Trilogy Education Services

Trilogy Education Services operates as a workforce accelerator, forging partnerships with universities to deliver technology-focused training programs for adult learners pursuing careers in the digital economy. Founded in 2015 by Dan Sommer, the company was established to address the widening digital skills gap by collaborating with traditional universities. Sommer's background is rooted in education technology, having previously served as President of Global Education at Zeta Interactive and CEO of Study Interactive, an online program provider for international universities. His familiarity with higher education, partly through his father's role as a State University of New York trustee, informed the company's strategy of working within the university system.

The company's business model centers on a revenue-sharing agreement with its partner universities, which include institutions like Rutgers, Columbia University, and the University of Toronto. Universities provide their brand, facilities, and curriculum oversight, while Trilogy develops and manages the bootcamps, which are taught by industry professionals, not university professors. This structure allows Trilogy to offer intensive, non-credit training programs in high-demand fields such as web development, data analytics, cybersecurity, and UX/UI design. The curriculum is market-driven, using data from job sites to tailor course content to regional employer needs. Students are typically working adults, with an average age of 31, who enroll in part-time programs to facilitate a career change.

After securing a $30 million Series A in 2017 and a $50 million Series B in 2018, Trilogy demonstrated significant growth, expanding its partnerships and student base. This trajectory culminated in its acquisition by education technology firm 2U, Inc. in May 2019 for $750 million. The acquisition was a strategic move for 2U to enter the corporate training and lifelong learning market, expanding its reach to new international markets like Australia and Canada and increasing its total university partners to 68. Following the acquisition, Trilogy became a 2U brand and continued its operations. In July 2024, parent company 2U filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with plans to operate as a private entity. Keywords: workforce accelerator, coding bootcamps, university partnerships, skills gap, EdTech, professional certificates, adult education, career transition, digital skills training, 2U Inc