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40-579: On February 2, 2021, Coursera announced its B Corporation certification from B Lab and its transformation into a Public Benefit Corporation. As of 2023, more than 300 universities and companies were offering courses through Coursera, and by 2024, the number of courses available had risen to approximately 7,000. Coursera was founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. Ng and Koller started offering their Stanford courses online in fall 2011, and soon after left Stanford to launch Coursera. Princeton , Stanford,

80-636: A B Corporation (also B Corp ) is a for-profit corporation certified for its social impact by B Lab , a global non-profit organization. To be granted and to maintain certification, companies must receive a minimum score of 80 from an assessment of its social and environmental performance, integrate B Corp commitments to stakeholders into company governing documents , and pay an annual fee based on annual sales. Companies must re-certify every three years to retain B Corporation status. As of February 2024 , there are 8,254 certified B Corporations across 162 industries in 96 countries. B Lab certification

120-443: A C Corporation or any for-profit business structures apart from its business model structure which should adhere to the B Labs. To add on, many C corporations usually adapt the B Corporation certificate to gain goodwill. Similar to other business associations , certified B Corporations and their employees have access to a number of discounts from outside entities and fellow members. B Lab certification has no legal status and

160-597: A 1-week free trial. The company has said subscription costs will vary "depending on the topic area". In January 2017, the company launched Coursera for Governments & Nonprofits. Coursera has announced partnerships with the Institute for Veterans & Military Families (IVMF) in the United States and entities in Egypt, Mongolia, Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. In June 2017, Jeff Maggioncalda became

200-576: A Fully Certified B Corp, was accused by former staff as having a "rotten culture". BrewDog's B Corp status was subsequently rescinded. In 2024, B Corp-certified bottled water brand Aqua topped the audit of Indonesia’s biggest plastic polluters. In 2022, 30 Certified B Corps joined together with certification watchdog Fair World Project to petition against Nespresso 's Certification as a B Corp, considering only 28% of their aluminum capsules are recycled. B Lab’s decision to certify corporations with single use products, effectively putting these companies into

240-579: A Master's in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MSIE) from HEC Paris and a Master's of Accounting (iMSA) from the University of Illinois but have moved on to offer a Master of Computer Science in Data Science and Master of Business Administration (iMBA), both from University of Illinois. Also as part of their MBA programs, there are some courses which are offered separately, which are included in

280-489: A corporation will face in changing their business model in accordance to B Lab's regulations. As a matter of law, in Massachusetts or states that recognize B Corporation certification, it doesn't bring any legal significance to its shareholders, stakeholders or to its employees. However, the certification brings a multitude of branding tools to the corporation. B Corp certification will bring no legal liabilities to

320-532: A course by the Jameel Institute at Imperial College London . Called "Science Matters: Let's Talk About COVID-19", the course was the most popular launched on Coursera in 2020, with over 130,000 enrolled learners that year. The course was presented by Jameel Institute research lead Professor Helen Ward and deputy director Dr Katharina Hauck , with specific modules in collaboration with other researchers from across Imperial. In March 2020, in response to

360-420: A problem. On completing the assessment, a company is required to meet certain transparency requirements and background checks to become a certified B Corp. These requirements are: an in-depth review of public record of the companies, employees, products and other relative topics and randomised site visits. Companies are required to re-certify every 3 years. Notable B Corporations include: In 2021, BrewDog ,

400-412: A series of fee-based course options, which included verified credentials for completion, in 2013. As of October 2015, the company had raised a total of $ 146.1 million in venture capital. In January 2016, Coursera rolled out fees to earn grades and assessments for "the vast majority of courses that are part of Specializations". The company offers financial aid to people who demonstrate a need. In July 2016,

440-475: A total of 1,172 courses on Coursera. They also offered 100,000 scholarships. Google and its 20+ partners will accept those certificates as 4-year degree equivalent. Some people find Coursera's pricing and fees confusing. Many of its courses are free to students—over 2,900 free courses as of 2023. The free courses (also called "auditing a course") do not include a certificate of completion or grades or any other instructor feedback. A free course can be "upgraded" to

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480-535: A week. These courses provide quizzes, weekly exercises, peer-graded and reviewed assignments, an optional Honors assignment, and sometimes a final project or exam to complete the course. Courses are also provided on-demand, in which case users can take their time in completing the course with all of the material available at once. As of May 2015, Coursera offered 104 on-demand courses. They also provide guided projects which are short 2–3 hour projects that can be done at home. According to 'Coursera Impact Report 2020',

520-432: A year earlier, with a net loss of $ 18.7 million, or $ 13.4 million on a non-GAAP basis. Coursera said consumer revenue was $ 51.9 million, up 61%, while enterprise revenue was $ 24.5 million, up 63%, and degree programs had revenue of $ 12 million, up 81%. For the third quarter of 2021, Coursera reported revenue of $ 109.9 million, up 33% from $ 82.7 million a year ago. Gross profit was $ 67.7 million or 61.6% of revenue. Net loss

