Big News! Udemy + Coursera Combination Announcement

Valued Instructors,

I’m excited to share an exciting milestone: Udemy and Coursera have agreed to combine to create a leading technology platform, redefining skills discovery, development, and mastery for learners and organizations at scale.

This combination will bring together two complementary strengths — your industry-leading, skills-based content and Coursera’s deep academic and partner network — to better serve learners around the world.

The key message I want to emphasize is that the instructor marketplace that made Udemy what it is today will continue to be a foundational part of the combined business. Your expertise, agility, and teaching excellence remain essential to our vision moving forward.

What This Means for Instructors

A significantly larger audience

Your content will gain access to Coursera’s 191M+ registered learners, expanding your global reach and impact.

Complementary strengths

Your high-quality, practitioner-led instruction, combined with Coursera’s academic and industry-partner catalog, will create a comprehensive learning ecosystem.

Greater global footprint

Together, we will be even better positioned to reach learners across more geographies, languages, and skill areas.

Accelerated innovation

With combined resources, we’ll be better able to sustain investment in durable growth, rapid product development, and improved platform capabilities—especially in human-led, AI-powered tools that help instructors create, engage, and grow.

Why I’m Excited

Udemy and Coursera share a compelling vision for the future of human-led, AI-powered education and a mission to meet the growing global demand for upskilling. With greater reach, expanded resources, and highly complementary strengths, the opportunity ahead is not only significant—it’s inspiring.

Thank you all for being such an incredible part of this journey. Can't wait to see where we go together with Coursera!

Resources:

Joint Website: https://www.courseraandudemy.com/

Press Release

For additional important information about the transaction, please read this link: udemy-combines-with-coursera/legends

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ZaneVella

FAQ’s: Udemy + Coursera Combination Announcement

How will this transaction impact instructors? How does this benefit us?

We believe the combination with Coursera will create significant opportunities for our valued instructors.
Together, with our shared product, data and technology investments, we expect to unlock and accelerate platform innovation for learners, expert instructors, enterprises, and institutions.
We will also strengthen our go-to-market capabilities, global reach, and native language access.
Our global instructor community’s content will gain access to Coursera’s consumer base of over 191 million registered learners and greater global scale to build and grow your expertise.
We expect to enhance learner experiences, amplify the reach of our scaled instructor network and equip instructors with more effective and innovative tools to support their businesses.

Will there be any changes to the way instructors work with Udemy?

Instructors will continue to be central to our success in this next chapter.
We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for our instructors and learners as we work to bring our two companies together.
Until the transaction is completed, it is business as usual and we will continue to work with instructors as we do today.
We are committed to keeping you as updated as possible throughout this process

How will the combination of Udemy’s instructor-driven content and Coursera’s complementary, branded content create new opportunities and expand the reach of my courses?

Udemy and Coursera have highly complementary content engines and we look forward to expanding our marketplace to reach even more learners and organizations globally.
By integrating Coursera’ branded content from trusted educational and industry partners with Udemy’s rich marketplace of high-quality instructor-driven content, the combined company will be positioned to more effectively address the upskilling and reskilling needs of learners, institutions and enterprises globally.
Instructors will continue to be central to our success in this next chapter.

Will I still be able to create and distribute my courses on the platform after the Udemy-Coursera combination?

Yes.
In fact, the combination with Coursera will position us to accelerate and unlock investment and innovation in our platform and equip instructors with more effective and innovative tools to develop and distribute content for learners.

Will our platform be incorporated into Coursera’s or will there be a new combined platform? When will this occur?

The instructor marketplace will remain a key part of the combined business. Udemy instructors' insights, rapid content creation, and demonstrated teaching excellence are recognized and a key part of Coursera’s interest in our company.
There are many other important details that we will determine with Coursera as part of our integration planning efforts in the coming months.
Final plans related to how Udemy’s platform and marketplace will be integrated will be developed as part of integration planning in the coming months and details will be announced at a later date.
We will continue to keep you informed along the way.

Will the instructor marketplace continue?

Yes.
The instructor marketplace is a strategic pillar of the combined company. Udemy instructors bring valued learner insights, agility, and instructional skill and these contributions remain central to our future.

Will this announcement change the revenue sharing model with instructors? What about revenue adjustments based on the subscription model?

Today’s announcement has no impact on Udemy’s revenue sharing model.

Will this transaction change how we engage with customers?

We will continue to enable engagement between learners and instructors to generate meaningful insights and real-time feedback and analytics.
We believe the combination will enable us to continue investing in and innovating our platform and equipping instructors with more effective and efficient tools to better serve our customers.

How will the Udemy-Coursera combination strategically benefit instructors?

