Question 1

What is PE Simulator?

Accepted Answer

It is an integrated simulation platform for learning Private Equity. Unlike courses where you watch videos, the simulator lets you practice the complete PE lifecycle, from deal sourcing to exit planning, through hands-on, interconnected simulation modules with AI coaching. Click Try it now to see that for yourself.

Question 2

How is this different from other PE training programs?

Accepted Answer

Those programs teach you to model in Excel. This is a simulation platform where you practice the complete PE lifecycle (not just valuation). You make decisions, see consequences, get AI feedback, and progress through career levels. It is hands-on, not passive. Try it now to feel that difference.

Question 3

Do I need PE experience to use this?

Accepted Answer

No. The Learning Journey starts at Student level with guided paths. Experienced professionals can skip ahead and use advanced modules like The Forge (decision simulator) or The Brain (AI report engine). Click Start learning now when you are ready.

Question 4

Who is this for?

Accepted Answer

It is a private equity grade platform for PE professionals, operating partners, value creation advisors, investment bankers, M&A advisors, strategic consultants, MBA and graduate students, C-suite leaders, and post-integration leaders. If you sit on or next to the deal, the sandbox is built for you. Click Try it now when you want to see it.

Question 5

What AI features are included?

Accepted Answer

Four specialist AI advisors: VIC (PE expert chat), The Brain (report generation), CFO Assistant (financial analysis), and VALIA (quick prompts). AI is included in all paid plans.

Question 6

Can I try it before subscribing?

Accepted Answer

The full simulator is a paid plan. The Daily Deal under Free tools is a no-signup mini-deal you can run first. Professional monthly is $13 for your first month, then $39 a month, and you can cancel anytime from your account.

Question 7

Do I need a card to get started?

Accepted Answer

A card is required at checkout for Professional or Team. Professional monthly charges $13 today for your first month.

Question 8

How does the first month work?

Accepted Answer

Professional monthly subscribers pay $13 for their first month. From month two it renews at $39 a month unless you cancel. Team ($69 a month) and annual plans are billed at their normal price from the start. The $13 first month is for first-time subscribers only. Cancel anytime from your account.

Question 9

Is there a separate student or academic price?

Accepted Answer

No. Students, MBA cohorts, and career changers buy the same Professional plan as working professionals: $39 per month or $390 per year. There is no separate Student or Edu SKU and no .edu discount gate. Audience pages still speak to learners. The catalog is one Professional price for individuals.

Question 10

What is the difference between Professional and Team?

Accepted Answer

Professional ($39/mo or $390/yr) is the full individual product: core deal workspaces, Brain, VIC, certifications, Forge, Digicorn, and 50 AI queries per day. Team ($69/mo or $690/yr) includes everything in Professional, plus the Phoenix, Fake Leader, and C-Suite Arena multiplayer capstones, invite-based multiplayer groups, 100 AI queries per day, and Power Hour up to 3x VC$.

Question 11

Is the Team plan available?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Team is live at $69 per month or $690 per year. Start from sim.vci.institute/subscription. It adds the Phoenix, Fake Leader, and C-Suite Arena multiplayer capstones, invite-based groups, 100 AI queries per day, and Power Hour up to 3x VC$ on top of Professional.

Question 12

Do you offer white-label or customized enterprise deployments?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Universities, business schools, training centers, and corporations can scope a custom enterprise solution. Options include white-label branding, tailored content and deal knowledge bases for your organization, cohort licensing, SSO, invoice billing, and MSA terms. The white label PE training platform page at pesimulator.com/white-label is the landing point for that conversation. Self-serve Professional and Team plans stay available at sim.vci.institute/subscription.

Question 13

What modules are included?

Accepted Answer

All 12 integrated simulation modules are included in every paid plan: Deal Sourcing Desk, Valuation Desk, Growth Planning Desk, Value Creation Desk, Portfolio Desk, Exit Desk, Operating Partner Desk, Quizzes and Certifications, Brain, Career Coach, Forge, and Digicorn, plus learning paths and certifications in the app. The only Team-exclusive content is the Phoenix, Fake Leader, and C-Suite Arena multiplayer capstones.

Question 14

Can I get a certification?

Accepted Answer

Yes. There are 19 certification programs across modules. Each requires passing quizzes with a minimum score. Certifications are verifiable and shareable.

Question 15

Is there a refund policy?

Accepted Answer

You can cancel anytime from your account. Your access continues until the end of the period you've paid for, and you won't be charged again. Payments are generally non-refundable. If something went wrong with your purchase, contact support and we'll review it.

Question 16

How is this different from free YouTube or free templates?

Accepted Answer

Free content is passive and siloed. Here your work in one module flows to the next, you get AI feedback and exportable deliverables, and you progress through levels and certifications. So you can prove what you have learned.

