US-based e-learing platform Udacity secured $35m in a series C round on Wednesday featuring media company Bertelsmann, human resources provider Recruit and media company Cox Enterprises.
The round was led by venture capital firm Drive Capital and also included venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz and Charles River Ventures, investment firm Valor Capital and additional private investors.
Udacity runs online courses for computer programmers, and will shortly launch ‘nanodegrees’, which would provide more concentrated skills for use in the industry. An initial $3m deal with telecommunications company AT&T will see them jointly roll out a masters degree in computer science.
The company, which states it has close to 3 million users enrolled in its programme, will use the funding to expand its courses worldwide.
Udacity raised $15m in series B funding in 2012 from Andreessen Horowitz, Charles River Ventures and Steve Blank.