P2PU

What P2PU does

P2PU is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates Learning Circles—free, peer-facilitated study groups meeting weekly over 6–8 weeks in public spaces, primarily public libraries. Founded in 2008 as an open education initiative and pivoting in 2015 to the learning circle model through a partnership with Chicago Public Library, P2PU has scaled this methodology to more than 200 learning circles across 11 IMLS-funded partner libraries and roughly 1,500 participants in 20 US states and 8 countries, with notable international reach into Kenya (13 branches of Kenya National Library Service) and Europe (Poland via EU funding).

The technology stack is purpose-built and open-source: a Python/Django web platform with PostgreSQL, supplemented by Etherpad for collaborative note-taking, Typeform for GDPR-compliant pre/post evaluation surveys, and Jitsi for virtual learning circles. Key software products include the Learning Circle management platform (learningcircles.p2pu.org), an open-source Course Builder for remixing open educational resources, and P2PU Teams—an organizational tier providing aggregated reporting, facilitator support, and community-of-practice access for library systems running multiple circles. All content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

P2PU's revenue model is characteristic of a mission-driven nonprofit: the majority of operating support flows from institutional grants—principally the 2017–2020 IMLS National Leadership Grant with Kansas City Public Library, European Union funding for international programs (including Portugal), and foundation support (Siegel Family Endowment)—supplemented by individual donations and undisclosed subscription revenue from P2PU Teams memberships. Learning circles are free for end-user participants; monetization sits at the organizational/institutional layer rather than the learner layer. The go-to-market is community-led, with facilitators onboarded via a free "Learning About Learning Circles" course and new library partners typically brought in through existing peer relationships rather than traditional sales channels.

Name

P2PU

Legal name

Peer 2 Peer University, Inc.

Website

https://p2pu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

P2PU is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs free peer-facilitated study groups called Learning Circles, primarily hosted in public library systems across the US, Kenya, Canada, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult and Community Education

akta.pro primary industry

Peer-to-Peer & Student Mentor Tutoring Platforms (EDANAGAK)

Keywords

• Open online learning
• Peer learning circles
• Library education programs
• Open educational resources
• Community-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Foundation Funding: P2PU operates primarily on grant funding from institutions like the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant and European Union funding. These grants support pilot programs, model development, and community building.
2. Team Membership Services: Organizations (primarily libraries) can join as P2PU Teams, receiving comprehensive learning circle support including staff professional development, 1:1 support, community-powered OER library, software for teams, community of practice, and discounted additional services.
3. Donations: As a US 501(c)3 non-profit, P2PU accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

P2PU operates a free online open learning community centered on "learning circles" — facilitated peer-led study groups that meet weekly for 6–8 weeks in public spaces such as libraries. It supports individuals and organizations with an open-source platform, a curated library of open educational resources, evaluation surveys, and the P2PU Teams organizational offering for libraries and community groups running multiple circles.

