Udemy snags $65M in push for more international users

Online courses marketplace Udemy announced today it raised $65 million in a round led by Stripes Group and welcomed Ken Fox, the round leader’s founder, to its Board of Directors.

Udemy’s platform offers a variety of online courses including photography, design, pet care and training, and languages, among others. The company gets over 50 percent of its users from South Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe, and plans to use the new funds to enhance its services in those regions.

“By bringing a true marketplace model to education, we’re giving people unparalleled access to sought-after skills for their careers and lives so they can continue growing and reaching their goals,” said Udemy’s CEO Dennis Yang.

Udemy offers some free classes on its website, but most of its courses are fee-based. Similar learn-at-the-student’s-pace models are offered for free by other educational platforms like Coursera, and the Bill Gates-backed nonprofit Khan Academy.

Norwest Venture Partners and Insight Venture Partners also participated in the round.