Bloomberg Businessweek Podcast Summary
Episode Title: Coursera CEO on Earnings, AI, Pending Udemy Merger
Date: February 10, 2026
Hosts: Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec
Guest: Greg Hart, President & CEO, Coursera

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the state and future of Coursera, one of the world’s leading online learning platforms, amid robust earnings, surging demand for AI courses, and a transformative pending merger with competitor Udemy. Host Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec welcome Greg Hart, President and CEO of Coursera, to discuss the implications of the merger, earnings performance, major trends in online learning, and the increasing demand for workplace and AI skills.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Status and Rationale of the Coursera-Udemy Merger

Timestamp: 02:12 – 06:07

• Merger progress: Currently, the deal is in the regulatory approval phase, with expectations to close in the second half of 2026.
  • “We are going through the regulatory approval process right now. Nothing to share on that front, but we're moving through the paces and then we'll hope to move through that and then go through shareholder approval.” — Greg Hart (02:39)
• Leadership: Greg Hart will remain CEO of the combined company.
  • “In terms of who's the boss, first of all, the customer is always the boss… I will be the CEO of the combined company and we are excited about that combination because of the opportunity to bring together, you know, two businesses that are really quite complementary.” — Greg Hart (02:39)
• Scale and Financial Impact:
  • Combined revenue projected to be ~$1.5 billion in 2025, with about 10% adjusted EBITDA margins.
  • $115 million in synergies announced post-close, improving operating margins.
  • “We would deliver $115 million of synergies post close within the first two years.” — Greg Hart (03:08)
• Complementary Business Mix: Coursera is 2/3 consumer, 1/3 enterprise, whereas Udemy is the reverse. This enhances the combined company’s ability to serve diverse learners and enterprise customers.
  • “The companies are roughly the same size in revenue, so the combined revenue... would be about $1.5 billion for 2025... For both companies, there is a huge focus on and growth in technology and specifically AI right now.” — Greg Hart (03:01, 06:41)
• Ultimate vision: To increase scale, content breadth, and market opportunity for learners, educators, and enterprise customers.

2. Consequences if the Merger Fails

Timestamp: 04:12 – 05:52

• Confidence in Closing: Hart is “very confident” regulatory approval will proceed, partly due to the large, fragmented education sector.
  • “I'm very confident that it will. I mean, we operate in the education space, which is a massive space, you know, 2 trillion plus dollars... We are a very, very small player within that massive space.” — Greg Hart (04:26)
• Unique Value Creation: The merger is positioned as additive for:
  • Learners: Access to more courses and a global network of creators—375+ university partners (Coursera) and 85,000+ Udemy instructors.
  • Content Creators: Opens larger global audiences; 300 million registered learners between both platforms.
  • Enterprise Clients: Better content breadth for workforce training.

3. Growth Areas, Trends, and Demand for Skills—Especially AI

Timestamp: 06:18 – 07:47

• Key Revenue Streams:
  • Coursera: 2/3 consumer, 1/3 enterprise.
  • Udemy: 2/3 enterprise, 1/3 consumer.
• AI Content as Growth Driver:
  • Coursera saw enrollment in generative AI courses almost doubling (from 8 to 15 enrollments per minute).
  • “Last year we saw enrollments in Gen AI related content at a rate of 15 enrollments per minute. In 2024, that was only 8 enrollments per minute. And so a real burgeoning interest that I believe will continue in 2026.” — Greg Hart (06:53)
• Career Advancement Motivation:
  • 86% of Coursera users come to advance their careers.
  • Focus is on “delivering skills” and credentialing mastery to support professional development.

4. User Engagement & Retention

Timestamp: 07:47 – 08:16

• Subscription Model Success: Over half of consumer revenue comes from “Coursera Plus,” the monthly/annual subscription.
  • “More than 50% of our consumer revenue is around Coursera plus… Those learners tend to stay, obviously, for longer than a single course learner might.” — Greg Hart (08:01)
• Customer Loyalty: Subscription “tends to” yield repeat and ongoing learners.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On who leads the new entity:
  “The customer is always the boss.” — Greg Hart (02:43)
• On consolidation in a massive market:
  “We are a very, very small player within that massive space.” — Greg Hart (04:34)
• On AI’s momentum:
  “A real burgeoning interest that I believe will continue in 2026.” — Greg Hart (06:57)
• On why learners choose Coursera:
  “86% of the learners who come to Coursera come here to advance their careers.” — Greg Hart (07:09)
• On Coursera Plus driving retention:
  “More than 50% of our consumer revenue is around Coursera plus… Those learners tend to stay.” — Greg Hart (08:01)

Important Segments (with Timestamps)

• Coursera-Udemy Merger status & goals: 02:12–04:12
• What if the merger fails? & market context: 04:12–05:52
• Closing timeline reaffirmed: 05:52–06:18
• Where is Coursera’s growth? (AI, enterprise, learner intent): 06:18–07:47
• User retention/subscription model detail: 07:47–08:16

Summary Takeaway

Greg Hart’s discussion with Bloomberg underscores Coursera’s ambition to scale up via the Udemy merger, leverage booming interest in AI skills, and offer more value to both consumers and enterprises in a rapidly evolving global education market. He projects confidence both in closing the deal and sustaining Coursera’s role in shaping lifelong learning. The business is focused on converting learners into long-term subscribers and adapting rapidly to the AI-led skills revolution.