Lepaya recognized among FT 1000 fastest growing companies: Redefining corporate training to drive business growth

Amsterdam, 20 March, 2025 — Lepaya, Europe’s leading blended training platform, has been recognized in the Financial Times FT 1000 Fastest Growing Companies 2025, a prestigious list identifying the top 1000 companies across Europe with the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue between 2020 and 2023. Compiled in partnership with Statista, the FT 1000 report highlights businesses demonstrating exceptional growth and innovation in a time of uncertainty. Lepaya’s recognition reflects its commitment to evolving its training solutions in a rapidly shifting market, addressing the ever-changing needs of the modern workforce and the companies that rely on them.

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"We are the  go-to choice for companies that view training as a strategic driver of growth, ensuring that learning solutions not only keep pace with change but continuously evolve alongside shifting business needs. Our growth and recognition in the FT 1000 demonstrate that this approach is becoming increasingly vital for industry leaders looking to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market." says CEO of Lepaya, René Janssen.

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The pressure to upskill has never been greater

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 reveals that 92 million jobs could be displaced by 2030 without adequate upskilling, while nearly 60% of workers will need training to keep pace with shifting business demands. 

Technological change, the green transition, economic uncertainty, geoeconomic fragmentation and demographic shifts are all transforming the labour market. These forces are reshaping jobs—driving both job creation and displacement—while fundamentally altering the skills needed to succeed.

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“The urgency of preparing global workforces for the future cannot be overstated. But it’s naive to think that corporate training, as it was decades ago, will do the job.” says René Janssen, CEO of Lepaya.

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Corporate training must evolve in the era of “skill instability”

Employers anticipate that 39% of workers’ core skills will change by 2030, marking the onset of skill instability—a reality where job requirements evolve faster than employees can adapt. On top of that, lack of skills is one of the root causes of productivity loss, costing S&P 500 companies approximately $480 million per year in lost productivity.

This shift puts learning and HR teams at a crossroads: they can either remain a disconnected cost center or become a driving force behind business growth. The risk of training becoming irrelevant is real—unless it is directly tied to business outcomes, delivers measurable impact, and supports long-term strategy. 

Johandri Kieck, Global Learning and Development Manager at Hunkemöller, explained:

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“We're constantly looking at where the business is going, and what we need to do strategically to support the business. That's why we so often have a slightly different approach from one year to the next in what we put in place for soft skills training.”

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Two essential shifts for the future of learning 

In 2025 and beyond, to ensure that training is not just an activity but a true investment in a company’s future, two critical aspects of its evolution must be addressed:

1. Learning must lead to behavior change. Training is only truly effective when employees can apply what they learn in real-world situations. This means training must be engineered for application, not just theoretical understanding. Companies should adopt blended training methods, combining digital learning with real-world training, incorporating role-play, simulations, and set moments for immediate skill application. This ensures new behaviors are internalized and can be applied in the workplace.
2. Learning must evolve with the business. Training can no longer be static. To stay relevant, it has to be a continuous cycle, where business needs drive workforce needs, which in turn shape learning programs. The effectiveness of these programs should be evaluated, with outcomes informing the next round of learning initiatives, creating an ongoing loop. This approach ensures training evolves with business goals, market shifts, and new challenges.

Only with these two elements in place can corporate training remain relevant and impactful in today’s rapidly changing world.

"Corporate training must evolve to stay in sync with the speed of change happening in the workforce and business environment," says René Janssen.

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"This is why at Lepaya we’re proud to pioneer a blended training platform that addresses the current needs of learners, HR, and the business alike. By breaking down silos between training and business objectives, we help companies ensure that learning is not just a separate function but integrated into the broader business strategy.  Our recognition in the Financial Times 1000 highlights our commitment to  set the standard for workforce learning that is business-driven, data-backed, and built for impact." 

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About Lepaya

Lepaya is Europe’s leading blended training platform that connects workforce upskilling with business impact, empowering companies to develop the right skills at the right time to drive both people and business growth.

Through its Portal, Academies, and App, Lepaya seamlessly aligns business and workforce needs, delivers blended training programs for every career level, and enables learners to learn, practice, and apply new skills effectively.

Trusted by global enterprises and fast-growing companies—including Roche, ING, Microsoft, Dell, Freudenberg, and Just Eat Takeaway—Lepaya helps organizations stay competitive in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. Backed by investors like Endeit, Educapital, Target Global, Mediahuis Ventures, and Tablomonto, Lepaya has raised $80 million and made four strategic acquisitions: SmartenUp (2020), vCoach (2022), SpeakFirst (2022), and Krauthammer (2023).

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