Coursera and Udemy have announced a merger agreementvalued at around $2.5 billion, in a transaction in which only the company’s shares will be involved. The operation, however, is still pending approval by shareholders, as well as regulatory authorities. If both are obtained, it would be closed during the second half of next year 2026.
In a statement confirming the operation, both parties have highlighted that with their merger they will achieve greater value, impact and variety in online training, given that they have strengths with a high level of complementarity in the training segments for the consumer and business markets in different skills. The combined company will offer a training ecosystem with high-level trainers, including professors from prestigious universities, leaders from different sectors and experts in different subjects.
The merger will also provide trainers and learners with more AI-enhanced tools, as well as provide them with data-driven insights and an expanded distribution and reach of both parties’ platforms.
In the long term, the merger will allow Coursera and Udemy to generate operational improvements, with annual cost synergies in the 24 months following the closing of the $115 million transaction. They will also have improvements in the capacity for sustained investment in AI-powered platform innovation, rapid product development and growth initiatives.
Under the terms of the agreement reached by both training platforms, Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 shares of Coursera common stock for each Udemy common share they own, which represents a 26% improvement over the average closing prices of Udemy and Coursera in the last 30 business days prior to the announcement.
Following the closing of the transaction, current Coursera shareholders are expected to own about 59% of the combined company, while those who currently hold Udemy shares will own 41% of the company. Coursera also plans to carry out a share repurchase program after the closing.
When the purchase is made, the CEO de Coursera, Greg Hartwill continue to hold the same position in the combined company. Its board of directors will be made up of nine directors: six from the current Coursera board, including Hart himself and AndrewNg, who will continue to be Chairman of the board, and three from the current Udemy board. The merged company will continue to operate under the Coursera name, so Udemy will disappear as such.
Greg Hart, CEO of Coursera, has highlighted that «We are at a crucial time when artificial intelligence is rapidly redefining the skills needed for every job in every sector. Organizations and people around the world need a platform that is as agile as the new emerging skills that students must master. By combining the highly complementary strengths of Coursera and Udemy, we will be even stronger positioned to address the transformative global talent opportunity, accelerate the pace of innovation, and deliver valuable experiences and outcomes for our learners and customers.«.
Hugo Sarrazin, CEO of Udemyrecalled that «For more than 15 years, Udemy has helped millions of people master the most in-demand skills at the pace of innovation. Through this combination with Coursera, we will create significant benefits for our learners, business customers and instructors, while delivering significant value to our shareholders, who will share in the considerable upside potential of the combined company. As a unified platform, we can accelerate our AI-powered product roadmap, expand our global reach through enhanced go-to-market capabilities, and unlock significant operational and revenue synergies that will strengthen our long-term financial profile.«.
