KnowHowDo
International Open Academy (KnowHowDo) is an online learning platform offering 300+ accredited courses across professional, language, wellness, and AI topics to 1.5 million+ individual learners worldwide via subscription memberships and a small enterprise 'For Teams' tier.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What KnowHowDo does
International Open Academy (legally operating under KnowHowDo, with the trade name 'IOA') is a privately held online learning platform founded in 2014 and based in New York, United States. It offers more than 300 self-paced courses spanning professional development, language teaching (TEFL/TESOL/ELE), wellness, business, and emerging technology, with credentials accredited by CPD, ICOES, and IAPCC. Course products include targeted offerings such as a 120-Hour TEFL, 150-Hour Advanced TESOL, American Sign Language, Accounting & Bookkeeping, CPR & First Aid, and a growing tranche of AI-themed courses including 'Weight Loss with AI' and 'Boost Your Productivity with AI'. The platform states that 1.5 million+ learners have used its courses to date.
The business runs on a membership-based subscription model with four tiers: Monthly at $33/month (no certificates included), Yearly at $186/year (10 certificates), Lifetime at $439 one-time (10 certificates), and a 'For Teams' enterprise plan with custom course access and up to 100 certificates under flexible billing. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through a Shopify-powered storefront accepting USD, AUD, EUR, and GBP, complemented by affiliate partnerships, blog content, and organic social media. An enterprise sales motion for teams is handled via custom quote requests. The company has no native mobile app, no public API, no disclosed integrations, and a headcount of 1–10 employees.
KnowHowDo has disclosed a single funding round of approximately $1.19 million from Development Capital in September 2017. The company is led by co-founders Enda Harty (CEO), Maria Tomas, and Xisca Tomas. No subsequent funding rounds, M&A activity, regulatory actions, or leadership changes are reported in the available data. The combination of a large reported learner base, a small team, and a single historical capital raise points to a capital-efficient, content-led DTC operation rather than a venture-scale platform.
KnowHowDo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KnowHowDo
- Legal name
- International Open Academy
- Website
- https://knowhowdo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- International Open Academy (KnowHowDo) is an online learning platform offering 300+ accredited courses across professional, language, wellness, and AI topics to 1.5 million+ individual learners worldwide via subscription memberships and a small enterprise 'For Teams' tier.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KnowHowDo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Learning Platform
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries) (MPACALAL), Digital Learning & Course Subscriptions (CRAFAIAD)
Keywords
Where KnowHowDo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
KnowHowDo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Memberships: Recurring revenue from monthly, annual, and lifetime membership subscriptions providing unlimited access to 300+ courses. Upsell opportunities through additional certificate purchases and team licensing.
- Individual Course Certificates: One-time purchases of certificates of achievement, CPD credits, ICOES certificates, and IAPCC certificates for individual courses.
- Team/Corporate Licensing: Custom enterprise licensing for teams with up to 100 certificates and flexible billing arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly subscription - $33.00/month for access to 300+ courses with no certificates included |
| Subscription | Annual | Yearly subscription - $186.00/year (recommended plan) with 10 certificates included |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Lifetime subscription - $439.00 one-time payment for perpetual access |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | For Teams - Custom pricing for organizational access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
KnowHowDo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KnowHowDo operates International Open Academy (IOA), an online learning platform offering 300+ accredited courses across professional development, language teaching (TEFL/TESOL), wellness, and technical skills. The platform sells membership-based subscriptions (Monthly at $33, Yearly at $186, Lifetime at $439, and custom For Teams plans) that provide access to the course catalog, alongside individual course purchases and internationally accredited certificates (CPD, ICOES, IAPCC).
