Platzi

Platzi was founded in Colombia by Freddy Vega and Christian Van Der Henst{{Cite web|url=https://elpais.com/tecnologia/2016/05/12/actualidad/1463013754_689019.html|title=Platzi, formación para el mundo digital|first=Rosa Jiménez|last=Cano|work=El País |date=May 14, 2016|via=elpais.com|language=Spanish}} in 2014. Both met as competitors in their former companies: Cristalab and Maestros del Web. The company was born from a livestream weekly show called “Mejorando.la”, before becoming "Platzi" in 2015, partially to make the company more amenable to international consumers.

In 2015 it received its first venture capital funding.{{Cite web|url=https://tentulogo.com/platzi-la-startup-latinoamericana-educacion-emprendedores-ha-llegado-silicon-valley/|title=Platzi, la startup de educación para emprendedores que ha llegado a Silicon Valley|first=José Vicente|last=Rojo|date=December 28, 2017|language=Spanish}} Initial offices for the company were in Bogota, Colombia, and Mexico City, Mexico.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/20/platzi/|title=Online Learning Service Platzi Wants To Teach You Useful Tech Skills|date=21 March 2015 }} In 2014 the co-founders moved to San Francisco after being accepted to Y Combinator Winter 2015 program in Silicon Valley,{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/04/startup-accelerators-helped-spark-latin-americas-tech-boom/|title=Startup accelerators helped spark Latin America's tech boom|date=4 October 2018 }} becoming the first company targeting Latin American to be accepted to the incubator. In the same year it raised $2.1 million from funds like Omidyar Network and 500 Startups.{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2016/01/08/platzi-raises-2-1-million-to-deliver-professional-skills-courses/|title=Platzi Raises $2.1 Million to Deliver Professional Skills Courses|last=Kolodny|first=Lora|date=2016-01-09|website=WSJ|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-20}}

In 2018, the company raised a $6.1 million Series A from Foundation Capital{{Cite web|url=https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-06-18-platzi-raises-6-million-to-bring-more-online-education-to-latin-america|title=Platzi Raises $6 Million to Bring More Online Education to Latin America - EdSurge News|date=2019-06-18|website=EdSurge|language=en|access-date=2019-10-20}} and it expanded to Spain{{Cite web|url=https://loogic.com/platzi-llega-a-espana/|title=Platzi llega a España {{!}} Loogic Startups|website=loogic.com|access-date=2019-10-20}} and Brazil.{{Cite web|url=https://br.wwwhatsnew.com/2019/06/platzi-recebe-investimento-para-se-fortalecer-no-brasil-e-na-espanha/|title=Platzi recebe investimento para se fortalecer no Brasil e na Espanha – Wwwhat's new? – Aplicações e tecnologia|language=pt-BR|access-date=2019-10-20}}

The company had 119 employees in 2019 {{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190814-the-man-who-wants-to-make-university-degrees-obsolete|title=The man who wants to make university degrees obsolete|last=Peñarredonda|first=José Luis|website=www.bbc.com|date=17 August 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-20}} and the founders were awarded the "Entrepreneurs of the Year" prize by Endeavor in the same year.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dinero.com/empresas/confidencias-on-line/articulo/fundadores-de-platzi-son-condecorados-como-los-emprendedores-del-ano/277078|title=Fundadores de Platzi reciben reconocimiento como emprendedores del año Endeavor|last=Dinero|website=Fundadores de Platzi son condecorados como los emprendedores del año|date=18 September 2019 |language=spanish|access-date=2019-10-20}}

The platform uses video and interactive lessons to teach tangible skills rather than academic education, in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Platzi creates the courses, hires instructors and does the recording of the lessons. Many instructors are not professional teachers, but subject matter experts and professionals in the field they are teaching about, like YC's Sam Altman, Wufoo's Kevin Hale and Moz's co-founder Rand Fishkin.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/20/platzi/|title=Online Learning Service Platzi Wants To Teach You Useful Tech Skills|website=TechCrunch|date=21 March 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-20}} A sampling of courses available as of 2018 were Programming Foundations, Internet Of Things, Mathematics for Programming, Facebook Ads Platform, Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud, Interface Design, and Development with Unity.{{Cite web|url=https://www.enter.co/|title=ENTER.CO|website=ENTER.CO}}

