NTT DOCOMO gacco

What NTT DOCOMO gacco does

NTT DOCOMO gacco is a Japan-based online video learning platform operated by Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd. (デジタル・ナレッジ株式会社). The service targets individual lifelong learners across Japan with a free, self-serve registration model and supports corporate training through a separate enterprise sales channel at digital-knowledge.co.jp. The platform has accumulated over 1 million registered members and is positioned as one of Japan's largest online video learning services.

The product is built on Open edX as the learning management system, with custom branding and features for course delivery, user authentication, progress tracking, and certificate issuance. Course formats include on-demand video lectures, assignments, peer grading, and discussion forums; the gacco LIVE add-on delivers real-time lectures via Zoom Webinar. Two scheduling modes are offered: fixed-schedule courses that follow a uniform calendar and variable start date courses that personalize deadlines to each learner's enrollment date. The platform is JMOOC-certified and mobile-optimized for smartphone and tablet access.

The business model is freemium on the consumer side — registration, video access, assignments, and completion certificates are free — while enterprise training, analytics, and support are monetized as subscription or contract-based corporate services through Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd. Marketing and distribution rely on the gacco.org website, organic discovery through course categories and hashtags, JMOOC certification as a credibility signal, and a dedicated corporate portal. NTT DOCOMO affiliation provides brand backing and distribution leverage within the DOCOMO group.

Name

NTT DOCOMO gacco

Legal name

Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd.

Website

https://gacco.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

gacco is a Japan-based online video learning platform operated by Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd., serving over 1 million registered individual learners with free on-demand courses and a separate paid corporate training channel. The platform runs on Open edX and offers gacco LIVE real-time lectures via Zoom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Learning Platform

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD), Educational Live Streaming Platforms (Classes/Tutorials) (MPACACAH)

Keywords

• Online video learning
• MOOC platform
• Corporate e-learning
• Video lecture courses
• Lifelong learning

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Free Individual Courses: Core platform offers free video courses to individual users. Users can register for free, watch lecture videos, submit assignments, and receive completion certificates at no cost.
2. Corporate Training Services: Paid corporate training solutions through Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd. for business customers requiring dedicated training programs, analytics, and support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

gacco operates one of Japan's largest online video learning platforms, offering free on-demand university-level video courses in business skills and liberal arts to individual learners. The platform delivers video lectures, assignments, peer grading, discussion forums, and completion certificates. A live broadcast feature (gacco LIVE) is provided via Zoom Webinar, and paid corporate training services are sold to enterprises through Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd.

Product overview

gacco is a single unified online video learning platform operated by Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd. The core product is the gacco video learning service, which includes standard on-demand courses with video lectures, assignments, peer grading, and certification. The gacco LIVE feature adds real-time live broadcast classes delivered via Zoom Webinar as an integrated module within the same platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• gacco online video learning platform Japan's largest online video learning platform offering free registration-based on-demand courses covering business skills and liberal arts, taught by university professors and industry experts. Features video lectures, assignments, reports, peer grading, discussion forums, and completion certificates. Includes variable start-date self-paced courses alongside fixed-schedule courses.
• gacco LIVE Real-time live broadcast class feature exclusive to gacco members, delivering live lectures via Zoom Webinar. Learners access live classes through URLs posted on course announcement pages, with attendance and registration tracking.
• Corporate Training Services Paid corporate training solutions provided through Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd. (digital-knowledge.co.jp) for business customers requiring dedicated video-based training programs, employee progress analytics, and support for workforce reskilling and business skill development.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• edX / Open edXcoreTechnology or Integrationgacco's learning management system is powered by Open edX technology. The platform uses the Open edX framework for course delivery, user authentication, progress tracking, and certificate issuance. EdX and Open edX are registered trademarks of edX Inc.
• JMOOC (Japan MOOC Association)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partnergacco is a founding/leading member of JMOOC, Japan's official MOOC certification body. The platform carries the JMOOC certified badge, indicating compliance with Japanese online education standards.
• Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd. (デジタル・ナレッジ株式会社)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDigital Knowledge Co., Ltd. is the operating company behind gacco. The company provides the platform infrastructure, content partnerships, and corporate training services under license from NTT DOCOMO.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Global MOOC platform partnering with universities and companies to offer online courses, certificates, and degrees. A direct competitor in concept, with growing Japanese localization and Coursera for Business enterprise offerings that overlap with gacco's corporate training channel.
• Udemy: Global marketplace for online courses with Udemy Business serving enterprise training. Operates a freemium-anchored model with paid individual courses and corporate subscriptions, overlapping with gacco's hybrid monetization approach.
• edX: Global MOOC platform and originator of the Open edX framework on which gacco is built. Operates a comparable university-partnered course catalog and enterprise training channel (edX for Business), making it the most direct international competitor and a technology licensor.
• LinkedIn Learning: Enterprise-focused online video learning platform owned by Microsoft, offering skill development courses bundled with LinkedIn Premium. Targets the same corporate reskilling market as gacco with a much larger global content library and enterprise distribution.

Emerging players

• FutureLearn: Online course platform offering MOOCs from international universities with both free and paid tiers. Operates a similar short-course, freemium-to-paid model and is expanding into enterprise learning, comparable to gacco's positioning.
• Khan Academy: Non-profit online learning platform offering free video courses across academic subjects with a global reach. While focused on academic rather than business reskilling, it shares the freemium video-based MOOC format with gacco.
• Udacity: Online learning platform specializing in tech, AI, and professional skills with project-based courses and nanodegree programs. Operates in a similar MOOC space with both individual and enterprise offerings, overlapping with gacco's reskilling focus.

Regional players

• JMOOC Member Platforms: Other JMOOC-certified Japanese MOOC platforms (e.g., OpenCourseWare Japan, OpenLearn Japan peers). Operate within the same JMOOC framework and Japanese certification standards, competing for the same domestic learner pool and university partnerships.

Direct peers

• Schoo: Japanese online video learning platform offering live and on-demand classes to both individual learners and corporate clients. Directly competes with gacco in the same Japanese market with a similar freemium-to-enterprise model and live lecture format.
• Schoo Enterprise: Corporate training arm of Schoo, providing live and on-demand video courses for Japanese enterprises. Direct competitor to gacco's corporate training channel via Digital Knowledge Co., Ltd.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gacco

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 NTT DOCOMO gacco