Want to learn painting from a professional artist with work in galleries around the world? How about business skills from an entrepreneur who’s helped build million-dollar companies from the ground up?
These may sound like lofty ideas, but Skillshare is making them possible.
Founded in 2010, Skillshare is a platform that lets anyone around the world learn a range of skills in art, technology, business and more, from seasoned professionals in their fields.
Classes range not only in subject, but also in length and structure: While some courses may cover a smaller area within a topic (i.e. “How to write dialogue”) others may be more comprehensive (i.e. “Fundamentals of French”).
Skillshare users are encouraged to take advantage of all of these learning opportunities, as the site operates on a $10 a month subscription model. More than 4 million students have attended one of Skillshare’s 22,000 (and counting) classes.
This latest round of financing will really enable us to keep the gas pedal down on growth and continue to improve our product.”
Speaking of millions, Skillshare has secured a total of $50 million in funding since its inception. Most recently, the company locked down a $28 million Series C round in late July.
According to CEO Matt Cooper, the funding will be used to continue the company’s upward trajectory.
“This latest round of financing will really enable us to keep the gas pedal down on growth and continue to improve our product,” Cooper told Built In NYC. “Specifically, we're going to be investing more to support our international users, which account for almost half of all new users today.”
Cooper also said Skillshare will be focusing on strengthening community aspects of the platform, as well as bringing more great teachers and content to the site.
As Skillshare grows, its base in New York City becomes increasingly important.
“NYC is a hotbed for great talent,” said Cooper. “In addition, as opposed to many other tech hubs, NYC’s talent is incredibly diverse — there isn't just an abundance of tech talent, but business and finance and creative talent as well. Given the nature of our business, that talent diversity is incredibly critical.”
