OpenClassrooms Funding, Investors & Competitors

OpenClassrooms has raised $148M across 4 funding rounds, most recently a $80M Series C in April 2021.

Last OpenClassrooms funding round

$80M

Series C · Apr 2021

Cumulative funding OpenClassrooms raised

$148M

across 4 funding rounds

Key investors in OpenClassrooms

  • Bpifrance
  • Alven
  • General Atlantic
  • Citizen Capital
  • Salesforce Ventures
  • GSV Ventures
  • Xavier Niel
  • Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

OpenClassrooms Overview

About OpenClassrooms

OpenClassrooms is a Paris-headquartered online education provider founded in 2013, accredited by the French state for Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s diplomas. It serves 355,000 students in 140 countries with 600+ courses in coding, data, product management, marketing, and UX design. Corporate clients include Capgemini, PwC, AXA, Amazon Career Choice, and BNP Paribas. The competency-based model features mentorship, projects, career coaching, and job guarantees.


Founded

2013

HQ

FranceParis

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2B & B2C

Revenue model

Subscription

OpenClassrooms Funding History

OpenClassrooms has raised a total of $148M across 4 funding rounds.

OpenClassrooms' first fundraising round was a $1M seed round in January 2014. The most recent completed round was a $80M Series C in April 2021.

OpenClassrooms funding rounds

OpenClassrooms funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Apr 2021Series CLumos Capital Group (lead); Salesforce Ventures; Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; General Atlantic; Bpifrance; GSV Ventures$80MOpenClassrooms is a Paris-based online education platform founded in 2012 by Mathieu Nebra and Pierre Dubuc that provides training programs for future UX designers, data scientists, web developers, and professionals in fields including digital marketing, product management, HR, and sales. The company operates programs in French and English, with training courses typically requiring 6 to 12 months of full-time work to complete, culminating in diplomas including French-state-recognized bachelor and master degrees. In April 2021, OpenClassrooms raised $80 million in Series C funding led by Lumos Capital Group, with participation from new investors GSV, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Salesforce Ventures, alongside existing investors General Atlantic and Bpifrance. By Q1 2021, the company demonstrated strong growth with revenue 140% higher than the prior year quarter, though the specific revenue amount was not disclosed. As of late 2025, OpenClassrooms had trained 43,000 learners in the preceding year and achieved accreditation from the WASC Senior College and University Commission, operating five U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Programs and demonstrating its commitment to workforce-aligned higher education with a model combining paid work-based learning with academic credentials.
May 2018Series BGeneral Atlantic (lead); Alven; Citizen Capital; Bpifrance$60MOpenClassrooms, a French online learning platform founded in 2013, raised $60 million in a Series B funding round on May 16, 2018, led by General Atlantic with participation from existing investors Alven, Bpifrance, and Citizen Capital. The company operates as a MOOC provider offering degree-level qualifications, skills-based diplomas, and full-fledged degrees certified by the French state, targeting job-specific skills in areas like data science, cybersecurity, web development, HR, management, and marketing. It claimed around three million students worldwide and three million unique monthly visitors at the time, with partnerships including Google.org for gig economy programs and Orange for digital training in Africa. The funding was intended to accelerate expansion of program offerings to 100 digital degrees within a year (a third in English), double the team size, grow corporate and government partnerships, and enhance international presence beyond France. OpenClassrooms positioned itself as a pioneer in vocational, skills-based education to address the global skills gap driven by technological advances, evolving from on-demand courses to comprehensive online higher education. The company had previously raised funding, bringing total capital to nearly $70 million by mid-2018, and continued growth with a later Series C of $80 million in April 2021 from investors including General Atlantic, Bpifrance, and others.
Sep 2016Series AAlven; Xavier Niel; Citizen Capital; Bpifrance$7MOpenClassrooms raised €6 million (approximately $6.7 million) in September 2016 from investors Citizen Capital, Bpifrance, Xavier Niel, and Alven Capital. The French edtech startup operates an online platform offering courses and certifications in business and programming, with a focus on digital skills for technology jobs. It provides free limited access and paid subscriptions from €20 to €300 per month, including live mentoring and state-recognized degrees. At the time, OpenClassrooms had two million monthly users and partnered with Pôle Emploi for free access to jobseekers. The funding aimed to expand diplomas, grow internationally including to the UK, and train 20 million people by 2020. The platform emphasizes peer-to-peer learning and personalized mentoring.
Jan 2014SeedAlven$1M-

Who has invested in OpenClassrooms?

9 investors have backed OpenClassrooms across its funding rounds, including Bpifrance, Alven, General Atlantic, Citizen Capital, Salesforce Ventures and GSV Ventures.

Lead investors include Lumos Capital Group and General Atlantic.


OpenClassrooms Investors

Investors in OpenClassrooms by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
AlvenFranceParis3ParticipantJan 2014
BpifranceFranceParis3ParticipantSep 2016
General AtlanticUnited StatesNew York City, NY2LeadMay 2018
Citizen CapitalFranceParis2ParticipantSep 2016
Salesforce VenturesUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantApr 2021
Chan Zuckerberg InitiativeUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantApr 2021
Xavier NielFranceParis1ParticipantSep 2016

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OpenClassrooms Competitors

OpenClassrooms competitors include listed companies like Pearson, New Oriental Education, Duolingo and TAL Education, and private ones like Yuanfudao and Guild.

Public and private companies comparable to OpenClassrooms
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
YuanfudaoChinaBeijingPrivate$1.4B-$17B11.7x
PearsonUnited KingdomUnited KingdomPublicly listed$4.8B$1.4B$9.6B2.3x
New Oriental EducationChinaChinaPublicly listed$4.9B$563M$8.9B0.8x
DuolingoUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$1B$152M$6.9B4.9x
TAL EducationChinaChinaPublicly listed$3B$700M$6.5B1.2x
GuildUnited StatesDenver, COPrivate--$4.4B-

OpenClassrooms Public Comps

OpenClassrooms is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Pearson, New Oriental Education, Duolingo, TAL Education, Laureate Education, Graham Holdings, Covista, Grand Canyon Education, Fibra Educa and Stride.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Pearson$4.8B$1.4B2.4x2.3x8.1x10.4x
New Oriental Education$4.9B$563M1.0x0.8x8.8x5.6x
Duolingo$1B$152M5.4x4.9x37.3x17.9x
TAL Education$3B$700M1.3x1.2x5.7x6.9x
Laureate Education$1.7B$515M3.2x3.0x10.7x9.6x
Graham Holdings$4.9B$682M1.0x1.0x7.3x-
Covista$2B$462M2.5x2.4x10.4x9.1x
Grand Canyon Education$1.1B$306M3.4x3.3x12.4x10.0x

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Common questions about OpenClassrooms

When was OpenClassrooms founded?OpenClassrooms was founded in 2013.
Where is OpenClassrooms headquartered?OpenClassrooms is headquartered in Paris, France.
Is OpenClassrooms publicly listed?No, OpenClassrooms is a private, VC-backed company.
How much funding has OpenClassrooms raised?OpenClassrooms has raised $148M across 4 funding rounds.
What was OpenClassrooms' last funding round?OpenClassrooms' last funding round was a $80M Series C in April 2021, led by Lumos Capital Group.
Who are OpenClassrooms' investors?OpenClassrooms' investors include Alven, Bpifrance, General Atlantic, Citizen Capital, Salesforce Ventures, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Xavier Niel, GSV Ventures and Lumos Capital Group.
Which companies are comparable to OpenClassrooms?Companies comparable to OpenClassrooms include Yuanfudao, Pearson, New Oriental Education, Duolingo, TAL Education and Guild.

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