560-429: Is a third-party standard requiring companies to meet social sustainability and environmental performance standards, meet accountability standards, and be transparent to the public according to the score they receive on the assessment. B Lab certification applies to the whole company across all product lines and issue areas. An issue in deciding to be a certified B Corporation would be the administrative and legal costs

600-754: Is an American business executive and the chief executive officer of Coursera . Born in 1968, Maggioncalda grew up in Pacifica , California and went to St Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco and graduated from Stanford University in 1991 with a BA degree in English and Economics. Maggioncalda begun his career with Cornerstone Research before heading to Stanford for his Masters in Business Administration in 1996. He then worked at Financial Engines as founding CEO for 18 years, and

640-625: Is lacking in mandatory due diligence mechanisms. B Lab has been criticized for framing private sector led multi-stakeholder governance as a substitute for public sector regulation. In order to obtain and maintain a B Corporation certification, B Lab charges annual administrative and legal fees depending on the revenue generated by the respective companies which could result in a perverse incentive . B Lab develops private standards which are non-consensus, and does not reference or adhere to international standards which are voluntary consensus-based. With potential for confusion and fragmentation in

680-530: The UK , Indian School of Business of India, Yonsei University in South Korea , and institutions like Yale , University of Illinois and University of Pennsylvania . Google launched Professional certification program. Google will consider all of its certificates as the equivalent of a four-year college degree. Coursera courses last approximately four to twelve weeks, with one to two hours of video lectures

720-591: The University of Michigan , and the University of Pennsylvania were the first universities to offer content on the platform. In 2010 Coursera received both the Webby Winner (Websites and Mobile Sites Education 2014) and the People's Voice Winner (Websites and Mobile Sites Education) awards. In March 2021, Coursera filed for an IPO . The nine-year-old company brought in roughly $ 293 million in revenue for

760-500: The CEO of Coursera. In March 2018, Coursera launched six fully online degree courses, including bachelor's and master's qualifications in various domains. In 2020, reports indicated that Coursera operates on a mixed model, with fewer than 10% of students choosing to pay for courses, whereas the vast majority preferred the free options available. Around 60% of students in degree programs initially explore free courses. Coursera's CEO describes

800-592: The United States is Sistema B. Since 2012, Sistema B has been the adaptation of the B Corps movement in Latin America , including in Argentina , Brazil , Chile , Uruguay and Colombia . This non-profit adapts proprietary certifications and evaluation metrics and modifies both to the context of each country. B Lab also assists Sistema B in incorporating a benefit corporation distinction into local legal systems. Jeff Maggioncalda Jeff Maggioncalda

840-581: The United States, a benefit corporation is a legal status conferred by state law in the US. Legislation for the passage of benefit corporation legal status has been passed in 35 states, including Delaware . B Lab certification is privately issued by a non-profit organization run by people principally from the business community. It has no legislative framework, and is not needed to obtain benefit corporation status. The company needs to adhere their corporate legal structure to B-Lab regulation in order to qualify for

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880-591: The category of good corporate citizens, has resulted in accusations of greenwashing . B-Corp is described as “capitalism through certification," with calls for more fundamental reforms that prioritize shared prosperity, democracy in the workplace, and sustainability. In July 2024, four Havas agencies lost their B Corp status over work for Shell plc . In February 2022, there were over 4,673 certified B Corporations across 155 industries in 78 countries, including Canada (78 companies), Australia , South Africa , and Afghanistan . The most active community outside of

920-402: The certification process. To obtain a B Corporation certification, a company first completes an online assessment. Companies that earn a minimum score of 80 out of 200 points undergo an assessment review process, essentially a conference call verifying the claims made in their assessment. Companies are required to provide supporting documentation before they are certified. The assessment covers

960-464: The company at approximately $ 4.30 billion. The IPO aimed to raise about $ 519 million. Coursera's revenue rose by 59% to $ 293.5 million in 2020. The IPO included around 14.7 million shares of common stock , with approximately 1.1 million shares offered by selling shareholders. In September 2013, it announced it had earned $ 1 million in revenue through the sale of verified certificates that authenticate successful course completion. Coursera first rolled out

1000-510: The company governing documents. In the United States, the avenue for corporations making the legal amendment to certify will depend on the state in which they are incorporated . Some states, known as "constituency" states, will allow for this change in the articles of incorporation, but other states, known as "non-constituency states", will not; and many states now have the option of adopting the benefit corporation legal structure, which also meets B Lab's requirements for B Corp certification. Beyond

1040-444: The company launched an enterprise product called Coursera for Business. TechCrunch notes that the company "opened itself to additional revenues from the lucrative corporate e-learning market, which some reports suggest was worth $ 12 billion in the US alone". Coursera for Business customers include L'Oréal , Boston Consulting Group , and Axis Bank . In October 2016, Coursera launched a monthly subscription model for Specializations and

1080-660: The company raised $ 64 million from its existing investors in a Series D round of funding. In 2019, the company raised $ 103 million in Series E round of funding from the SEEK Group, Future Fund and NEA. The company reached valuation of $ 1 billion+ in 2019. In July 2020, the company announced it had raised $ 130 million in Series F funding and updated its valuation to $ 2.5 billion. Coursera priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $ 33 per share in New York on March 31, 2021, valuing