As a combined company, we believe there are exciting opportunities to invest, innovate, and grow our business with a focus on supporting our learners, instructors, and enterprise customers in achieving their goals.
We are also thrilled for our incredible instructors’ content to reach Coursera’s consumer base of over 191 million registered learners.
We look forward to continuing to partner with our instructors on our journey to become the global leader in the transition to a skills-based economy – and transform more lives through learning than ever before.

What can we expect next?

Until the transaction closes, Udemy and Coursera will operate as separate companies and we will continue to work with you as we do today.
In the coming months, we will be working closely with the Coursera team to determine integration plans and how best to combine our companies.
We recognize the trust you put in us and are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and to supporting you well into the future.
We are committed to keeping you as updated as possible throughout this process.

Will my status as an instructor on Udemy’s platform carry over to the combined platform?

Proven expertise, strong learner engagement, high learner satisfaction and consistent quality remain core signals of instructor excellence, and these strengths will continue to be recognized and valued.
We appreciate your partnership and recognize your incredible success in the Udemy marketplace – and we’re excited to help you build on that as part of the combined company.

For additional important information about the transaction, please read this link: udemy-combines-with-coursera/legends

EdenMarco445

WOW this looks a beginning for something great!

ThomasMitchell

Welp… I suppose this will either be really good for instructors or really bad. Not sure there will be an in-between.

It will at least force my hand. I’ll either return to building or it will force me out completely.

CarlosMartinez

Thanks Zane for sharing the update. From a business perspective, this combination makes a lot of sense—especially as the online learning market matures and scale and integration matter more than ever. I’m optimistic this will be positive for learners and organizations, and I’m hopeful it will also create new opportunities for us as instructors.

Boris035

Well…we asked for some big, bold move…something to move the needle…and, here we go….not exactly what I expected, but it makes sense…let's see…good luck to all of us!

LawrenceMMiller

@ZaneVella Thanks for this thorough explanation. We can only pray that it will work out for the best, both individually and collectively.

Mufaddal

This is Amazing NEWS.

CharlesEBrown

Incredible news. I am quite excited about it.

ValentinDespa

"Big News!" is an understatement. Thanks for letting us know about this. Obviously, from a business perspective, this makes a lot of sense; you can even say it is a great match.

Now obviously, any change of this size is uncomfortable, so thanks for the FAQ based on what is known at this point. The sad thing is that the Udemy brand will disappear. 😥

I want to remain positive and get excited about what the future will bring. If the combined company is successful, we will be part of that success!

Please keep us updated throughout the process with any developments that are relevant.

Joanamengual7

Thank you for sharing this update and for the level of detail provided in the FAQ, @ZaneVella.

From a business perspective, this move is completely understandable. The online education market is maturing, scale matters more than ever, and the combination of two leaders like Udemy and Coursera makes strong strategic sense.

That said, I think it’s important to raise a concern that many instructors are likely sharing: how two very different business and content models will fit together in practice.

Coursera has traditionally built a highly curated catalog, focused on universities and large companies, with a more academic and institutional approach. Udemy, on the other hand, is powered by a community of 85,000+ instructors, with tens of thousands of courses, a much more dynamic marketplace, and less upfront curation.

The big question is how these two approaches will coexist:

Will there be different tiers or spaces for visibility?
Will content discovery or prioritization criteria change?
How should instructors plan new course creation in this new context?

For many instructors, creating a course represents months of work, investment, and a medium, to long-term commitment. In a transition of this magnitude, it’s natural to wonder whether the courses we create today will continue to have visibility, relevance, and longevity in the combined platform.

I fully understand that there may not be clear answers yet, but it would be extremely valuable to maintain ongoing communication on these topics as decisions are made.

This is a massive move with a lot of potential.

Thank you again for the update and for keeping us informed.

Col (Dr) Shabbar Shahid (Veteran)

Big news. Should I feel excited ? I really don't know. It is Sad that Udemy name will cease. I may not be able to call myself a proud Udemy Instructor.

On Udemy, everyone with knowledge is welcome as an instructor but Coursera has their own different creteria. I am not sure whether we all will be welcome at Coursera. @ZaneVella may please clarify.

gregwondra

Definitely understand this news. Time will tell if it's good or bad. But purely from a business standpoint I think this move makes sense for both companies.

Sergio-Apasoft

Honestly, I don't know how to take this news. I hope it's for the best and that we instructors find a satisfactory ecosystem.

On the other hand, the last question in the FAQ (Will my status as an instructor on Udemy’s platform carry over to the combined platform?) seems a bit ambiguous.

