Ian Dodson’s AICertified aims to set a university accredited benchmark for professional AI competence as demand for training accelerates.
A new Irish edtech venture seeking to establish the global benchmark for artificial intelligence skills has raised €1 million in seed funding, backed by Oyster Capital with support from Enterprise Ireland.
AICertified was founded by Ian Dodson, the education entrepreneur who co-created the Digital Marketing Institute in 2008 and helped turn it into an international certification standard adopted across more than 80 countries.
Dodson, who authored The Art of Digital Marketing, has been a prominent voice on digital skills development and the evolving role of education in the workplace. He remained on the board of the Digital Marketing Institute following its 2017 acquisition by Spectrum Equity until its sale to BPP Education Group in 2023.
The new venture aims to apply a similar model to artificial intelligence by creating a university-accredited and industry-validated framework aligned with the European Qualifications Framework.
AI you can trust
Dodson said the current landscape for AI training lacks coherence and trust.
“The AI training market today is fragmented and fundamentally unreliable. No one has yet defined what it is to be AI certified, nor the progression route to get there,” he said. “Our answer is simple. Set a single reliable standard, provide an outcome-driven path and certify skills in a way employers and students can trust.”
The funding will support product development, recruitment and the scaling of the company’s learning platform ahead of its first course launch in February 2026. The team of eight is expected to expand to 15 within the first year.
Oyster Capital, founded by technology investor Bill McCabe, led the investment. McCabe previously established CBT Systems, later known as SmartForce, which became one of the largest e-learning companies globally and the first Irish technology business to list on Nasdaq.
Martin Scully, chief executive of Oyster Capital, said the decision to invest was shaped by the founding team’s track record.
“We invested in AICertified because Ian and his team have done it before,” he said. “The demand for structured, credible AI training is enormous. We see a clear path to a market-leading AI training company emerging from Ireland, built to guarantee outcomes for employers and graduates.”
Global employers increasingly view artificial intelligence as strategically essential, yet investment in employee skills has struggled to keep pace. International forecasts suggest millions of workers will need reskilling or upskilling in AI over the coming years.
AI and big data were highlighted as among the fastest-growing skill categories in the World Economic Forum’s most recent Future of Jobs Report, while demand for AI literacy has increased sharply over the past year.
AICertified plans to offer a suite of certifications ranging from short skills modules to professional diplomas and postgraduate qualifications. Prospective learners can register interest through the company’s website
Top image: Ian Dodson, founder of AICertified. Photo: Conor McCabe Photography
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