What 2U’s $800 Million Deal To Acquire EdX Means For Higher Ed

While mergers and acquisitions in the education-tech space have been red hot, last week’s announcement that 2U is acquiring edX for an eye-popping $800 million still caught everyone by surprise. The OPM (online program management) company that helps universities bring their programs into the online market will now own the pioneering MOOC (massive, open, online courses) provider created by Harvard and MIT in 2012.

What does 2U get from the deal? Access to edX’s 50 million users (the majority are outside the U.S.), 1,200 enterprise clients, a very good brand, more than 500 university partners, and 200 additional corporate-university partners. 2U’s current catalog of programs are too expensive for growth markets abroad, such as India and Southeast Asia, so the acquisition provides not only leads in those markets, but also viable product offerings.