FutureU
FutureU is a virtual consulting and training firm that helps universities, healthcare systems, government agencies, and corporations implement technology-mediated teaching, learning, and virtual collaboration through faculty development programs, student readiness workshops, strategic planning, and proprietary Web Book publications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FutureU does
FutureU (legal entity The University of the Future, LLC) is a virtual consulting and training firm founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco, operating with a small core team supplemented by a distributed network of independent contractors and Consulting Associates. The company specializes in helping organizations plan, implement, and scale technology-mediated teaching, learning, and virtual collaboration. Its service portfolio spans faculty development programs, student readiness workshops, executive coaching, strategic planning and implementation, business research and assessments, and virtual event production, delivered in online, blended, or on-site formats. Proprietary intellectual property includes the Cycle of Success and Three Pillars of Success methodology frameworks, the Faculty Web Book and Student Web Book digital publications, and a series of comparative research reports on course management and virtual collaboration software.
The business model is predominantly professional services revenue, supplemented by subscription-based Web Book licenses and pay-as-you-go public training enrollment. Pricing for institutional engagements is custom and project-based, with published reference points of $8,000 for a faculty development cohort (up to 40 online or 20 blended), $4,000 for a student readiness workshop, $1,200+ per participant for FastTrack Coaching, and $99/year for Web Book subscriptions. Go-to-market is sales-led through direct outreach to universities, healthcare systems, government agencies, and corporations, supported by content marketing (website, downloadable resources, case studies, client testimonials) and demonstrated expertise through virtual event production services. Notable clients include NASA Astrobiology Institute, King Abdul Aziz University, Thompson Rivers University, California Pacific Medical Center, American Hospital Association, and multiple U.S. and international universities.
FutureU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FutureU
- Legal name
- The University of the Future, LLC
- Website
- https://futureu.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- FutureU is a virtual consulting and training firm that helps universities, healthcare systems, government agencies, and corporations implement technology-mediated teaching, learning, and virtual collaboration through faculty development programs, student readiness workshops, strategic planning, and proprietary Web Book publications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where FutureU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
FutureU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting and Strategic Planning Services: Strategic consulting services for planning and implementing technology initiatives for virtual communication and learning. Includes coaching, project management, internal marketing, research and analysis, readiness and needs assessments.
- Faculty Development Programs: Instructor training programs in design and facilitation of online courses, available in self-paced or instructor-led formats, online or blended delivery. Pricing at $8,000 for up to 40 participants (online) or 20 participants (blended).
- Implementation Services: Cost-reducing implementation support for technology-supported communication, collaboration, or learning initiatives. Follows FutureU's Cycle of Success methodology.
- Business Research Services: Research and analysis services including needs/readiness assessments, independent industry analysis, product comparisons, and user surveys. Published comparative reports on course management software and virtual collaboration platforms.
- FastTrack Coaching: Individual or small-group (1-4 participants) coaching program for rapid course development over four weeks. Base pricing starting at $1,200 per participant. Includes virtual or blended coaching options.
- Online Teaching QuickStart: Rapid program development training to help faculty create 5 courses in 5 weeks. Includes faculty orientation, coaching, and student course seats.
- Student Readiness Programs: Two-week online workshop to prepare students for learning online. Pricing at $4,000 for 10-20 students, with additional participants at $200 each.
- Virtual Events Production: Production and facilitation of virtual conferences, summits, and large group meetings. Includes event support websites at base price $4,000, with additional pages at $400 each.
- Public Training Programs: Individual enrollment in training programs such as the 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 series. Priced at $100 per participant for foundational courses.
- WebBooks and Publications: Password-protected web-based textbooks and publications including Faculty Web Book ($99 retail) and Student Web Book. Provides recurring access revenue through annual licenses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Faculty Development Program - Online Delivery |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Faculty Development Program - Blended Delivery |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Student Readiness Workshop |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | 101: Help Your Learners Succeed Online |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | 201: Building a Course Website |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | FastTrack Coaching - Virtual Option |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | FastTrack Coaching - Blended Option |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Event Support Website |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Virtual Event Software Consulting |
| Professional services/ project-based | Multi-year contract | Research and Analysis Services |
| Subscription | Annual | Faculty Web Book (Annual License) |
| Subscription | Annual | Student Web Book (Per Student) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
FutureU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FutureU provides consulting, training, and coaching services to help organizations implement technology-mediated teaching, learning, and virtual collaboration. Core offerings include faculty and student development programs (101-601 series), fast-track coaching, custom business research, and virtual events production, delivered via online, blended, or on-site formats. The firm also publishes the proprietary Faculty Web Book and Student Web Book as digital/print textbooks that anchor its training curriculum.
Product overview
FutureU offers a comprehensive portfolio of consulting, coaching, and training services for online learning and virtual communication. The core offerings include the Faculty Development Program, Student Readiness Program, FastTrack Coaching™, and Online Teaching QuickStart™ for instructor training, supported by Planning & Strategic Thinking and Business Research services. The company also provides Implementation Services using their Cycle of Success methodology, along with Virtual Events Production and Online Meetings services. Training programs are structured in progressive levels (101-501) covering topics from basic student orientation to advanced instructor development. Digital content products include the Faculty Web Book and Student Web Book, which serve as foundational textbooks for their programs. The company operates as a platform of interconnected services where faculty development and student readiness programs form the core, supplemented by coaching, research, and implementation support services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Faculty Development Program (101-601 series) A structured training and certification program for university and college faculty to build skills in technology-mediated teaching and online course delivery, delivered via online, blended, or on-site formats.
