China technology training platform 51CTO raises $20m

Founded in 2005 by a group of experienced IT professionals, the company was initially an information portal for local CTOs, CIOs and other technical staff who wanted to improve their IT knowledge.

Since 2015, it has focused on online training for technical positions. 51CTO claims to have connected more than 3,000 teachers with six million learners. Its website has offers 15,000 courses covering topics such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. The average purchase per user is four courses, which is much higher than the industry standard, according to a statement.

51CTO has also attracted large corporate customers such as China Unicom and China Merchants Bank. It offers an integrated “test, learn, practice” solution to help upgrade the technical capabilities of staff.

"The cultivation of technical personnel is the key to the digital transformation and innovation of enterprises, which are the two key drivers for China's economic growth in the future,” said Jing Hong, founding partner of Gaocheng, a spin-out from Hillhouse Capital.

AVCJ Research's records show that DW Group, TrustBridge Partners, and CDIB Capital participated in the company’s previous round.

Other startups in the space include Yunxuetang, an online corporate training services provider. It raised a $100 million Series D led by Centurium Capital in January. Meanwhile, vocational training services specialist Sanjieke raised an RMB130 million ($19 million) Series B round of funding led by Wu Capital in May of last year.

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• Topics
• Greater China
• Expansion
• Technology
• China
• Education
• Gaocheng Capital