Platzi has also created employee training courses for corporations, including Microsoft, IBM, Facebook and Google.{{Cite web|url=https://www.portafolio.co/negocios/empresas/platzi-cuenta-con-mas-de-500-000-alumnos-virtuales-519449|title=Platzi cuenta con más de 500.000 alumnos virtuales|first=Casa Editorial El|last=Tiempo|website=Portafolio.co |language=Spanish}} It has also launched free educational campaigns during elections to provide voters with information about the different parties, issues, and candidates,{{Cite web|url=https://expansion.mx/tecnologia/2018/06/05/son-tus-primeras-elecciones-revisa-la-escuela-del-voto|title=¿Son tus primeras elecciones? Revisa la "Escuela del Voto"|date=June 5, 2018|website=Expansión}} in addition to days on which anyone can use their lessons for free.{{Cite web|url=https://www.larepublica.co/internet-economy/nueva-convocatoria-online-para-los-creadores-de-startups-en-el-mundo-2772926|title=Nueva convocatoria online para los creadores de startups en el mundo|first=Editorial La República|last=S.A.S|website=www.larepublica.co |date=19 September 2018 |language=Spanish}} In 2015 Platzi began offering English lessons. In addition to its courses, Platzi runs conferences{{Cite web|url=https://elpais.com/tecnologia/2016/10/02/actualidad/1475366400_028741.html|title=Silicon Valley abraza México|first=Rosa Jiménez|last=Cano|work=El País |date=October 5, 2016|via=elpais.com}} and news broadcast channels for the tech world.

As of 2017 the platform had about 370,000 students, mainly in Mexico, Colombia, Spain, and the United States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com.mx/esta-empresa-quiere-convertir-al-exportador-tecnologia/|title=Esta empresa quiere convertir a AL en exportador de tecnología • Forbes México|author=Forbes Staff|date=July 12, 2017|website=Forbes México |language=Spanish}} In 2018 the platform had 600,000 students. As of 2019 the platform had more than one million students, 150,000 of which were located in Colombia, and the rest in other countries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eluniversal.com.co/suplementos/facetas/el-netflix-de-la-educacion-CD1072602|title=El 'Netflix' de la educación|date=April 28, 2019|website=www.eluniversal.com.co |language=Spanish}} Those that complete Platzi courses receive a certificate;{{Cite web|url=https://www.elespectador.com/entretenimiento/un-chat-con/por-el-ideal-de-aprender-sin-parar-articulo-690327|title=Freddy Vega y su plataforma para renovar la educación|date=April 21, 2017|website=ELESPECTADOR.COM |language=Spanish}} the platform has a 70% completion rate among its students.

In 2019, Platzi launched 1,000 scholarships in collaboration with Facebook for Brazilian,{{Cite web|url=https://computerworld.com.br/2019/06/28/facebook-e-platzi-distribuem-1-mil-bolsas-de-estudo-em-programacao/|title=Facebook e Platzi distribuem 1 mil bolsas de estudo em programação|date=2019-06-28|website=Computerworld|language=pt-br|access-date=2019-10-20}} Colombian{{Cite web|url=https://caracol.com.co/radio/2019/06/23/tecnologia/1561322147_344234.html|title=¿Amante de la tecnología? Facebook habilita 1000 becas en Latinoamérica|last=Rozo|first=Karen|date=2019-06-23|website=Caracol Radio|language=es|access-date=2019-10-20}} and Mexican students from underrepresented populations in technology.{{Cite web|url=https://www.contxto.com/en/colombia/platzi-and-facebook-launch-coding-scholarship-program-for-minorities/|title=Platzi and Facebook launch coding scholarship program for aspiring developers|date=2019-06-24|website=Contxto|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-20}} It also launched 3,000 scholarships for Colombians in poverty with the Ministry of Technology of Colombia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eltiempo.com/mas-contenido/ministerio-de-las-tic-capacita-a-colombianos-en-tecnologias-4-0-383812|title=Ministerio de las TIC capacita a colombianos en tecnologías 4.0|last=Tiempo|first=Casa Editorial El|date=2019-07-03|website=El Tiempo|language=spanish|access-date=2019-10-20}}

Christian Van Der Henst is the COO and became the president of Platzi in 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3044282/california-dreamin|title=Y Combinator President Sam Altman Is Dreaming Big|first=Max|last=Chafkin|date=April 16, 2015|website=Fast Company}} The CEO of the company is co-founder Freddy Vega.

Between 2021 and 2022, Platzi was the main kit sponsor of Spanish football club Granada.

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Category:2010 establishments in Colombia

Category:Colombian educational websites