Product overview

P2PU (Peer 2 Peer University) operates as a learning platform centered around Learning Circles — free facilitated study groups that meet weekly in public spaces like libraries. The core offering includes the Learning Circles platform and course library, supported by a Knowledge Base (GitBook-based documentation), Community Forum, and Teams tools for organizational management. P2PU also offers Services for organizations seeking comprehensive support, and runs a Community Impact Fellowship program. Everything P2PU creates is built on open-source technology and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Learning Circles Free facilitated peer-led study groups meeting weekly for 6-8 weeks, hosted in public spaces like libraries worldwide, drawing on peer learning principles and open educational resources to help adult learners reach their goals.
• Learning Resources / Course Library A curated library of free online courses across topics such as technology, languages, professional development, and personal enrichment that facilitators can use or remix for their learning circles.
• P2PU Teams Organizational offering providing staff professional development, 1:1 support, a community-powered OER library, software for teams, community of practice access, and discounted additional services for libraries and community organizations running multiple learning circles.
• P2PU Services Comprehensive learning circle support services for organizations, including professional development, consulting, and customized training programs.
• Learning Circle Software Open-source web-based tool for organizing and promoting learning circles, including facilitator dashboards, learning circle management, meeting scheduling, and participant communication features.
• Course Builder Tool Open-source tool enabling facilitators to create and remix open educational resources for use in their learning circles.
• Community Impact Fellowship Fellowship program supporting individuals who want to facilitate peer learning communities in public spaces.
• Community Forum Global community platform where facilitators can ask for help, share ideas, and connect with other learning circle practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Learning circles consistently reach people still learning how to use computers and without prior higher education experience
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kansas City Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner for the IMLS National Leadership Grant, helping grow learning circles from a Chicago-specific project into a nationwide community of practice. Hosted the 2018 P2PU gathering.
• Chicago Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst learning circle pilot in 2015; pioneered the learning circle model for community-based education. Original IMLS grant partner.
• Kenya National Library ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner13 branches running learning circles, demonstrating that online learning and public libraries are a perfect match. Success documented through case studies showing learning circles in Meru Branch.
• Akron-Summit County Public LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMLS grant partner running learning circles since 2017.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMLS grant partner; shared anti-racist education facilitation guides with the broader community.
• Cleveland Public LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMLS grant partner running learning circles.
• Boston Public LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMLS grant partner; hosted 2019 P2PU gathering; learning circle participant testimonials from Boston Public Library.
• Los Angeles Public LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRunning learning circles with multiple facilitators; serving patrons including those without home internet access via conference call; library professionals observed Boston learning circles before starting their own.
• Detroit Public LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHosting makerspace and learning circle programs; participant testimonial about completing a book through learning circle.
• EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational nonprofit supporting public libraries innovation; Kenya National Library Service's learning circles part of EIFL programme.
• Carnegie Library of PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with P2PU on separate IMLS grant to develop new pathways for volunteer-led learning circles in public libraries.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a large, well-funded US-based nonprofit offering free online learning across academic and professional topics. Both organizations share a free, nonprofit, learner-first model, but Khan Academy's scale, content library, and brand reach are materially larger, making it a broad incumbent in adjacent territory rather than a direct competitor on the library/facilitated-group model.
• Coursera: Coursera is a large MOOC platform partnering with universities and companies to deliver structured online courses, including free audit options. It overlaps with P2PU on the "learn with others online" use case but is credential-driven and university-anchored rather than peer-facilitated and community-anchored.
• edX: edX is a large MOOC platform founded by Harvard and MIT offering university-level courses, including free audit tracks. Comparable to P2PU on free access to high-quality learning content, but with a fundamentally different delivery model (asynchronous university courses vs. facilitated peer learning circles).
• Codecademy: Codecademy is a subscription-based interactive platform focused on coding and tech skills. While narrower in subject matter, it shares P2PU's interest in making skills accessible to adult learners without prior higher-education credentials, and represents a commercial incumbent in adjacent self-paced online learning.
• Duolingo: Duolingo is a large consumer language-learning platform with a freemium model and strong gamification. P2PU runs language learning circles, and Duolingo's content is often the underlying OER used in those circles—making it both a content partner and a broad incumbent competing for adult learner attention.

Direct peers

• Skillshare: Skillshare is a subscription online learning community built around project-based video courses and peer feedback. It shares P2PU's emphasis on community-driven, non-expert-led learning, but operates on a paid consumer subscription model rather than free library-based study groups, making it the closest direct comparator on community learning mechanics.

Emerging players

• OpenStax (Rice University): OpenStax publishes free, openly licensed textbooks and learning materials that are widely adopted in colleges and increasingly in community programs. It overlaps with P2PU on the open educational resources (OER) mission and CC-licensed content model, but focuses on textbook publishing rather than facilitation.
• Creativebug: Creativebug is a subscription learning platform focused on arts and crafts with high-quality video classes and a community/QA component. It is comparable to P2PU in delivering creative and skill-based learning to adult learners, but with paid individual subscriptions rather than free community-based facilitation.

Others

• Meetup: Meetup is a platform for organizing in-person local groups around shared interests. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive, but its model of self-organized local peer groups maps closely to the social infrastructure that learning circles depend on.
• LibraryThing: LibraryThing is a social cataloging and community platform built for library users and book enthusiasts. It is thematically related as a community-platform serving public library patrons, comparable to P2PU's learner community layer, though focused on reading rather than facilitated study.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/p2pu
• Facebookfacebook.com/P2PUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/901920

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about P2PU