Skillshare acquires student-instructor connection platform Superpeer

Skillshare—the learning platform that’s a frequent sponsor of YouTube videos and which has increasingly worked with content creators to promote their classes—has acquired Bay Area startup Superpeer.

Superpeer, founded in 2020, offers tools for online course creators to connect with their students via things like 1:1 calls and supplemental livestreams, and further monetize course with things like downloadable products and subscriptions.

Co-founder/CEO Devrim Yasar says he got he idea for the company while taking a course with coding assignments. “When I got stuck doing one of the assignments, I realized there was no way for me to book a call with the person who made the course,” he says on Superpeer’s website. “I realized everything on the internet was designed to be one way, and we decided to change this.”

Financial details of the acquisition are not being disclosed. Skillshare says Superpeer’s tools will be integrated into “the Skillshare experience” to “create a holistic and customizable learning experience for students.”

Skillshare currently offers nearly 30,000 courses from 8,000+ instructors. The plan is for Superpeer’s tools to open new monetization channels for instructors, and for students to be able to connect with instructors and with one another.

“Our students have told us for years that they want new and different ways to engage with their favorite Skillshare teachers,” Matt Cooper, Skillshare’s CEO, said in a statement. “Similarly, our expert teachers are seeking new ways to earn a living from their considerable knowledge and experience. This acquisition accelerates our ability to deliver new value to both sides of our marketplace.”

“This is a great outcome for Superpeer’s amazing creator community,” Yasar added. “Skillshare’s commitment to invest in our product means we can reach even more creators with these world-class tools, and amplify what we set out to do with Superpeer; that is, to drive personal growth and human connection.”

The Superpeer integration will happen “over the coming months,” Skillshare says.

As part of the acquisition, Superpeer co-founder/CTO Fatih Acet will join the Skillshare team, where he’ll continue leading development of Superpeer’s tools.