The UK’s corporate learning market is bracing for change. Notably, Academy Plus Group (APG) has announced the completion of a major investment round for 2026. This move is designed to fuel an aggressive acquisition-led growth strategy. Ultimately, it marks the end of a three-year pivot from B2C sales to a powerful B2B SaaS model.
APG Investment: From Transactional to Transformational
Under CEO Ian McClelland, APG has invested years rebuilding its fundamentals. Today, the group serves over 1,000 organisations through its proprietary platform. Moreover, the group’s success is backed by impressive economics. For example, they boast a Net Promoter Score of 67. Additionally, they have successfully reduced churn following a complete relaunch of their LMS.
The “Integration Playbook”
APG is not just looking for growth with this investment. Rather, it is looking for synergy. To date, the firm has already integrated diverse assets into its AI-enhanced ecosystem. For instance, recent acquisitions include Scott Bradbury Ltd and MindLabs. By doing so, they have strengthened their performance-improvement and wellbeing propositions simultaneously.
A “Cutting Edge” Future
According to Ian McClelland, the group is now positioned to move faster. Likewise, Chairman Jay Verjee noted that the platform is perfectly positioned for organic growth. In short, APG is ready to invest in the acquisition of other complementary businesses to dominate the SME sector. Therefore, the “SaaS-pocalypse” isn’t stopping agile players from capturing significant market share.
McClelland says: “I joined academy+ to lead a transformation, and we’ve delivered it. We’ve rebuilt the platform, strengthened distribution, proven acquisition integration, and improved the fundamentals: revenue is growing and customers are happy. We’re now positioned to move faster and continue consolidating in attractive areas of compliance, professional development and wellbeing. I’d also like to thank our investors for their support. Their backing has been instrumental in enabling strategic acquisitions, accelerating product investment, and fueling our next phase of growth.”
Adds Verjee: “We are proud to continue our support for academy+ and the journey Ian and the team are undertaking. The platform is cutting edge and can be scaled easily as the business adds new customers and courses. academy+ is now perfectly positioned to continue its organic growth story and to acquire other complementary businesses.”
