Coursera

What Coursera does

Coursera operates an online learning platform connecting registered learners with content from 350+ university and company partners, offering 5,400+ courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, MasterTrack certificates, and degree programs. The platform is built on a three-sided marketplace architecture linking individual learners, content providers (Stanford, Yale, Google, IBM, Meta, University of Illinois, University of Pennsylvania, among others), and enterprise buyers across Business, Government, and Campus tiers. Core technology components include an AI-powered recommendation engine spanning 4,000+ courses and a growing suite of generative AI features such as an AI-powered personalized guide, Role Play for interactive AI conversations, Course Builder for AI-assisted content creation, Skills Tracks, and AI-dubbed course localization in Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, and German. The platform's technical surface combines content delivery, credentialing, and an AI Academy Brief Plan targeted at enterprise workforce development.

Coursera monetizes through multiple revenue streams: Coursera Plus annual subscriptions, à la carte course and Specialization purchases ($49/month tier), Professional Certificates ($49/month), MasterTrack certificates ($2,000 total), degree programs priced at $9,000+ delivered in partnership with accredited universities, and enterprise licensing across Business, Government, and Campus tiers. An affiliate referral program pays 15-45% commission, extending paid distribution. The company serves a broad customer base of 148M+ registered learners and 7,000+ enterprise and organizational buyers, and in 2025 combined with Udemy to expand catalog breadth and addressable market. Coursera is a Delaware public benefit corporation and certified B Corp, and has been listed on the NYSE since its 2021 IPO under ticker COUR. Co-founders Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller continue to lend institutional credibility, with Jeff Maggioncalda serving as CEO and Patrick Supanc appointed Chief Product Officer on June 2, 2025.

Name

Coursera

Legal name

Coursera Inc.

Website

https://about.coursera.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coursera operates an online learning platform serving 148M+ registered learners and 7,000+ enterprises through courses, certificates, and degree programs from 350+ university and company partners, monetizing via subscriptions, enterprise licensing, degree tuition, and affiliate referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Education Platform

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Course Marketplaces (Multi-Instructor Catalogs) (MPACALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL), Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI), Corporate/L&D Course Licensing from Creators (B2B Upskilling) (MPACALAH), Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)

Keywords

• Online education platform
• Professional certificates
• Enterprise learning solutions
• Online degree programs
• Workforce upskilling

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Course and Subscription Sales: Coursera Plus subscription provides unlimited access to courses, certificates, and personalized AI guidance for a monthly or annual fee. Individual courses, Specializations, and Professional Certificates are sold on a subscription or one-time basis.
2. Degree Programs: Online degree programs from partner universities ranging from $9,000 USD total cost, typically completed over 2-4 years.
3. Enterprise Licensing (Coursera for Business/Government/Campus): Organization-wide licenses for employee training, student curriculum, and government workforce development programs.
4. Affiliate Referrals: Partner affiliates earn 15-45% commission on qualifying purchases made within 30 days of clicking their referral links.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Coursera operates an online learning marketplace that aggregates courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, MasterTrack Certificates, and accredited degree programs from 375+ universities and industry partners. Learners can audit courses for free or pay for certificates and credentials, and enterprises, governments, universities, and teams can license curated content through Coursera for Business, Campus, Government, and Teams.

