2.5 billion? This is just part of the investor bubble of these startups. I agree coursera is a high value company, but 2.5 billion seems a bit inflated.
Its revenue went from $60M(2016) to $170M(2019) [1]. In 2019, it reported over 45 million learners on its platform. It is adding enterprise customers at a steady pace [2].
A conservative estimate of 250 million revenue in 2020 puts it at 10x revenue. This is pretty normal for a SAAS company that is growing 50% y/y.
1. https://www.classcentral.com/report/coursera-2019-year-revie... 2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2019/04/25/online-ed...
That said, after trying countless structured courses for a variety of subjects (ranging from design to music production), I've found that my best results are from coursed created by individuals, not large companies.
Individuals who deeply understand their core topic and are financially motivated to make the best possible course, I think, are the future of learning. Not "institutions" like Coursera.