1120-449: The company's entire operation and measures the positive impact of the company in areas of governance , workers , community , the environment , as well as the product or service the company provides. Socially and environmentally-focused business model points ultimately are accrued in their relevant impact area (governance, workers, community or environment). Depending on a company's industry, geographic location, and number of employees,

1160-414: The corporate model, other for-profit business entities make an amendment of the company by-laws or governing documents. These include: However, B Lab certification allows the company bylaws to remain secret. The fact that B Corp standards are not legally enforceable, and that none of a companies' governing bodies and leadership are liable for damages if a company fails to meet them has also been flagged as

1200-860: The curriculum of specific MBAs when enrolling in classes such as their digital marketing courses, and now days they also offer Master of Science in Cyber Security from University of London besides Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Google , IBM , Meta and other well-known companies, launched various courses for professional certificates , allowing students to fill the workforce in various sectors, such as data analytics , IT support , digital marketing , UX design , project management , and data science . According to Google, their courses are equivalent to 4 year degrees. Such courses include courses on Generative AI, Data analytics, IT Support, Digital Marketing & E-commerce, Cybersecurity, and more. Google has

1240-468: The fiscal year ended December 31 — a 59% growth rate from 2019, according to the filing. Net losses widened by roughly $ 20 million yearly, reaching $ 66.8 million in 2020. Coursera spent $ 107 million on marketing in 2020. Coursera's revenues rose from $ 184 million in 2019 to $ 294 million in 2020. The company lost $ 66 million in 2020 as it ramped up marketing and advertising. For the first quarter of 2021, Coursera reported revenue of $ 88.4 million, up 64% from

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1280-577: The global COVID-19 pandemic, Coursera, alongside its partners, sponsored over 115 certification courses for people who may have been affected by the global pandemic. This is part of an outreach initiative for people who may have lost their jobs, been retrenched, had their salaries reduced, or merely want to improve and grow by learning and developing their technical skills through recognized certifications. The program ended on December 31, 2020, but many free courses on Coursera remain available through auditing. B Corporation (certification) In business ,

1320-484: The marketplace for social responsibility. B Corporation has also been criticized for not being the "force for radical change" required to tackle the world's pressing problems. B Lab certification is not accredited. The European Commission proposed directive will require mandatory accreditation of verifiers. Private sector Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives (MSIs) may adopt weak or narrow standards that better serve corporate interests than rights holder interests. In

1360-565: The online assessment adjusts the weightings of the question categories to increase its relevancy. For instance, companies with more employees will have a heavier weighting in the workers category, and companies in manufacturing will have a heavier weighting in the environment category. To maintain credibility, the B Corporation certification standard operates under principles that are independent, comprehensive, comparable, dynamic, and transparent. B Lab has an established standards advisory council that can independently make decisions with or without

1400-466: The paid version of a course, which includes instructor's feedback and grades for the submitted assignments, and (if the student gets a passing grade) a certificate of completion. Other Coursera courses, projects, specializations, etc. cannot be audited—they are only available in paid versions. Many of them begin with a 7-day free trial. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , Coursera launched

1440-658: The platform as a "managed marketplace," akin to Apple's app store , where the company curates courses, sets format standards, and establishes pricing guidelines. Revenue sharing varies, with universities receiving 60% of revenue from degree courses, and an even split for certificate courses in technology and business. As of December 2019, the total number of partners is more than 200 across 29 countries. Coursera mainly works with universities and colleges, but also with corporations and governments. University partners include University of São Paulo in Brazil, University of London in

1480-529: The support of B Lab. As of May 2014, 28 of 30 members were listed by their business affiliation. The council recommends improvements to the B Corp assessment on a biennial basis. There is a 30-day public consultation period before releasing a new version of the B Corporation assessment. Currently the B Corp Impact Assessment is its sixth version which released in January 2019. Certification also requires companies to integrate their stakeholder commitments into

1520-479: The top five most popular courses that people learn from Coursera were contact tracing , digital marketing , project management , Python programming, and social psychology . In addition to this, the DeepLearning.AI specializations by Coursera founder Andrew Ng, including AI for Good Specialization are widely reported on in media. As of 2017, Coursera offers complete master's degrees. They first started with

1560-458: Was $ (32.5) million or (29.5)% of revenue. To date, Coursera has never made a profit . The startup raised an initial $ 16 million funding round backed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and New Enterprise Associates . In 2013, GSV led the Series B investment, which totaled $ 63 million. In 2015, NEA led the Series C round of venture funding , which totaled more than $ 60 million. In 2017,

1600-523: Was instrumental in the company going public in 2010 as the largest independent investment advisor in America. He was then recruited in 2017 to replace Rick Levin as CEO of Coursera. He is widely known to be an influential individual in the Ed-tech sector. Maggioncalda took time off after 18 years as CEO of Financial Engines to travel, learn, and spend time with his family. He studied music theory and

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