Product overview

Coursera is a unified online learning platform that offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and credentials. The core offering includes courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, MasterTrack® Certificates, and fully-online degrees from top universities and companies. Coursera Plus provides a subscription model for unlimited access to thousands of courses. The platform recently combined with Udemy to form one of the world's most comprehensive skills development platforms. Enterprise solutions (Coursera for Business, Campus, Government, Teams) serve organizational clients with analytics and team management. AI-powered innovations including personalized guide, Role Play, Course Builder, and Skills Tracks enable scalable, personalized learning. Guided Projects offer quick 1-2 hour hands-on experiences, while the full catalog spans 4,000+ courses and credentials from 375+ partner universities and companies serving 145M+ learners globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coursera Plus Subscription product giving learners access to thousands of courses, Specializations, and Professional Certificates on the Coursera platform for a fixed monthly or annual fee (approx. $59/month). Targets individual consumers seeking broad access to content.
• Guided Projects Short, hands-on projects (typically under two hours) where learners execute a real-world task in a cloud-based workspace with step-by-step guidance. Sold as one-time purchases to individual learners seeking practical skill demonstrations.
• Courses Individual courses from top universities and companies that can be audited for free; learners pay a fee to earn a verified certificate of completion. Targets individual learners and corporate trainees.
• Specializations Multi-course series designed to build mastery in a specific subject area (e.g., data science, marketing). Sold as bundled subscriptions.
• Professional Certificates Job-ready certificate programs developed with industry leaders (e.g., Google, IBM, Meta) to prepare learners for specific roles such as Data Analyst, UX Designer, or Project Manager. Sold as subscriptions.
• MasterTrack Certificates Modular, credit-bearing graduate-level certificates issued by accredited universities that can stack toward a full master's degree. Sold as one-time programs.
• Online Degrees Full bachelor's and master's degree programs from accredited universities, with tuition paid to the university and learners enrolled via Coursera. Targets individual learners seeking accredited credentials.
• Coursera for Business Enterprise subscription product providing curated learning academies, Professional Certificates, hands-on labs, and analytics for corporate workforce development. Sold on per-seat annual licenses to enterprise customers.
• Coursera for Campus Subscription product for universities and colleges that gives students access to the Coursera catalog for credit-eligible courses, Specializations, and Professional Certificates. Sold on per-seat annual licenses.
• Coursera for Government Subscription product for government agencies and public sector organizations that provides curated learning paths, certifications, and analytics for workforce development. Sold on per-seat annual licenses.
• Coursera for Teams Subscription product for small teams of 5-125 users that provides access to the Coursera catalog with team-level administration. Targets SMBs and managers seeking affordable team training.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91% of learners reported at least one positive career benefit (promotions, new jobs)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle partners with Coursera to offer Google Career Certificates professional program, which has achieved 1 million graduates. Google also provides content and credentials on the platform.
• IBMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBM partners with Coursera offering professional certificates and industry credentials on the platform for in-demand technology skills.
• MetacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeta partners with Coursera offering professional certificates and learning content for career-focused skills development.
• Yale UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYale University offers courses, credentials, and degree programs through Coursera's platform to learners worldwide.
• University of Illinois Gies College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Illinois Gies College of Business offers online degree programs through Coursera including MBA and other business credentials.
• University of PennsylvaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Pennsylvania partners with Coursera to offer courses and credentials from its world-class faculty.
• UdemyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoursera recently combined with Udemy to create one of the world's most comprehensive skills development platforms, significantly expanding content library and learner base.
• 100+ Nonprofit and Community OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 100+ nonprofit and community organizations to provide free education to underserved communities including refugees, veterans, justice-impacted individuals, and underserved high schools.
• Affiliate Partners (Impact Network)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate partners earn 15-45% commission on qualifying purchases through Impact network, driving learner acquisition through custom banners, text links, and tracking.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Simplilearn: Simplilearn is an online bootcamp and certification provider focused on professional skills in technology, project management, and digital marketing. Comparable to Coursera in certificate-driven online learning, particularly for working professionals in emerging markets.
• DataCamp: DataCamp is an online learning platform specialized in data science, AI, and analytics skills, offering courses, skill tracks, and assessments. Comparable as a focused, subscription-based online learning platform targeting professionals, similar in vertical to one of Coursera's strongest content areas.
• Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a nonprofit online learning platform offering free courses, lessons, and practice across academic subjects. Comparable to Coursera's free-audit model and consumer learning funnel, but free, nonprofit, and focused on K-12 and early college subjects rather than credentialed career learning.
• Udacity: Udacity offers online 'Nanodegree' programs and enterprise upskilling in technology fields including AI, data science, and cloud. Comparable to Coursera's Professional Certificates and Coursera for Business offerings, with similar industry-partnered credentials and B2C/B2B learning products.

Direct peers

• Udemy: Direct peer in online learning; Udemy offers a creator-led marketplace of courses and Specializations and recently combined with Coursera. Highly comparable on product (online courses, certificates), target customer (individual learners and enterprise L&D), and business model (revenue share with instructors).
• MasterClass: MasterClass is a subscription-based online learning platform featuring celebrity and expert-led video courses. Comparable as a consumer-facing online learning subscription, though differentiated by a premium, celebrity-instructor positioning versus Coursera's credentialed academic and industry catalog.
• edX (2U): edX is a MOOC platform offering university courses, MicroMasters, and online degrees — closely matching Coursera's catalog depth in higher education. Now owned by 2U, it is a direct peer in the university-partnered online learning category, especially for degree programs.
• Pluralsight (Skillsoft portfolio): Pluralsight is a technology-focused online learning platform serving enterprise customers and individual developers with courses, skill assessments, and hands-on labs. Comparable to Coursera's enterprise technology upskilling segment and Professional Certificates.

Broad incumbents

• Skillsoft: Skillsoft is a long-established enterprise learning and talent development provider offering online courses, books, and compliance training. Comparable as a B2B learning platform serving corporate L&D customers, though with a more compliance-and-corporate catalog and broader L&D software suite.
• LinkedIn Learning (Microsoft): LinkedIn Learning, owned by Microsoft, is a broad incumbent offering online courses for professional skill development, often bundled with LinkedIn Premium. Comparable as an enterprise/individual online learning platform, but typically narrower in credentialing and integrated into the LinkedIn ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coursera
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/coursera
• Facebookfacebook.com/Coursera
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coursera4certificate
• Instagraminstagram.com/coursera

Compliance2 records

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Coursera