Product overview
International Open Academy is an online learning platform offering 300+ accredited courses across professional development, language teaching (TEFL/TESOL), wellness, and technical skills. The platform operates on a membership-based model with four subscription tiers: Monthly ($33/month), Yearly ($186/year), Lifetime ($439 one-time), and For Teams (custom enterprise). Course offerings span diverse categories including CPR & First Aid, Eyelash Technician, 120-Hour TEFL Course, American Sign Language, 150-Hour Advanced TESOL Course, Accounting & Bookkeeping, Weight Loss with AI, ELE - Spanish Language Teaching, Master Herbalist 101, Dog Behavior & Training, Teaching Young Learners, Teaching Professional English, Boost Your Productivity with AI, Special Educational Needs, HR & Payroll Management, AI Resources for Teaching, Criminology & Profiling, and Classroom Management. The platform provides certificate products including ICOES Digital Certificate, Certificate of Achievement, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), ICOES Certificate - Hard Copy, Proof of Enrollment, Proof of Completion, Result Breakdown, and IAPCC Certificate. Courses are accredited by CPD, ICOES, and IAPCC with over 1.5 million learners worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- IOA Membership Subscription
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.5 Million+ learners have joined the platform
Companies that use KnowHowDo
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
KnowHowDo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
KnowHowDo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KnowHowDo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Udemy: Global online course marketplace offering 200,000+ courses across professional, vocational, and personal development categories on a similar self-serve subscription/purchase model. Directly competes with IOA on breadth, price, and certificate offerings.
- Simplilearn: Online professional certification provider focused on technology, project management, and digital skills with bootcamp-style and self-paced options. Overlaps with IOA's professional certification positioning and team training offerings.
- Skillshare: Subscription-based online learning community with thousands of courses primarily in creative, business, and technology categories. Closely mirrors IOA's all-access membership model and horizontal course breadth.
- Open Study College: UK-based distance learning provider offering accredited vocational and professional courses with certificate pathways. Closely comparable to IOA's accredited, multi-category, self-paced online learning model with global delivery.
- Alison: Free-to-access online learning platform with certificate/certificate pathways across vocational and professional categories. Highly comparable to IOA's accreditation-led, multi-category course model with global reach.
Broad incumbents
- edX: University-affiliated online learning platform offering courses, professional certificates, and degree programs from accredited institutions. Competes with IOA on credential legitimacy and professional development, but at higher price points and deeper academic rigor.
- Coursera: Large-scale online learning platform partnering with universities and companies to deliver courses, certificates, and degrees. Overlaps with IOA in online certificate offerings but operates at materially larger scale with university-affiliated credentials.
- LinkedIn Learning: Subscription-based professional development platform bundled with LinkedIn Premium, covering business, creative, and technology skills. Competes with IOA on professional upskilling but leverages LinkedIn's distribution and employer relationships.
Regional players
- FutureLearn: UK-based online course platform owned by Global University Systems, partnering with universities and organizations. Comparable to IOA in course breadth and short-course/certificate model, but primarily serves UK/European markets.
Others
- Teachable: Platform enabling creators and businesses to build, host, and sell online courses and coaching products. Adjacent to IOA as an enabler in the online course ecosystem, though not a direct consumer-facing competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KnowHowDo social profiles
Digital presenceKnowHowDo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
KnowHowDo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KnowHowDo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
KnowHowDo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KnowHowDo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KnowHowDo
What does KnowHowDo do?
KnowHowDo operates International Open Academy (IOA), an online learning platform offering 300+ accredited courses across professional development, language teaching (TEFL/TESOL), wellness, and technical skills. The platform sells membership-based subscriptions (Monthly at $33, Yearly at $186, Lifetime at $439, and custom For Teams plans) that provide access to the course catalog, alongside individual course purchases and internationally accredited certificates (CPD, ICOES, IAPCC).
Is KnowHowDo a public or private company?
KnowHowDo is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was KnowHowDo founded?
KnowHowDo was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is KnowHowDo based?
KnowHowDo is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does KnowHowDo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Memberships are the primary driver. The others are individual Course Certificates and team/Corporate Licensing.
Who are KnowHowDo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Udemy, Simplilearn, Skillshare, Open Study College and Alison. Broad incumbents are edX, Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. FutureLearn is listed as a regional player. Teachable is listed as an others.
Does KnowHowDo have an API?
No public API is recorded for KnowHowDo.
What industry is KnowHowDo in?
KnowHowDo's product category is Online Learning Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAIAI, Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces, with a secondary code of MPACALAL, Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.