From a press release announcing a $650 investment by Accel and Softbank in Indian higher-ed company Emeritus:
In the last 12 months, Emeritus has grown rapidly around the globe with more than 100% year-on-year growth. The company is on track to realize more than $500 million in bookings this year, making it the fastest growing ed-tech skilling platform. Nearly two-thirds of its paid learner base is located outside the United States, with the company growing more than three times annually in emerging markets.
Based on the funding round, Emeritus is now valued at $3.2 billion—which bests 2U’s $2.6 and more than half of Coursera’s $5.1, two higher-ed for-profits with far more media coverage.
When it’s not announcing huge VC deals, the company is bathed in mission rhetoric, even more than its U.S.-based competitors—complete with a .org domain name and a previous “investment” from Mark Zuckerberg’s quasi-charity. Like Coursera and 2U, Emeritus touts its partnerships with prestigious universities, including MIT, Columbia, Dartmouth, Penn, and Northwestern.
Emeritus and its Eruditus Group parent deserve much more scrutiny from those of us committed to a nonprofit higher-ed future.