PMG Learning Solutions

Have you ever learned something new, only to forget it almost immediately?

It’s a phenomenon known as the forgetting curve. And it’s a costly problem in the workplace. Despite investments of more than $100 billion into corporate training, employees forget half of new information within an hour, and seventy percent within twenty-four hours.

PMG Learning Solutions aims to solve this problem. It’s a company with long-standing success in offering custom training programs for classrooms and businesses — everything from instructor-led training to web-based training to custom videos. Notable clients include Medtronic, Boeing, and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

Now, PMG is expanding its business by offering a new learning platform, powered by Artificial Intelligence, designed to improve the retention of information for employees. Government organizations like the U.S. Air Force and Department of Veterans Affairs have already adopted this new platform. And soon, PMG could be the primary training provider across the entire U.S. Department of Defense.

As mentioned, corporate training is big business. And companies within this market can become very valuable. Absorb, for example, a company offering learning-management software, was acquired in 2021 in a deal that valued the company at around $500 million. And Centrical, a similar software platform that focuses on “gamification” of the learning process, recently raised funds at a sixty-four-million-dollar valuation.

But PMG does things differently than the competition. Its approach to training combines practical-application scenarios with an immersive and interactive training methodology. The goal is to blend theoretical knowledge with practical applications for improved relevance and retention of the material.

Furthermore, PMG’s video solutions complement the company’s instruction methods by providing customized content, which makes complex subjects more accessible and engaging. Finally, the company’s new AI-powered platform — named “Hermann” — elevates the learning experience by tailoring it to individual learner profiles.

By integrating a variety of educational content, engaging video solutions, and AI-driven personalization, PMG can effectively equip organizations with the tools needed to properly train their workforces.

Specific teaching services center around areas like curriculum design, job/skills task analysis, and competency models. PMG’s dashboard includes features like proficiency tracking, engagement metrics, and leaderboards.

Hermann, specifically, incorporates AI into its software and focuses on the methods of spaced repetition and micro-learning.

Spaced repetition, which involves repeating knowledge at defined intervals, can transform extensive training programs into manageable, recurring sessions. This combats the forgetting curve and enhances long-term knowledge retention.

Micro-learning, meanwhile, is designed to deliver information in concise segments, directly into the employee’s workflow. The goal here is to prevent mental exhaustion and keep engagement rates higher.

PMG generates revenue from both its professional-learning services and Hermann.

Pricing depends on the type of service — instructor-led training, for example, is around $5,000 per hour, whereas web-based training can be as high as $20,000 per hour. And Hermann requires a $25,000 fee for setup, onboarding, and licensing for up to 250 users. Additional users or advanced features like e-mail integration or custom reporting are additional costs.

PMG was founded in 2014. And in 2022, it generated close to five million dollars in revenue — a year-over-year increase of nearly seventy percent.

In 2023, the company applied for Authorization to Operate within the DoD network. Approval could clear Hermann for installation on all DoD devices.

Team Background

Ben Campbell - Founder & CEO

In addition to his role with PMG, Ben is a co-founder and Chairman of CheckN Holdings, a mobile app with a focus on making social connections. He is also a writer, and authored a novel called “Nothing They Won’t Do” in 2020.

Earlier in his career, he founded OurStage, an online platform for discovering new music. Prior to that, he was CEO of BTS Partners, a network-infrastructure-services company. Before that, he was Chief Operating Officer with Mentor Technologies, an e-learning services training platform.

Ben earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Harvard.

Jeff Strobel - Chief Technology Officer

Jeff joined PMG in August 2014.

Previously, he spent eight years as Chief Technology Officer with OurStage, the online music-discovery platform founded by Ben Campbell. Before that, he was Founder and President of Paperback Digital, a digital-media company, and Palm Digital Media, which was acquired by Barnes and Noble to enhance its Nook e-reader platform.

Jeff holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Boston University.

Colin Cohen - Chief Revenue Officer

Prior to his role with PMG, Colin spent six years with General Dynamics Information Technology, a professional-services firm, where he led sales for the company’s learning-solutions division. Before that, he was Vice President of Sales with OurStage, the music-discovery platform founded by Ben Campbell.

Earlier in his career, he was an account director with Tangent, an information-management provider. And prior to that, he held the same role with Logilent Learning Systems, a provider of in-person and e-learning labs for IT and networking professionals.

Colin earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Tufts University.

Co-Investors