Coursera Announces Layoffs After Udemy Merger
Synopsis
The online education platform expects to incur up to $11 million in restructuring charges as it integrates Udemy and optimises its cost base.
Coursera has started efforts to merge the two education platforms as the company announced it will lay off staff as part of its efforts to acquire Udemy. The company stated it’s streamlining operations and the workforce as part of a business restructuring and consolidation initiative.
According to a regulatory filing, Coursera expects to incur between $8 million to $11 million in restructuring charges as part of the initiative, mostly relating to severance expenses and healthcare benefits for employees. Most of these charges should occur in the third and fourth quarters of 2026, the filing noted.
The filing also specified there are employment laws and consultation obligations in several international locations that could affect personnel reductions.
Combined Business Targets Higher Revenue and Lower Costs
The transaction was all-stock and was completed in May 2026 and created one of the largest public online education businesses in the world.
Following the completion of the deal, Coursera now expects its 2026 revenues to be between $1.21 billion and $1.24 billion and a combined normalisation range of between $1.49 billion to $1.52 billion.
Udemy’s financial results are provided prior to Coursera’s first-quarter 2026 net loss of $20.5 million (versus $7.2 million in Q1 2025), while revenue increased to $195.7 million (versus $179.3 million in Q1 2025).
The company is still targeting total annual run-rate cost synergies of $80 million by the end of 2026, expanding to $115 million by the end of 2027 by combining technology infrastructure, streamlining processes and eliminating duplicated expenses.
Coursera also announced a $100 million share repurchase programme to reflect its ongoing confidence in its long-term capital structure post-acquisition.
Online Learning Sector Continues to Expand
The restructuring reflects an overall trend in companies worldwide to invest in workforce training and digital upskilling. This global e-learning market is anticipated to be valued at around $399 billion in 2024, and a strong year-over-year growth is expected in the coming years with enterprises seeking to enhance worker training, as well as consumers looking to access higher education and professional certification programs.
The merged business of Coursera and Udemy provides educational resources to about 290 million registered users globally, consisting of individual learners, enterprises, institutions, and government clients in regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
In addition, the integrated platform boasts a broad network of hundreds of partners from universities, trainers, and various enterprises to support both the consumer and corporate learning spaces.
Source: Reuters
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Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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