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TakeLessons operates as an online platform that facilitates connections between individuals seeking to learn new skills and qualified instructors across a wide array of subjects. The service provides a comprehensive marketplace where students can discover, book, and engage with teachers for both in-person and virtual lessons. Its technical approach centers on a user-friendly interface that streamlines scheduling, payment processing, and communication, aiming to simplify the educational journey for diverse learners.
The company was founded in 2007 by Steven Cox, whose insight stemmed from the perceived need for a more accessible and organized way to find quality private instruction. Cox aimed to bridge the gap between talented educators and eager students, creating a centralized hub for learning outside traditional academic settings. His entrepreneurial vision focused on democratizing access to specialized knowledge and personal enrichment through a convenient digital medium.
The platform serves a broad demographic, including K-12 students, adult learners, and hobbyists, who seek personalized instruction in areas such as music, academics, languages, and arts. TakeLessons envisions empowering individuals through lifelong learning, fostering personal growth and skill development by making tailored educational experiences readily available. The company strives to create an ecosystem where learning is flexible, engaging, and directly responsive to individual needs and aspirations.
TakeLessons has raised $24.0M across 4 funding rounds.
TakeLessons has raised $24.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
TakeLessons has raised $24.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Other Equity in March 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 2014 | $7M Venture Round | Lightbank | Crosslink Capital, Moore Venture Partners, Triangle Peak Partners, Uncork Capital | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2014 | $7M Series C | Lightbank | Bessemer Venture Partners, Brand Foundry Ventures, Broadway Angels, Cendana Capital, Crane Venture Partners, Crosslink Capital, Fika Ventures, Floodgate, Precursor Ventures, Uncork Capital, Aaron Patzer, Adam Schwartz, Harris Barton, Jawed Karim, JIM Mclean, Karl Jacob, NIC Brisbourne, Russell Fradin, Russ Fradin, TOM Mcinerney, Moore Venture Partners, Triangle Peak Partners | Announced |
| Jan 31, 2013 | $4M Series A | Triangle Peak Partners | TIM Kendall, Crosslink Capital, Siemer Ventures, Uncork Capital | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2011 | $6M Series A | Crosslink Capital | Broadway Angels, Cendana Capital, Crane Venture Partners, Fika Ventures, Precursor Ventures, Uncork Capital, Harris Barton, JIM Mclean, NIC Brisbourne | Announced |
TakeLessons has raised $24.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
TakeLessons's investors include Lightbank, Crosslink Capital, Moore Venture Partners, Triangle Peak Partners, Uncork Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Brand Foundry Ventures, Broadway Angels, Cendana Capital, Crane Venture Partners, Fika Ventures, Floodgate.
TakeLessons is an edtech platform that connects students with individual tutors for personalized lessons in music, languages, academic subjects, test prep, professional skills, crafts, sports, and hobbies, offered both online and in-person.[1][2][3] It serves learners of all ages seeking one-on-one or group instruction via its Live platform, solving the challenge of finding matched, verified teachers amid fragmented local options, with a pivot to online dominating post-pandemic.[1][2] Founded in 2006 in San Diego, it raised at least $20 million from investors like LightBank, Uncork Capital, and Crosslink Capital before Microsoft acquired it in September 2021 to bolster its edtech presence, particularly integrating with Teams used by over 100 million students; post-acquisition, it continues operating to expand globally.[1][3]
TakeLessons was founded in 2006 by Steven Cox in San Diego, initially as a marketplace to connect people with local in-person tutors, starting with music lessons to help individuals pursue passions without letting day jobs overshadow dreams.[1][2][4] Cox, motivated by enabling personal growth through accessible education, grew the platform to include online options, languages, academics, and niche skills like parkour or Excel macros, attracting hundreds of millions of visits and millions of lesson minutes.[1][2] Early traction built on in-person matching evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting to majority online one-on-one and group sessions, leading to Microsoft's 2021 acquisition after $20 million in VC funding from firms like Crosslink Capital and SoftTech VC.[1][3]
TakeLessons rides the edtech wave accelerated by COVID-19, where remote learning surged—exemplified by Microsoft Teams' adoption by 100 million students—fueling demand for personalized, hybrid tutoring beyond traditional classrooms.[1][3] Its timing aligns with market forces like the shift to online marketplaces for niche skills (music, arts, hobbies), filling gaps in scalable, one-on-one instruction amid global education digitization.[1][2] By joining Microsoft's ecosystem alongside LinkedIn Learning, it influences the landscape by enhancing corporate-to-consumer edtech integration, providing strategic infrastructure for hybrid models and amplifying access to verified instructors worldwide.[1][3]
Under Microsoft since 2021, TakeLessons is positioned to scale its marketplace globally, leveraging vast resources to attract top tutors, expand subjects, and integrate deeply with Teams for seamless hybrid education.[1][2] Trends like AI-enhanced matching, lifelong learning for skills like professional training, and persistent remote/hybrid demand will shape its path, potentially evolving into a core pillar of Microsoft's consumer edtech strategy. This acquisition trajectory underscores how specialized platforms like TakeLessons amplify big tech's play in personalized learning, tying back to its roots in empowering passions through accessible, matched instruction.[1][3]
