About Online Courses sector in China
The Online Courses sector in China comprises 834 companies, including 295 funded companies having collectively raised $3.32B in venture capital money and private equity. Out of these, 85 are Series A+ funded, and 1 has achieved unicorn status.
Online Courses sector in China has seen 2 acquisitions and 13 IPOs.
This sector includes online platforms that provide pre-recorded or self-paced courses for Pre-K students, K-12 students, Higher Education students and adults to learn respective topics.
Online Courses sector is also known as Online Courses Solutions, Advanced Online Courses or Digital Online Courses.
Companies that are online first platforms and provide self-paced or pre-recorded videos for Pre-K students, K-12 students, Higher Education students and adults to learn respective topics are included in this sector. Companies that provide offline training centers, online live sessions, activity-based learning for Pre-K students, K-12 students, Higher Education students and adults to learn. Corporate learning solutions are also excluded.
Top Online Courses Companies in China
There are 834 Online Courses startups in China which include Sunlands, New Oriental, StartSe, Gaodun Online School, Shenzhen Dianmao Technology. Out of these, 295 startups are funded, with 85 having secured Series A+ funding, and 1 achieving unicorn status.
2026 has seen the creation of 1 Online Courses startup in China. Over the past 10 years, an average of 23 new companies have been launched annually. Notably, several of these startups have been founded by alumni of University of California (Berkeley), Harvard University and Tsinghua University.
Here is the list of top Online Courses startups in China
1. Sunlands
Instructor-led live classroom training platform. It provides users with an option to choose suitable courses and subjects to learn from different instructors. It also enables users to attempt different exams.
Key facts about Sunlands
- Founded Year: 2008
- Location: Beijing (China)
- Stage: Public
- Total Funding till date: $90M
- Investors: Primavera, Overture Wealth and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Aug 2017, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 61/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 11 of 8,489 Competitors
2. New Oriental
New oriental provides educational services to students. The company operates through seven segments, which include language training & test preparation, primary & secondary school education, online education, content development & distribution, pre-school education, overseas study consulting services, and study tours. It offers educational programs, services, and products, consisting of English & other foreign language training, test preparation courses for admissions and assessment tests. It also provides solutions for the development and distribution of educational content, software and other technology.
Key facts about New Oriental
- Founded Year: 1993
- Location: Beijing (China)
- Stage: Public
- Tracxn Score: 58/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 14 of 4,823 Competitors
3. StartSe
App-based platform offering multi-disciplinary online courses. It conducts face-to-face virtual courses and events. Provides entrepreneurs with information and a news portal. Offers digital systems for connecting startups with large enterprises. Its app is available for Android and iOS devices.
Key facts about StartSe
- Founded Year: 2014
- Location: Sao Paulo (Brazil)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $13.5M
- Investors: Patria Investments and Kamaroopin
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Nov 08, 2021, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 57/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 18 of 8,489 Competitors
Online certification courses on accounting and finance. Assists the learners to prepare for different exams like ACCA, CPA, CMA, AICPA, CFA, and more. Provides mock exam questions, HD videos, and other tutoring materials for the learners.
Key facts about Gaodun Online School
- Founded Year: 2007
- Location: Shanghai (China)
- Stage: Series D
- Total Funding till date: $150M
- Investors: Hillhouse, Morgan Stanley and 9 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series D, Sep 24, 2020, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 53/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 7 of 2,165 Competitors
Online programming learning tool for K-12 students. The platform aims to help students to learn programming via game-oriented interface where-in the script is visualized to a get video teaching solution. Children can collaborate over different exercises as well.
Key facts about Shenzhen Dianmao Technology
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Shenzhen (China)
- Stage: Series D
- Total Funding till date: $395M
- Investors: CMB International Capital, EQT and 26 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series D, Nov 20, 2020, $*****
- Tracxn Score: 50/100 What is this?
- Competitors Rank: 2 of 135 Competitors
Companies founded year-on-year in the Online Courses sector in China
1 new startup has been founded so far in 2026 in the Online Courses sector in China. 54 Online Courses startups in China were founded in 2017 - this is the most number of startups founded in any year in the last 10 years.
- Total Number of Companies
Year | No. of companies |
|---|---|
2026 | 1 |
2025 | 6 |
2024 | 12 |
2023 | 25 |
2022 | 24 |
2021 | 23 |
2020 | 29 |
2019 | 15 |
2018 | 42 |
2017 | 54 |
Stage-wise distribution of Online Courses sector companies in China
Out of the total 834 Online Courses companies in China, 295 have secured funding. Among them, 85 have reached Series A or higher, and 49 to Series B or beyond.
