Coursehorse

Founded in 2011 by New York University alumni Katie Kapler and Nihal Parthasarathi, Coursehorse originated as a marketplace for in-person local classes. The concept was born when Parthasarathi identified a gap in the market for an organized way to find and enroll in local courses. The venture was initially funded with $75,000 from an NYU business school competition, followed by angel investments. Kapler, with a background in economics and journalism, previously worked on the founding team of Biz2Credit, an online marketplace for small-business funding. Parthasarathi's experience includes serving as an education technology consultant at Capgemini. Together, they built a platform that allows users to find, compare, and enroll in a wide range of subjects, from cooking and art to professional development courses like finance and programming.

The company's primary business model operates on a commission basis, earning a fee for each student enrollment facilitated through its platform. Initially focused on major U.S. cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, Coursehorse partnered with over 1,500 education providers, including institutions like Columbia University and General Assembly, to offer a catalog of more than 70,000 classes. The platform was recognized by Forbes as one of America's Most Promising Companies in 2014. By early 2016, Coursehorse had raised a total of $7.51 million in funding over several rounds, with a significant $4 million Series B round led by Red Ventures aimed at market and team expansion.

In response to the market shifts in the summer of 2020, Coursehorse strategically expanded its offerings to include virtual team-building events. This pivot targeted corporate clients seeking to maintain employee engagement in a remote work environment. The corporate services portfolio now features a wide array of activities, from virtual escape rooms and trivia nights to professional skill development workshops in areas like financial modeling and public speaking. This division serves prominent companies, including many from the Fortune 500, by providing both pre-packaged and customizable virtual events designed to enhance skills like communication, problem-solving, and collaboration. This diversification allows the company to serve both individual lifelong learners and a growing corporate clientele seeking to invest in their workforce.

Keywords: online course marketplace, corporate team building, virtual events, professional development courses, local classes, lifelong learning, employee engagement, remote team activities, skill development, cooking classes, art classes, coding bootcamps, corporate training, team building games, financial modeling training, online learning platform, New York startup, EdTech, commission business model, virtual workshops, creative classes