ORLANDO, Fla. & SAN FRANCISCO — May 31, 2023 — Axcel Learning, a professional education platform backed by Alpine Investors focused on buying, building and operating world-class education companies, announced its partnership with Dion Training today. Dion is a leading IT certification exam preparation company that specializes in CompTIA and ITIL certifications.
Founded and developed by lead instructor Jason Dion, Dion Training offers cybersecurity, information technology service management, and project management courses to help professionals earn new and maintain current certifications to advance their careers. Specifically, Dion Training prepares professionals for Axelos, CompTIA, and PeopleCert exams. In addition to exclusive Dion Training courses, the company offers practice exams, labs, and discounted test vouchers distributed through its website and as select offerings on the Udemy platform.
Effective through this announcement, Sasha LeFlore, a Stanford MBA and Harvard MPA, joins Dion Training as Chief Executive Officer, where she will work side-by-side with Jason Dion to further the growth trajectory of the business as Jason Dion continues in his full-time capacity as lead instructor, working directly with clients and leading the company’s instructional offerings.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to team up with Axcel and to benefit from its vision and expertise as part of its growing ecosystem alongside several other innovative professional education companies,” said Jason Dion, Founder of Dion Training. “I remain incredibly passionate about our work to help professionals invest in furthering themselves. I am excited to help Dion Training take that very same step, with Axcel serving as a force multiplier for our growth while I continue to focus squarely on our mission-critical work delivering world-class service to our clients.”
“Jason’s experience in the education space is incomparable, having been a professor and instructor at multiple universities, institutions, technical training centers, and having trained more than 1 million students across the globe in his cybersecurity, information technology, and project management courses,” said Sasha LeFlore, CEO of Dion Training. “Jason has an exceptional ability to take complicated concepts and make them easier to understand. I look forward to learning and working with him to spur Dion Training’s next phase of growth.”
“Our partnership with Dion Training marks our fifth acquisition in IT and second in test prep,” said Jonathan (Jono) Zeidan, CEO of Axcel. “We launched Axcel Learning with the ambitious goal of empowering the modern workforce. We are thrilled to continue our mission by partnering with Dion Training, and we are honored Jason chose Axcel to lead Dion Training’s next phase of growth.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Tuck Advisors, led by CEO James Marciano, represented Dion Training in the transaction.
About Dion Training
Dion Training is a leading IT certification exam preparation company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Dion Training offers its customers 42 exclusive Dion Training courses tied to certifications in cybersecurity, information technology service management and project management. In addition, Dion Training also offers related practice tests, labs, and vouchers needed to take the certifying exam. Dion has distributed its offerings to over 1 million customers through its website and the Udemy platform, where it has amassed over 750 thousand enrollments worldwide with a 99 percent student satisfaction rate.
About Axcel
Axcel is a professional education business backed by Alpine Investors focused on buying, building and operating world-class education companies. Axcel is passionate about people, focused on training the modern workforce and obsessed with delivering for customers and learners. Axcel sits within AlpineX, an Alpine investment platform focused on lower middle-market services businesses with enduring customer value propositions, high-quality revenue, and attractive markets.
About Alpine Investors
Alpine Investors is a people-driven private equity firm committed to building enduring companies by working with, learning from, and developing exceptional people. Alpine specializes in investments in the software and services industries. Alpine’s PeopleFirst strategy includes a talent program that allows Alpine to bring leadership to situations where additional or new management is needed post-transaction. Alpine has over $11B in assets under management as of December 31st, 2022, and has three offices in San Francisco, New York, and Salt Lake City.
