Safari Books Online

What Safari Books Online does

Safari Books Online is a digital learning platform for technology and business professionals, founded in 2001 and acquired by O'Reilly Media, Inc. in 2008. The legal entity, O'Reilly Media, Inc., is a privately held, family-owned company headquartered in Sebastopol, California, that has remained under founder Tim O'Reilly's ownership with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing. The platform serves 5,000+ organizations globally and is operated alongside O'Reilly's longstanding technical publishing franchise, now primarily doing business as 'O'Reilly.'

The unified O'Reilly Learning Platform delivers a multi-format learning experience: expert-led video courses, technical books and texts, bite-size Superstream tech conferences, live interactive workshops with Q&A, on-demand Answers from experts, structured Academies for role-based learning paths, Verifiable Skills credentials and certifications, and Interactive Learning sandboxes and notebooks. The product surface spans cloud computing, data engineering, data science, AI/ML, programming languages, software architecture, IT/operations, security, design, business, and soft skills. Distribution includes a self-serve web platform, dedicated iOS and Android mobile apps, and an Amazon Fire TV application, supporting consumption across web, mobile, and TV endpoints.

The business model is subscription-based recurring revenue. Enterprise teams buy per-seat annual subscriptions via a direct field-sales motion with 'Request a demo' flows; Government and Higher Education segments have specialized annual subscription pricing; and individuals subscribe monthly through a self-serve 'Try Now' flow. The company has executed three small acquisitions — Threepress Consulting (2012), PubFactory (2013), and popforms (2015) — and operates across North America, Australia/New Zealand, and Japan. Headcount is in the 101–250 range.

Name

Safari Books Online

Legal name

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Website

https://safaribooksonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Safari Books Online (operating as O'Reilly) is a privately held, family-owned digital learning platform serving 5,000+ organizations and individual professionals with subscription access to expert-led technology and business courses, books, certifications, and live events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Learning Platform

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Computer Training (61142), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate/L&D Course Licensing from Creators (B2B Upskilling) (MPACALAH)

Keywords

• Online learning platform
• Technology training
• Professional certification
• Technical skill development
• Enterprise learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Sebastopol

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based Learning Platform: Annual and monthly subscription access to learning platform, courses, books, videos, and live events. Serves enterprise teams, government agencies, higher education institutions, and individual subscribers with tiered pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Safari Books Online (operating as O'Reilly) provides a subscription-based online learning platform that gives individuals and organizations access to expert-led courses, technical books, certifications, live events, interactive learning sandboxes, and bite-size tech conferences (Superstreams). The platform serves technology professionals and enterprise teams across cloud computing, data science, AI/ML, programming, security, and business topics, with verifiable credentials and team-level analytics for enterprise customers.

Product overview

O'Reilly Media operates a unified online learning platform offering courses, books, certifications, live events, and interactive learning experiences. The platform includes modules such as Academies for role-based learning paths, Superstreams for bite-size tech conferences, Answers for expert insights, and Insights Reporting for organizational analytics. Mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV extend access to learning content across devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• O'Reilly Learning Platform A unified online learning platform providing annual or monthly subscription access to courses, books, certifications, live events, Superstream conferences, Academies, interactive learning sandboxes, on-demand Answers, and Insights Reporting for technology and business professionals across enterprise, government, higher education, and individual segments.
• O'Reilly Mobile App Mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire TV that allow individual subscribers to access O'Reilly learning content on smartphones, tablets, and TV devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ organizations use the platform

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• A Cloud Guru (Pluralsight): Cloud-focused training platform (now part of Pluralsight) offering hands-on labs and certification prep for AWS, Azure, and GCP. Overlaps with O'Reilly's cloud computing learning content with deeper specialization in cloud cert prep.
• DataCamp: Data science and analytics learning platform with hands-on coding courses, projects, and enterprise plans. Directly comparable to O'Reilly's data science/AI curriculum with stronger specialization in data/analytics.
• Codecademy: Interactive coding education platform with courses in programming languages, web development, and data science, plus enterprise plans. Comparable to O'Reilly's programming and interactive learning modules with a stronger hands-on coding focus.

Direct peers

• Coursera: Public online learning platform offering courses, specializations, certifications, and enterprise Coursera for Business. Directly competes with O'Reilly on enterprise tech upskilling, professional certificates, and individual subscriptions.
• Udemy Business: Enterprise and consumer learning marketplace with a large multi-instructor course catalog spanning tech, business, and soft skills. Competes with O'Reilly on enterprise L&D deals and individual subscriptions.
• Pluralsight: Technology skills platform offering expert-led video courses, skill assessments, and hands-on labs targeted at enterprise engineering teams. Closely comparable to O'Reilly's enterprise tech training and certification offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Skillsoft: Long-established enterprise L&D and compliance training provider offering a broad catalog including technology, leadership, and compliance content. Comparable to O'Reilly at the enterprise L&D layer, with deeper compliance and leadership breadth.
• LinkedIn Learning: Microsoft-owned professional learning platform bundled with LinkedIn Premium and sold into enterprise L&D. Overlaps with O'Reilly's individual and enterprise training offerings, with broader professional content beyond technology.

Regional players

• Microsoft Learn: Microsoft's official free training and certification platform covering Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics, and Power Platform. Competes with O'Reilly on Microsoft-stack learning with vendor-funded pricing advantages.
• edX (2U): University-affiliated MOOC and executive education platform offering courses, degrees, and boot camps from top institutions. Comparable to O'Reilly's higher-ed and individual learning segments, with deeper academic-degree offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/safari
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/oreilly
• Facebookfacebook.com/safaribooksonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safari-books-online

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A3 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Safari Books Online