Coursera has agreed to acquire Udemy in a stock-for-stock transaction that will combine the two online learning companies under Coursera, Inc. The deal was announced in a 2025 investor communication, with closing targeted for the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
Coursera acquiring Udemy
Coursera and Udemy plan to combine in an all-stock deal that exchanges Udemy shares for newly issued Coursera shares. The combined company will remain publicly traded under the Coursera name and be headquartered in Mountain View, California. Coursera CEO Greg Hart will continue as chief executive, and Coursera co-founder Andrew Ng will become chairman.
Key transaction terms, according to Coursera's investor announcement Coursera to combine with Udemy, include:
- Structure: stock-for-stock combination of Coursera and Udemy
- Exchange ratio: 0.800 Coursera shares for each Udemy share
- Post-close ownership: Coursera shareholders about 59 percent of the combined company
- Post-close ownership: Udemy shareholders about 41 percent of the combined company
- Corporate name: Coursera, Inc.
- Headquarters: Mountain View, California
- CEO: Greg Hart
- Board chair: Andrew Ng
The companies state that closing is expected in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory clearances and approvals by Coursera and Udemy shareholders. Until closing, Coursera and Udemy will continue to operate as separate entities.
Background context
Coursera works with universities, public institutions, and industry partners to deliver online degrees, certificates, and other credential-focused programs. Udemy operates an open marketplace where instructors publish courses and also runs Udemy Business, which sells training content to organizations. Both companies serve individual learners and enterprise customers.
According to figures reported by Coursera and Udemy, the two platforms together reach more than 270 million registered learners. They also report nearly 19,000 enterprise customers across their combined businesses. Udemy generates most of its revenue outside North America, while Coursera earns a larger share in the United States.
The companies state that the combined platform will include academic content, professional skills training, and enterprise learning under one corporate structure. Coursera emphasizes its institutional partnerships and credential-based programs, while Udemy contributes a large instructor marketplace and a broad base of business clients. The companies describe the deal as joining institutional content with a marketplace model inside a single organization.
A Udemy instructor posting under the handle @maxedapps on X commented publicly on the announcement:
"I can’t tell what this acquisition by Coursera means for my future as a Udemy instructor. Time will tell. I will definitely keep on teaching - on one platform or another. But learning that a brand that was THE main part of my professional life for the last 10 years will go away is really very, very sad."
His full writing is available on X.
Source citations
- Coursera to combine with Udemy - Coursera investor announcement.
- Instructor comment on X (Max, @maxedapps) regarding the transaction: writing.
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