It doesn't clearly state that all instructors/courses will be automatically transferred to the new platform.

Will there be some kind of filter, then? Could you be left out of the merger of the two companies? Or could some of your courses be?

Too many unknowns at the moment, which I hope will be resolved in the coming months.

ThomasMitchell

…

ThomasMitchell

On the other hand, the last question in the FAQ (Will my status as an instructor on Udemy’s platform carry over to the combined platform?) seems a bit ambiguous.

I noticed that ambiguity as well.

TonyAlicea

Coursera values perceived legitimacy. I could see, for example, Coursera weeding out courses that didn't qualify over time for PP or UfB as a baseline.

The response "Proven expertise, strong learner engagement, high learner satisfaction and consistent quality remain core signals of instructor excellence, and these strengths will continue to be recognized and valued" seems to me to lean that direction.

I don't think that would necessarily be a bad thing for the health of the marketplace.

TonyAlicea

This is a surprising and exciting announcement, but also, of course an uncertain one. Thank you for the FAQs @ZaneVella. Reaching Coursera's user base is a huge potential opportunity for all of us.

MaxSchwarzmueller

Time will tell if that is good or bad for us.

But I will say: Seeing the Udemy brand disappear is a gutting feeling. It's been part of my daily professional life for ten years now.
I owe a lot to Udemy and I've probably thought or said the word "Udemy" 71,013,091,931 times over these last ten years.
Knowing that it'll simply be gone in a year or so is extremely sad.

TonyAlicea

Agreed, a decade for me as well. When giving talks at conferences I'm known as the "Udemy guy". It's a loss.

Sergio-Apasoft

Another worrying point is that many Coursera courses are currently free. It's true you can't access all the resources, but you can actually view the entire course for free. I'm enrolled in several. You only have to pay if you want a certificate or access to certain labs.

If that model is used in our courses, phew...

How will two such different payment methods be integrated?
I suppose we'll see the answers to these important questions in the coming months...

The truth is that I want to be optimistic about this union and I hope it improves our prospects.

Paulo

Sergio-Apasoft

Yes, I also think that a course cleanup wouldn't hurt, but it's a subjective matter that should be handled carefully.
A course with few students might be very good, but the topic might not be very popular, for example, non-technical courses.

And we could point out similar issues.

hidran

The same for m! 10 years exactly this month! I'm known as the Udemy guy in Italy. So, it's really a pity a well established brand name is going to disappear. I don't think Coursera is as successful, or as well known, as Udemy at least in Italy

Cyvitrix

It is an acquisition, not a merger, correct me if I am wrong.

albert21

The announcement is great, but I'm telling everyone right now! Instructor income will decrease, both from UFB and sales... this is how it will be! As instructors, we'll have more reach, but Coursera, having a larger percentage, will make decisions that will cause income to decrease. I know it will happen!

AndreErving

Always keep in mind that these big mergers are solely to benefit the stakeholders. Remember, Udemy already takes half of the revenue we make on their platform. Unless instructors make $ 70 off every $100 spent, this will only benefit the stakeholders. If the customer does not pay $100, the instructor should receive 70% of the purchase price, with no strings attached.

As Udemy is merging with Coursera, Coursera will hold a 59% stake, meaning it will own Udemy. This was a financial move; it was not meant to give instructors on the Udemy platform more money. We will see how it plays out, but more than likely, things will not get better for instructors; they will extort us the same way as Udemy does.

There should be no pricing match, price tier, etc. If I list my course for $100, I should get $70 off the deal, and the platform receives $30. These platforms make money off subscriptions, $30 or $50 per month, with lifetime access to a course. Instructors should be able to set their own access and pricing options with no strings attached. Instructors should get $70 off every $100 spent, and that's it. Any other structure is scamming the instructors.

NinaW

Most instructors on Coursera are paid by their universities or companies, not Coursera directly, while individual creators earn varying amounts from revenue-sharing on shorter, project-based content.

AndreErving

Definitely an accusation. Coursera will own 59%, which means Coursera owns Udemy.

Coach.Hector

I’m optimistic about the opportunity to expand global reach and impact—helping more people build real-world skills faster in the AI era.😊

gregwondra

I always look for MOTIVES in every decision made. The only reason Udemy goes this route is because either:

A) Coursera is beating them. Better to combine forces than to be destroyed.

B) BOTH Coursera and Udemy are losing to AI. Survival play by BOTH to fend off (and try to incorporate) that existential threat.

I'm not saying current instructors CAN'T be winners with this deal…but I would temper excitement because while the promise is "bigger audience!" the reality is probably more akin to "more instructors to compete against!" or "purging of courses and only offering the top 1% so every other instructor loses."

