EIF Catalyst Request for Startups Series: Workforce Credentialing Infrastructure

The credentialing landscape is fragmented beyond recognition—and it's holding back both workers and employers.

There are now over 1 million unique credentials in the U.S.: degrees, certificates, certifications, licenses, badges, micro-credentials, and more. Employers can't evaluate what any of them mean. Workers can't figure out which ones are worth pursuing. Training providers can't demonstrate the value of what they offer. The result is a market where signals are noisy, trust is low, and too many people invest time and money in credentials that don't actually improve their employment outcomes.

The problem isn't that we need fewer credentials—it's that we need better infrastructure to make sense of them. Which credentials actually lead to jobs? Which are recognized by employers in specific industries? How do credentials stack toward longer-term career progression? What's the ROI of pursuing one credential versus another? Right now, answering these questions requires heroic individual research or expensive consultants.

We're looking for startups building credentialing infrastructure. Credential registries and verification systems that create transparency about what credentials exist and what they represent. Outcomes data platforms linking credentials to actual employment and wage outcomes—so workers and employers can see what credentials are worth. Quality assurance tools helping training providers demonstrate the value of their programs with evidence, not marketing. Stackability engines showing how credentials build on each other toward career progression. Employer signaling platforms that let companies communicate which credentials they actually value for specific roles. Interoperability infrastructure enabling credentials to be shared, verified, and understood across systems.

We've been immersed in the credentialing conversation for years through our portfolio and ECMC Group's work with accreditation, quality assurance, and student outcomes data. We understand where the market is moving—and where it's stuck. We can help founders navigate the ecosystem of standards bodies, accreditors, and policy stakeholders shaping this space.

Applications for EIF Catalyst's next cohort are open. If you've got early traction and are ready to build a repeatable go-to-market motion, we should talk.

We're looking for U.S.-based founders focused on postsecondary and career outcomes, with in-market traction (often $100K–$1M ARR, with flexibility for sectors with longer sales cycles), and a founder-led sales motion ready to scale.

Working on something outside these RFS themes? Apply anyway—these prompts are meant to spark ideas, not limit them. Know a founder who should apply? Send them the link.

Applications for EIF Catalyst's next cohort are open. If you've got early traction and are ready to build a repeatable go-to-market motion, we should talk.