Online education platform Coursera has announced its intent to buy learning giant Udemy. The combined value of the two companies will be around $2.5 billion.
Post merger, the merged company will retain he name of Cousera. Udemy shareholders will receive 0.8 common shares of Coursera for each Udemy stock they hold. After the two companies combine, the current Coursera shareholders are expected to own roughly 59% of the shares, while the present Udemy shareholders will own about 41% on a fully diluted basis.
“Today, I’m excited to share that Coursera has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with Udemy. This is a pivotal moment for both companies, and more broadly, for how skills are discovered, developed, and mastered at scale by learners and organisations around the world,” George Hart, Chief Executive Officer of Coursera, shared on LinkedIn.
“As AI rapidly redefines the skills required for every job across every industry, organisations and individuals need a platform that can evolve as quickly as the new and emerging skills they must master,” Hart added. “By bringing together the highly complementary strengths of Coursera and Udemy, we’ll be in an even stronger position to serve the global talent market, unlock a faster pace of innovation, and deliver valuable experiences and outcomes for our global community of learners, customers, partners, and expert instructors.”
As per the companies, the combined group will generate over $1.5 billion in pro forma annual revenue and target annual run-rate cost synergies of $115 million within 24 months of closing. Coursera also expects to initiate a sizeable share repurchase programme following completion of the transaction.
“As AI reshapes the future of work, the demand for continuous learning and reskilling has never been greater. By uniting Udemy’s vibrant marketplace of 85,000+ instructors with Coursera’s world-class university and industry partnerships, we’re creating a comprehensive ecosystem that serves learners across their entire professional journey,” said Hugo Sarrazin, President and CEO of Udemy.
The boards of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction. It is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, shareholder consent and other customary closing conditions.
