Zirra Full Analysis
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Zirra Full Analysis Methodology The Zirra Analysis Report is synthesized from many inputs, most notably the wisdom of the crowd, the output of aggregation and data collection technology, and the ratings and metrics produced by our proprietary algorithms. The report is built on external and public information on a company, and provides insights and conclusions obtained from that information. None of the opinions or insights belong to any Zirra employees. All of them are grounded in the integration of a variety of sources. Some statements may sound opinionated, but these are the composite of relevant inputs and crowd opinions, vetted against similar historical situations of comparable companies. Fact We use no inside information. Information offered in the report that is usually non-public by nature, such as revenue figures, trade secrets, share structures and others, may be missing or somewhat inaccurate in the report. In some cases, such as with valuations, the numbers are generated by our algorithmic models. We do get help from industry experts. We factor their opinions into the algorithm as well as into the qualitative sections. Experts that speak on the record are usually accessible for further questions. Some experts choose to stay anonymous, and in these cases we can provide detailed logs of their contributions (that still maintain their anonymity). Mathematical figures such as ratings and valuations are based on our proprietary algorithms. The intended purpose is as a benchmark for your own process; we cannot “prove” validity of these outputs. In addition, we provide a lot of raw collected data. This is what our aggregation and collection technology has gathered and flagged as important for the company in question. We provide it as the factual basis for the synthesized statements in the report, and for you to do further analysis on if you wish. Finally, we do not recommend whether or not to invest. Our duty is to help you perform your job better. We pride ourselves on bringing transparency to our customers. Similarly, we encourage you to always be transparent, open, and candid with us. Key Benefits ● A timeline overview depicting a company’s evolution, enabling a reader to get to know the respective company in a snapshot view. ● Leading questions you should ask the company. Most of these questions are derived by us asking experts for the questions they themselves ask. ● Similarly derived, key insights into possible risks & success factors. Table of Contents Background Product Executive Summary Key Findings Insights Company Ratings Benchmarked Metrics As a Matter of Fact Data Findings Survey Findings Expert Findings Market Landscape Company Details Company Evolution Investment History Workforce Management Team DNA Analysis Expert Opinions Anonymous Expert Expert Synopsis Suggested Questions to Ask Coursera Appendix A - Founder History Appendix B - Web Traffic Web Traffic Appendix C - Comparative Survey Coursera offers learners a way to connect to the skills, for business, and knowledge, from prestigious universities, they crave in an easily digestible and navigable platform. The company currently has multiple revenue streams. For further information, please see Product Background The concept of receiving education without physically being in a classroom has been around since before the radio era, with “distance learning,” where individuals would receive courses or lessons in the mail. What follows is a brief timeline of major events and milestones for higher education outside of the physical classroom. Starting in the early 1920’s, Penn State University started offering classes through radio broadcasts. The University of Illinois created their own Intranet in 1960 where students could access course materials and listen to recorded lectures, nine years before the Internet was created by the Department of Defense. In 1965, The University of Wisconsin offered a telephone based education program. In 1968, Stanford University started their own television station called, “Stanford Instructional Education Network” for part-time engineering students to learn while not in school. In 1976, The University of Phoenix was founded to give people the option to take courses online for the first time. In 1984, the Electronic University Network (EUN) was founded, but it was not until 1992 did the EUN start collaborating with America Online to serve higher education purposes. Then in the early 1990’s, completely online curriculums and even PhD programs were being offered online. In 1994, CALCampus, formerly known as Computer Assisted Learning Center (CALC), began providing student with real-time instruction and interaction over the internet. Through the rest of the 90’s and up until 2007, technological advancements and innovation allowed for more flexibility for individuals to consume knowledge. In 2007, the first Massive Open Online Course provider, Advanced Learning Interactive System Online (ALISON), was created. In a 2010 survey, 83% of US-based CEOs and small business owners considered an online degree as credible as a traditional university degree. By 2014, 98% of public colleges and universities offer online educational programs. In the future, it is estimated that nearly all college student will be taking at least one online course. Online learning is now a viable educational choice and should continue to play a larger role for higher learning well into the future. The online learning space is relatively broad, and there are several ways to classify the space. The first is by learning group, typically broken down by Early Childhood, K-12 (elementary, middle, and high school), Higher Education, Executive Education, Corporate Training, and Adult/Continuing Learning. The next way to classify is by who is buying or paying for the product. For example, student/learner/participant, teacher/instructor/facilitator, parents/guardians, team managers, or enterprise customers (HR teams, IT teams). Yet another way to classify is by use cases or product categories. These include Learning Management Systems (LMS), Online Learning Platforms, Microlearning and Mobile Learning Tools, Classroom Tools, Curriculum Tools, Assessment Engines, Portals and Aggregators, Online Program Management (OPM), Degree Programs, Content/Course Marketplaces, and Content Providers with platforms. Founded in 2012 by computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller from Stanford University, Coursera is an educational technology company offering massive open online courses (MOOC) in a wide range of subjects such as Physics, Engineering, Humanities, Biology, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Business, Computer Science, and Digital Marketing. Coursera partners with businesses and educational institutions to serve anybody who wishes to partake in additional learning. The platform is offered in a dozen languages and has a reported user base between 20-24 million students. Coursera is currently focused on user acquisition and expanding their paying user base. While the platform was initially offered for free, Coursera now has multiple revenue sources including verified certification, specialization in areas of expertise, recruitment features, tutoring, licensing, sponsorships, and tuition fees. Coursera now offers nearly 2,100 courses and has 150 partners in higher learning across 29 countries including very notable learning institutions in the U.S., such as Stanford University, Duke University, The University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, The University of Pennsylvania, Rice University, Brown University, and Yale University. Some notable international partners include Technion Israel Institute of Technology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Technische Universitat Munchen, among many other fine institutions. Product Coursera provides a platform where users can select and enroll in self-paced and timed classes from leading Universities around the world. Once the classes are completed, learners will receive verified certificates of completion, for a fee. Learners can also sign up for and earn specializations, or sequences of courses plus a capstone project, in a certain area of focus. Recently, Coursera has decided to offer online, admission required, university recognized degrees. Learners can access the platform on desktop/laptop and mobile though iOS and Android. In February 2017, Coursera launched a new search tool where learners can search directly for skills specific to what they want to achieve, and receive recommended content. Coursera has also recently partners with Google to offer courses in Data Engineering in the Google Cloud. Additional courses for Google Cloud will be focused on Machine Learning, App Development, and Analytics. ● There are 2,000 courses offered by Coursera. Most courses have the ability to be audited and taken for free. Learners who want certifications of completion pay fees ranging from between $29 - $99 per course. Learners can complete the courses in 4-6 weeks. ● There are over 160 specializations offered by Coursera ranging from between $39 - $79 per month. Learners can specialize in a new skill in 4-6 months. ● Coursera offers two different online degree programs. The degrees are priced between $15,000 - $25,000. The degrees require 1-3 years of study, and are fully recognized and accredited. ● Coursera has a community of over 25,000 people who translate courses and subtitles in online videos into over 65 different languages to allow access to higher education to more people, no matter what language