- Student Readiness Program (Student 101-501 series) A structured program that prepares students for success in online and technology-mediated learning environments, including the public 101-501 series offered at $100 per participant for individual enrollment.
- Fast-Track Coaching A focused, accelerated coaching engagement for individual professionals or teams seeking rapid skill development in online teaching, learning, or virtual collaboration.
- Business Research Custom research services supporting client decision-making on technology adoption, online learning programs, and virtual collaboration strategies, delivered by FutureU's research team.
- Virtual Events Production End-to-end production of virtual events for client organizations, leveraging FutureU's expertise in virtual collaboration and online facilitation.
- Faculty Web Book Proprietary digital and print textbook that anchors the Faculty Development Program curriculum, available via institutional licenses and individual retail purchase.
- Student Web Book Proprietary digital and print textbook that anchors the Student Readiness Program curriculum, available via institutional licenses and individual retail purchase.
Quantifiable outcome
- 83% of Faculty Development program participants reported feeling 'intermediate,' 'advanced,' or 'professional' level Web course builders after training (compared to two-thirds calling themselves 'beginners' before training)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use FutureU
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
FutureU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
FutureU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators10 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
FutureU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wiley Education Services: Wiley's Online Program Management (OPM) arm partners with universities to design, deliver, and support online degree programs — directly comparable to FutureU's higher-ed course design and faculty development services, with a similar buyer (university administration) and overlapping consulting-heavy delivery model.
- 2U: Online Program Management provider that partners with universities to build and run online degree programs, including faculty training and student support services. Comparable to FutureU in serving the same higher-ed buyer with consulting-led program design and bundled technology/content offerings.
- Noodle: Higher-education strategy and online program management consultancy that helps universities launch and grow online programs. Closely comparable to FutureU on the strategic-planning and online-program-design side of the portfolio, with similar institutional buyers.
- Academic Partnerships: OPM that helps universities expand online program reach through marketing, faculty support, and technology integration. Directly comparable to FutureU's higher-ed program design, faculty enablement, and student readiness offerings.
- Tyton Partners: Education-focused strategy consulting and investment banking firm advising education companies, institutions, and investors. Comparable to FutureU on the strategic-consulting side, with deep higher-ed and EdTech sector overlap and similar advisory buyer relationships.
- Bisk: Online program management and education technology firm partnering with universities to expand online degree programs, including faculty support and student readiness services. Closely comparable to FutureU's higher-ed program design and student readiness offerings, with similar institutional buyer profile.
Broad incumbents
- Huron Consulting Group (Higher Education practice): Large management consulting firm with a dedicated higher-education practice advising universities on strategy, technology adoption, and operational improvement. Comparable as a management-consulting peer targeting the same institutional buyers, though broader in scope than FutureU.
- Instructure (Canvas): Leading higher-ed LMS vendor (Canvas) that increasingly bundles faculty training, course design consulting, and implementation services into enterprise contracts. FutureU references multiple LMS platforms (Moodle, Blackboard, Haiku, Teachable, Thinkific) and competes with their bundled services offerings.
- Anthology (Blackboard): Major higher-ed technology and services provider (Blackboard LMS) offering faculty development, student retention, and institutional consulting — a direct adjacent competitor to FutureU's faculty development and online learning implementation services for universities.
Others
- EDUCAUSE: Higher-education technology association that publishes research, hosts events, and supports institutional members on EdTech strategy. Comparable as an ecosystem peer — FutureU's vendor-neutral research reports (course management software comparisons) and conference/webinar offerings overlap with EDUCAUSE's institutional support role.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FutureU social profiles
Digital presenceFutureU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FutureU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
FutureU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FutureU 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 FutureU
What does FutureU do?
FutureU provides consulting, training, and coaching services to help organizations implement technology-mediated teaching, learning, and virtual collaboration. Core offerings include faculty and student development programs (101-601 series), fast-track coaching, custom business research, and virtual events production, delivered via online, blended, or on-site formats. The firm also publishes the proprietary Faculty Web Book and Student Web Book as digital/print textbooks that anchor its training curriculum.
Is FutureU a public or private company?
FutureU is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was FutureU founded?
FutureU was founded in 1998. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is FutureU based?
FutureU is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does FutureU make money?
Ten revenue lines are on record. Consulting and Strategic Planning Services are the primary driver. The others are faculty Development Programs, implementation Services, business Research Services, fastTrack Coaching, online Teaching QuickStart, student Readiness Programs, virtual Events Production, public Training Programs and webBooks and Publications.
Who are FutureU's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wiley Education Services, 2U, Noodle, Academic Partnerships, Tyton Partners and Bisk. Broad incumbents are Huron Consulting Group (Higher Education practice), Instructure (Canvas) and Anthology (Blackboard). EDUCAUSE is listed as an others.
Does FutureU have an API?
No public API is recorded for FutureU.