Question 17

What is a private equity simulator?

Accepted Answer

A private equity simulator is a hands-on training environment where you practice the full deal lifecycle instead of watching videos or filling spreadsheets. PE Simulator connects 12 integrated modules from sourcing through exit, with four AI advisors and a gamified VC$ economy, so you make decisions and see consequences in one sandbox.

Question 18

What makes PE Simulator unique?

Accepted Answer

PE Simulator is the only platform that covers the full private equity lifecycle in one connected sandbox: 9 desks and 8 arenas, six core lifecycle workspaces (Deal Sourcing Desk through Exit Desk), four specialist AI advisors (VIC, Brain, CFO Assistant, VALIA), The Forge decision simulator with cascading effects, and a VC$ gamification layer. Competitors focus on templates or video courses. Here your sourcing work flows into valuation, value creation, and exit planning in one workspace.

Question 19

Is there a sandbox or hands-on mode?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Inside a paid plan, the full simulator is a persistent sandbox: unlimited simulations, cross-module data flow, and AI coaching across every workspace.

Question 20

Can I practice the entire PE deal lifecycle?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All paid plans include 9 desks and 8 arenas, including 6 core lifecycle workspaces covering sourcing (Deal Sourcing Desk), valuation (Valuation Desk), growth planning (Growth Planning Desk), value creation (Value Creation Desk), portfolio management (Portfolio Desk), and exit (Exit Desk), plus AI tools, simulations, and certifications. Data flows between workspaces so you run one deal end to end.

Question 21

Does PE Simulator use AI?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Four specialist AI advisors are built into every paid plan: VIC (PE expert chat), The Brain (report and memo generation), CFO Assistant (financial analysis), and VALIA (quick prompts). They are wired into the workspaces where you work, not bolted on as a generic chatbot.

Question 22

How is PE Simulator different from Wall Street Prep and BIWS?

Accepted Answer

Wall Street Prep and BIWS excel at Excel modeling and interview prep through video and templates. PE Simulator is a simulation platform: you practice the complete deal lifecycle with interconnected modules, AI feedback, and decision consequences. See our comparison pages at pesimulator.com/alternatives/wall-street-prep and pesimulator.com/alternatives/biws for a feature-by-feature breakdown.

Question 23

Is there a free way to try PE Simulator?

Accepted Answer

The full simulator is a paid plan. The Daily Deal under Free tools is a free no-signup mini-deal. For full access, Professional monthly at sim.vci.institute/subscription is $13 for your first month, then $39 a month, and you can cancel anytime from your account.

Question 24

How long did PE Simulator take to build, and why is it hard to copy?

Accepted Answer

Roughly one year: about six months of product and curriculum design, then six-plus months of continuous engineering so desks, arenas, and AI advisors share one deal sandbox. Valuethropy brought the AI and PETech architecture. VCI Institute brought the PE curriculum and ontology. That combination is what makes a connected lifecycle simulator hard to replicate from a course or template pack. Full detail is on pesimulator.com/trust.

Question 25

What does a white label PE training platform include?

Accepted Answer

Your brand on the practice environment, team seats, admin reporting, and a scoped rollout. Content and deal knowledge bases can be tailored. SSO, invoice billing, and MSA terms are available when the engagement needs them. Details live on pesimulator.com/white-label.

Question 26

Who is white-label training for?

Accepted Answer

Corporate L and D teams, PE firms onboarding associates, universities, and advisory networks that want the desks under their own name. Self-serve Team stays available if you only need multiplayer seats without a branded deployment.

Question 27

How does a white-label engagement start?

Accepted Answer

Email support with cohort size, brand requirements, and timing. We scope what is included, what stays on the shared platform, and a rollout sequence. There is no public price list for custom deployments.

Question 28

Is white-label the same as the Team plan?

Accepted Answer

No. Team is a self-serve subscription with multiplayer capstones. White-label is a scoped deployment with your brand, admin reporting, and optional SSO. Many groups start on Team and move to white-label when procurement or brand rules require it.

Question 29

What is a private equity game?

Accepted Answer

On this site it is a professional practice environment with game mechanics: VC$, badges, levels, leaderboards, the Daily Deal, and timed drills. It is not a toy market game. You still source, value, and exit a deal.

Question 30

How is a PE game different from a simulator?

Accepted Answer

The game layer is how progress is scored. The simulator is the connected deal underneath. Students often search for a game. Operators search for a simulator. Both land in the same product.

Question 31

Is the C-Suite Game live?

Accepted Answer

C-Suite Arena and other multiplayer capstones are on the Team plan. Treat any broader multiplayer board-game mode as roadmap unless the checkout page lists it as live.

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