Founded - 834
Funded - 295
Series A+ - 85
Series B+ - 49
Series C+ - 27
Company Stage | No. of companies |
|---|---|
Founded | 834 |
Funded | 295 |
Series A+ | 85 |
Series B+ | 49 |
Series C+ | 27 |
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Funding Trends in the Online Courses sector in China
Total funding year-on-year in the Online Courses sector in China
The Online Courses sector in China saw a total funding of more than $3.3B in the last 10 years. The most amount of funding was in 2021 at more than $610M.
- Total Funding
Year | Total Funding |
|---|---|
2024 | $29M |
2023 | $50M |
2021 | $610M |
2020 | $420M |
2019 | $371M |
2018 | $576M |
2017 | $217M |
Recent Funding Rounds in Online Courses in China
In the year 2024, till May 2024, Online Courses companies in China have raised $29M in equity funding across 3 rounds.
In the same period last year (i.e. till February 2023), Online Courses companies in China had raised $50M across 1 round.
So, 2024 has seen a 41.99% drop in funding in Online Courses companies in China as compared to 2023.
Here are some recent, important funding rounds in Online Courses companies in China:
Company | Round Raised | Amount Raised | Funding Date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series B | 8720 | May 29, 2024 | ||
Series C | 9584 | Apr 16, 2024 | - | |
Series A | 2851 | Feb 01, 2024 | - | |
Series B | 3898 | Feb 24, 2023 | ||
Series C | 5958 | Dec 30, 2021 |
Top Investors in Online Courses in China
Zhen Fund is the top investor in Online Courses companies in China based on number of companies invested.
Here are some top investors in Online Courses companies in China:
Investor | Location | Top Portfolio Companies |
|---|---|---|
Beijing (China) | ||
Shenzhen (China) | ||
Mumbai (India) | - | |
Beijing (China) | ||
Menlo Park (United States) | - |
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M&A activity in Online Courses sector in China
In the year 2014, till November 2014, 2 acquisitions happened in Online Courses sector in China.
Here are some recent, important acquisitions in Online Courses sector in China:
Company | Acquisition Type | Acquisition Date | Acquirers |
|---|---|---|---|
Business Acquisition | Nov 27, 2014 | ||
Business Acquisition | Aug 01, 2014 |
IPOs in Online Courses in China
In the year 2024, till December 2024, 1 IPO happened in Online Courses sector in China.
Here are some recent, important IPOs in Online Courses sector in China:
Company | IPO Date | Exchange Symbol |
|---|---|---|
Dec 06, 2024 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jan 25, 2023 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jan 24, 2023 | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) | |
Jan 09, 2023 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) | |
Mar 28, 2019 | Hong Kong Exchanges (HKG) |
Colleges which produce the most Online Courses companies in China
Companies founded by alumni from top colleges in the Online Courses in China
Most number of Online Courses startups in China have been founded by alumni from University of California (Berkeley), Harvard University and Tsinghua University.
College | No. of companies |
|---|---|
University of California (Berkeley) | 3 |
Harvard University | 2 |
Tsinghua University | 2 |
Aalto University | 1 |
HEC Paris | 1 |
INSEAD | 1 |
London Business School (LBS) | 1 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 1 |
National University of Singapore (NUS) | 1 |
Stanford University | 1 |
Total funding in Online Courses companies founded by alumni from top colleges in China
In the last 10 years, Aalto University graduates' Online Courses companies in China have raised the most funding among top colleges. University of California (Berkeley) alumni are second, and National University of Singapore (NUS) alumni are third.
College | Total Funding |
|---|---|
Aalto University | $359M |
University of California (Berkeley) | $5.52M |
National University of Singapore (NUS) | $1.5M |
HEC Paris | - |
Harvard University | - |
INSEAD | - |
London Business School (LBS) | - |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | - |
Stanford University | - |
Technion Israel Institute Technology | - |
Top News in Online Courses in China
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SP government is a new partner of Startse in a free course of IAFinsidersbrasil•Feb 10, 2025•StartSe
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All3Media, Bioworld to Launch Apparel Line for 'The Traitors'License Global•Apr 25, 2024•all3media, BioWorld
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Quanta Sing Unveils Private Label Chinese B Moxibustion B Randy Un TingGlobeNewswire•Jan 18, 2024•QuantaSing
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Sunlands Technology Group Announces Unaudited Third Quarter 2023 Financial ResultsGlobeNewswire•Nov 22, 2023•Sunlands
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QuantaSing's Live E-Commerce Generated Remarkable RMB13.3 Million GMV in AugustGlobeNewswire•Sep 12, 2023•QuantaSing
