Udemy continues international expansion with Benesse partnership

SAN FRANCISCO, March 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Udemy, the leading global marketplace for learning and teaching online, today announced a new partnership with Japanese education and publishing powerhouse Benesse to expand content offerings in a move that is anticipated to bring millions of new Japanese-speaking students and instructors to the Udemy marketplace. This partnership is the latest instance of Udemy's expansion into the global market, which the company plans to continue with new partnerships over the coming year.

The partnership with Benesse will give students access to a wide range of the company's Japanese-language educational content via the Udemy online platform. At least one hundred Japanese-language courses produced by Benesse will be available via Udemy by the end of April 2015. The courses, taught by professional educators, range in topic from technical skills and business training to language, general lifestyle and hobby courses.

Additionally, Benesse will encourage everyday experts in Japan to create their own courses on Udemy to share their skills and earn income.

"Thanks to globalization, we are seeing an increasingly rapid pace of change and more competition, and these factors are driving many Japanese to improve their skills," said Eikoh Harada, chairman and president of Benesse Holdings. "The Udemy model, which embraces the idea that anyone with expertise can be a teacher, is completely new to the Japanese market. This partnership will enable us to better serve our customers as they seek new ways to develop skills and we are excited about the growth opportunities afforded by this partnership."

Over the last year, Udemy has continued to expand its international presence and course offerings to support growing demand around the world. These expansion efforts include opening its first European office in Dublin, Ireland, in the fall of 2014 and a rollout of international currency localization. As of January 31 of this year, the iOS and Android Udemy apps display courses priced according to local currencies, making it easier for students in those countries to purchase courses. Udemy has also already localized transactions for the Japanese Yen, British Pound and Euro. The company plans to launch additional currencies in the coming months

"More than 60 percent of Udemy students are located outside of the United States and we anticipate that percentage to increase as our student base continues to grow," said Dennis Yang, CEO of Udemy. "We want to make it as easy as possible for students, regardless of location, to access the right courses in order to develop the skills they need. The Japanese market is a major priority for Udemy. We believe that Benesse's deep expertise in Japanese education combined with Udemy's education marketplace will make knowledge more accessible for the people of Japan. We're tremendously excited by this partnership and look forward to collaborating with additional strategic partners to quench the growing demand for skills around the world."

Learn more about Udemy's partnership with Benesse: https://blog.udemy.com/udemy-partners-with-benesse/

ABOUT UDEMY
Udemy is the leading marketplace for online learning, offering people everywhere the opportunity to advance their careers, change professions, develop their personal passions, or simply learn something new. With an ever-growing offering of 25,000+ courses taught by 14,000+ instructors , students can transform their lives by learning any subject they choose—at their own pace, on their own time, on any device. For companies, Udemy offers a comprehensive course content subscription and easy-to-use course-creation platform. Founded in 2010, privately-owned Udemy is funded by Norwest Venture Partners, Insight Venture Partners, Lightbank, MHS Capital, Learn Capital, and 500 Startups, among others. Udemy is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Dublin, Ireland and Ankara, Turkey.

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