Global digital skills provider Simplilearn has been on something of a growth spurt in 2026, adding programs focused on professional AI training with Virginia Tech, University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Oklahoma just in the past several months.
Founded in 2010, Simplilearn relocated its headquarters from San Francisco to Plano in 2024, citing the region’s dynamic tech scene. It also has a hub in Bangalore, India. The company says it offers more than 1,500 live classes monthly across more than 150 countries, reaching more than 8 million learners. Investment management firm Blackstone acquired a stake in Simplilearn for $250 million in 2021.
The company provides digital “upskilling” training programs in collaboration with tech companies like IBM, AWS, Microsoft, and Google that allow workers to earn certifications and training in new and changing technology sectors.
Simplilearn said in April that as part of a 2026 rebranding it would focus more on artificial intelligence training programs, ensuring all of its programs are “AI-first.”
“We are entering a phase where all businesses are rapidly looking at leveraging AI to innovate on business processes,” cofounder and COO Kashyap Dalal said. AI may make certain jobs redundant, he added, and workers will need to become familiar with how to use AI in their work.
Simplilearn’s latest course announcements include a professional certificate in AI and machine learning at UC Santa Barbara; a professional certificate in AI-powered UX and UI design at Virginia Tech; and a professional certificate program in project management with generative AI at the University of Oklahoma. The company also made several key executive appointments earlier this year as part of its global expansion.
In March, Simplilearn launched an applied agentic AI program with Microsoft, intended to train product managers and tech leaders to design and use autonomous AI agent systems.
“This is not just about teaching AI to techies, but also about ensuring that all other skilling areas have an AI-first curriculum, such as cybersecurity, project management, marketing, design, and so on,” Dalal said.
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