).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Skill Up social profiles
Digital presenceSkill Up compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Skill Up financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Skill Up leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Skill Up funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Skill Up 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 Skill Up
What does Skill Up do?
Skill Up sells CPD-accredited and QLS-endorsed online courses across categories such as IT & Software, Business, Health & Care, Management, Design, Teaching, and Personal Development, delivered through a cloud-based LMS with 24/7 access and expert tutor support. Revenue is generated through individual course purchases (£19-£450), Career Bundles, QLS-endorsed certifications, certificate add-ons, and a Lifetime Prime subscription offering 67% off access to all courses. The platform also offers Team Training packages for organizational workforce development and sells supporting services such as PDF/hardcopy certificates, student ID cards, gift cards, and voucher redemption.
Is Skill Up a public or private company?
Skill Up is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Skill Up founded?
Skill Up was founded in 2020. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Skill Up based?
Skill Up is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Skill Up make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Course Sales are the primary driver. The others are subscription Membership (Lifetime Prime), certificate and Credential Sales and team/Corporate Training.
Who are Skill Up's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are edX, LinkedIn Learning and Coursera. Direct peers are Skillshare, Reed Courses, FutureLearn, Udemy, Alison and Janets. Thinkific is listed as an others.
Does Skill Up have an API?
No public API is recorded for Skill Up.
What industry is Skill Up in?
Skill Up's product category is Online Professional Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAIAI, Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAH, Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries). Its NAICS code is 6114 and its SIC code is 8200.