By Dhirendra Tripathi
Investing.com – Coursera (NYSE:COUR) shares jumped 18% in their debut on the NYSE Wednesday, as investors predict the online education disruptor has a bright future in a post-pandemic world.
The initial public offering priced 15.73 million shares at $33 each. The surge gives the edtech company a market capitalization of $5.3 billion.
Coursera was launched in 2012 by Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, both Stanford computer science professors. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with 77 million registered learners. Coursera works with over 200 leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials.
While the California-based company has been a big disruptor in a space where trust and pedigree play an important role, Covid-19 accelerated the adoption of digital learning. Coursera is expected to play a big role in higher-level premium education as students turn away from expensive options and embrace more flexible and affordable learning.