Parker

I’m stunned.

From this day forth I have to operate as though I will have no income from “Udemy” in 6 months (the alleged transition completion).

Too many unanswered questions.

Loucas

According to investors.coursera.com, It's not so good news for Udemy instructors . Udemy will cease to exist. Even its shares will be merged under coursera. Coursera Shareholders will be 59% and Udemy shareholders will be 41%.

Leadership, Corporate Governance, and Headquarters

Upon the closing of the transaction, Greg Hart, Chief Executive Officer of Coursera, will continue as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company. The Board of Directors of the combined company will consist of nine directors, six from the Coursera Board, including Greg Hart and Andrew Ng, who will continue as Chairman of the Board, and three from the Udemy Board. The combined company will operate under the name Coursera, trade under the ticker symbol COUR on the NYSE, and be headquartered in Mountain View, California. Upon completion of the transaction, Udemy’s common stock will no longer be listed on NASDAQ.

The merged company will operate under Coursera. There will be no Udemy anymore.

This breaks my heart.

KuljotSB

Silvio

According to Coursera, things don't look good at all for Udemy instructors. Here's an excerpt from their website https://investor.coursera.com :

"Leading Platform Capabilities: Establishes a comprehensive ecosystem of world-class instructors, encompassing faculty at leading universities, industry leaders, and global subject matter experts, while equipping them with AI-enhanced tools, data-driven insights, and expanded distribution to create more engaging, personalized, and dynamic learning experiences at unprecedented scale, breadth, and agility."

Meaning a combination between their instructors (with probably few Udemy instructors) and Udemy's business systems especially the AI part.

Really sad news that it comes right before holidays.

NoorFakhry

I expected a long time ago that Udemy would be liquidated or acquired by another company; I just expected it to be acquired by YouTube.

Parker

More isn't always better. Especially for UB and Personal Subscription minutes.

Now, our courses will be competing with thousands more and the earnings will be diluted!

SteveBallinger

Thanks @ZaneVella for the information and the FAQ. If anything I am surprised it did not happen sooner with Coursera or LinkedIn or someone. This is a good move for the companies. Will see how it impacts instructors. I remember when ChatGPT exploded on the scene, Udemy crushed Coursera with its time to market and getting many quality courses out fast. Well, not Udemy…its Instructors, but Udemy provided some very key ingredients. A strong platform, marketing support, and the belief that anyone can make a course then let the market decide. I certainly benefited from that. I am very glad for you and Hugo being as transparent as you can be. I do not post much and for those who know me I have always been very pro Udemy even as my revenue felt under pressure. I thought to myself…maybe if Udemy ever does cease to exist I will be the last one to turn the lights off. 😊In late 2026 that will happen which makes me sad but my hope is that a new combined company light will shine.

DanielEvans

This time next year, you will have a full grasp of Udemy’s style of communication.

ZaneVella

You have our strong commitment to ongoing communication on these topics and more.

ZaneVella

I am pleased to confirm that the instructor marketplace will remain a key part of the combined business. Udemy instructors' insights, rapid content creation, and demonstrated teaching excellence are recognized and a key part of Coursera’s interest in Udemy.

JairoPirona

Coursera's business model is different from Udemy's, therefore, instructors' earnings will decrease, I'm sure of it... We'll have to see what happens later, but in my opinion, this doesn't look good for the instructors at all!

ThomasMitchell

@ZaneVella Do you foresee any culling of instructors or courses?

ZaneVella

Thanks Steve, Udemy instructors' insights and rapid content creation (a.k.a. time to market) are a key part of Coursera’s interest in the company. We will now shortly kickoff planning for how Udemy’s platform and marketplace will be integrated, and expect that process to take at least a couple months. We certainly appreciate the loud and friendly reminder that "time to market and getting many quality courses out fast" is so much of what makes Udemy special.

FettahBen

Good for Elite instructors, everyone else is out of the game.

ThomasMitchell

The key is what defines “elite”.

KevinBrown946

In my 30 years in IT I’ve been through too many mergers/acquisitions to count. I’ve never seen it benefit the company being acquired. I’m positive this will be no different. What remains of Udemy will be molded into the Coursera including pay scales and content management. Udemy is gone, sadly. Upside is we have a 6 month notice.

Esther

Everybody who's making courses in today's hottest topis or those that are always highly popular, everybody who makes way more than just a solid income, everyone whose courses don't look "normal" or "basic" and have been created with top notch technology and the newest tools integrated. Maybe all three of these or something like it.

If you're not part of the elite, you already know it 😉

Esther

That's what I'm doing for my next year's income prediction for the tax office 😕