Skillshare Raises Funding From Adobe

Leading Online Learning Platform Will Continue Expanding Access to Creative Courses Globally

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Oct 05, 2020, 10:00 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Skillshare—the world's largest online learning community for creativity—today announced funding from Adobe, the global leader in creative software. This latest raise is part of Skillshare's Series D round announced this summer. To date, Skillshare has raised over $108 million in capital from Union Square Ventures, OMERS Growth Equity, Amasia, Burda Principal Investments and Spero Ventures. OMERS Growth Equity led the Series D fundraising round. Citi served as financial advisor for Skillshare.

A shared commitment to growing a global creative community and promoting digital education has made Adobe and Skillshare natural partners. With this new funding, Skillshare will continue to invest in creating more localized experiences for its international students and enabling more creative discovery for its growing community of 12 million members, while also supporting Skillshare teachers with new tools and opportunities. The funding comes during a banner year for the online learning industry, which is expected to grow into a $375 billion dollar marketplace by 2026.

"We're excited to deepen our partnership with Adobe," said CEO Matt Cooper. "We both believe in the incredible power of creativity to transform people's lives, both on a personal and professional level. 75 percent of Americans participate in a creative hobby, and we want to support creative learners around the world on their journey."

The Skillshare community has always loved to learn through Adobe's suite of tools, and more than 30 percent of Skillshare classes feature Adobe products. In 2019, Adobe partnered with Skillshare to provide exclusive tutorials with leading illustrators in connection with the launch of Fresco, Adobe's next-generation painting and drawing app.

During a time defined by the pandemic and social unrest, Skillshare has seen a surge in new members joining to cultivate creative skills as a way to process, grow, and activate. At the same time, more creative professionals are turning to Skillshare to hone their talent, including training themselves on the latest software from Adobe.

About Skillshare
Skillshare is the world's largest online learning community for creativity. With more than 12 million registered members and over 30,000 video-based classes in a wide range of creative disciplines from graphic design to photography to painting and illustration to interior design—taught by industry experts including Roxane Gay, Aaron Draplin, Emily Henderson, Thomas Frank, and Jeff Staple —Skillshare's mission is to support professional and personal growth through creativity. To learn more, go to: https://www.skillshare.com/

SOURCE Skillshare