2U

What began in 2008 as 2Tor, a venture by John Katzman, co-founder of The Princeton Review, alongside Chip Paucek and Jeremy Johnson, has evolved into the global education technology leader known as 2U, Inc. The company was founded with the ambitious mission to 'eliminate the back row' in education, making high-quality digital education accessible to students regardless of their physical location. Early on, 2U focused on partnering with prestigious non-profit colleges and universities to build, deliver, and support online degree programs. Its first major partnership was with the University of Southern California in 2009, launching an online teaching degree, followed by an online social work degree in 2010. These initial programs set the stage for 2U's model of providing a comprehensive suite of services, including a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, coursework design, and infrastructure assistance.

The company's journey has been marked by significant growth and strategic acquisitions. Originally named 2tor (pronounced 'Tutor'), the company rebranded to 2U, Inc. in October 2012. A pivotal moment in 2U's expansion was the acquisition of edX in 2021, a massive open online course (MOOC) provider founded by Harvard and MIT. This acquisition significantly broadened 2U's reach, expanding its offerings from full degrees to a wider array of non-degree programs, executive education, boot camps, and professional certificates. Over the years, 2U has partnered with numerous renowned institutions, including Georgetown University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Harvard University, and Yale University. Despite its growth and impact on online education, 2U faced financial challenges, leading to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in July 2024. The company successfully emerged from this restructuring in September 2024 as a privately held entity with a strengthened financial position, poised to continue its mission of making education more accessible and impactful. Throughout its evolution, 2U has remained committed to working with universities to navigate the digital landscape and provide career-relevant learning opportunities to millions globally.