Training All People (TAP)—a Plano-based provider of hands-on simulation-based skills training—has landed investments from Arlington, Virginia-based early-stage investment firm Stand Together Ventures Lab (STVL3, LLC), as well as Dallas-based Cubit Capital, 8VC, and GSV Ventures.

Plano-based Training All People offers TAP, a workforce development platform designed to transform how advanced manufacturing talent is trained, evaluated, and deployed. TAP helps employers and educators build and verify hands-on technical skills through immersive, simulation-based training, available in virtual reality, mobile, or any web browser.

“TAP’s platform helps America maintain its competitive edge in advanced manufacturing by solving one of the biggest barriers to innovation: the shortage of skilled technical talent,” Gui Hadlich, partner at Cubit Capital, said in a statement. “At Cubit, we invest at the intersection of frontier technologies and human flourishing, and TAP is an incredible example of a company advancing both. They’ve achieved significant traction in a short amount of time, and we’re excited to support their growth journey.”

Jonathan Jou, managing director and head of investments at STVL, said his firm invests in solutions “that unlock human potential and drive meaningful societal progress.”

“TAP is a perfect fit for that thesis,” Jou said in a statement. “They’re addressing one of the most pressing problems in the U.S. economy, which is developing a workforce that is truly prepared for advanced manufacturing and they’re doing it with technology that is both scalable and proven.”

“TAP’s AI-guided simulations deliver measurable performance improvement and give workers and employers confidence rooted in real data,” Jou added “That combination of innovation, scalability, and impact is exactly why we’re investing.”

Addressing technical skills shortage

As millions of baby boomers retire over the next decade, the shortage of younger workers with comparable training and education will create serious pressure on the labor market. TAP aims to strengthen U.S. manufacturing capability and resilience by addressing training issues and persistent gaps in hands-on technical skills.

TAP is not just for people entering the workforce, the company said. It’s also a valuable resource for reskilling and upskilling existing workers. Whether it’s a 45-year-old whose job has been displaced or an experienced employee adapting to new technology, TAP said it “provides a lifeline that supports continuous career mobility.” Its adaptive, AI-powered simulations offer realistic practice environments that help learners safely master workplace skills, while giving employers data on true competency before hiring or redeploying talent.

Traditional training is slow, inconsistent, and expensive. TAP solves some of the greatest challenges facing employers and training institutions. New workers often lack hands-on experience with real equipment, so TAP provides safe, repeatable simulations that build practical skills without downtime. TAP also gives each trainee a personalized AI coach to help them learn critical skills, evaluate their abilities, and prepare for interviews. Because interviews can’t reliably measure real ability, TAP uses objective, performance-based assessments to verify competency before hiring.

‘Equipped for the challenges ahead’

TAP said that its platform is already providing results for partners in defense, manufacturing, and higher education, with Northrop Grumman employees improving technical skills by 45%, and Austin Community College learners developing the confidence and proficiency to succeed in high-demand technical interviews.

“America is on the cusp of an industrial renaissance that will lift up millions of lives,” said Joe Lonsdale, managing partner at Austin-based 8VC. “TAP’s AI-enabled skills training will be an engine of this reindustrialization, helping companies develop and scale a talented workforce quickly and with confidence.”

TAP’s adaptive simulations and AI tools help employers remotely evaluate hands-on skills, onboard workers faster, and maintain high standards of operational performance. By bolstering industrial readiness, TAP said it helps American manufacturing remain “competitive, resilient, and equipped for the challenges ahead.”

“GSV is proud to support TAP for delivering learning systems that produce demonstrable skills giving employers confidence and learners access to upward mobility,” said Debroah Quazzo, managing director at San Francisco-based GSV Ventures.

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