Accenture Acquires Ascendient Learning to Expand Learning and Certification Capabilities with Instructor-Led Training and Industry-Recognized Credentials
Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has acquired Ascendient Learning, a subsidiary of Axcel Learning, from Alpine Investors, a people-driven private equity firm. The acquisition will expand Accenture's capabilities in instructor-led training and certification services and bolster its ability to provide customized, live training to help organizations and teams upskill, reskill, and meet the growing demand for technology development.
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Ascendient Learning is now part of Accenture
Ascendient Learning brings Accenture a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the IT-training industry in North America. An amalgamation of three companies—Accelebrate, ExitCertified, and Web Age Solutions—Ascendient Learning came together under one brand in 2025 to provide clients with tailored IT and digital skills training solutions, including instructor-led in-person learning, immersive virtual learning, digital certifications, and vendor-authorized IT training, across a course catalog of over 850 offerings. Such a robust and customizable suite of offerings empowers organizations with precise capabilities tailored to their ever-adapting business goals in the rapidly changing technology landscape.
With the acquisition of Ascendient Learning and its team of nearly 75 professionals, Accenture will expand the capabilities of its LearnVantage business by providing clients with a comprehensive suite of customizable technology training solutions designed to meet their evolving talent needs and help their people build the skills they need to grow and succeed in today's AI economy. Ascendient Learning's expertise in delivering high-quality, hands-on training programs will complement Accenture's existing offerings, enabling the company to offer a more holistic range of learning and development services that supports growing demands for a wide array of industries and technologies.
"One of the biggest challenges our clients face is keeping pace with accelerating technology and maintaining an agile and skilled workforce. Ascendient Learning's deep expertise in IT and digital instructor-led training and certifications, combined with our global reach and industry experience, greatly enhances our ability to deliver transformative learning solutions to our clients at scale," said Kishore Durg, global lead of Accenture LearnVantage. "This acquisition supports our vision to be the leader in the enterprise learning space by providing organizations with the expertise, tools and resources they need to thrive in the digital age."
The acquisition of Ascendient Learning will expand Accenture's capabilities in several key areas:
- Enhanced Instructor-Led Training – Ascendient Learning's team of experienced instructors and its proven delivery methodologies will enable Accenture to offer a wider range of instructor-led training programs, both in-person and virtually.
- Expanded Certification Offerings – Ascendient Learning's extensive portfolio of industry-recognized certifications, including those from leading technology providers such as AWS, SAP, VMware, NVIDIA, and Microsoft, will allow clients to access a broader range of certifications.
- Tailored Upskilling/Reskilling Programs – Ascendient Learning's expertise in designing and delivering customized upskilling and reskilling programs will enable Accenture to help its clients' workforces gain necessary competencies to drive innovation and growth.
"We are excited to become part of a global leader in learning and development and to contribute to Accenture's mission of helping organizations transform their businesses through upskilling and reskilling their workforces," said Tim Toomey, Ascendient Learning CEO. "Together, we will continue to deliver exceptional training experiences and empower individuals and teams to achieve their full potential."
The acquisition of Ascendient Learning is part of Accenture's ongoing investment in its learning and development capabilities. In March 2024, the company launched LearnVantage, part of a $1 billion investment to help clients reskill and upskill their workforces to reinvent their organizations and achieve greater business value.
With the addition of Ascendient Learning, Accenture is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for IT and digital skills training and help organizations build a workforce that is ready for the future.
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "aspires," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook," "goal," "target" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. 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Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations.
About Accenture
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Michelle Schneider
Accenture
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