// STARTUP COMPARISON
Aprendanet vs Platzi Crisis
Aprendanet failed in 2021 due to Competition. Platzi Crisis failed in 2023 due to Competition. Both failed for the same reason — Competition.
| METRIC | 🔥 Aprendanet | 🔥 Platzi Crisis |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Edtech | Edtech |
| Country | Chile | Colombia |
| Founded | 2014 | 2014 |
| Died | 2021 | 2023 |
| Raised | $5M | $62M |
| Peak | 80,000 students | $300M valuation (2022) |
| Primary Cause | Competition | Competition |
// WHY EACH FAILED
🔥 Aprendanet
Competition
Aprendanet built a Spanish-language e-learning platform for Chilean professionals, reaching 80,000 students. During COVID-19 in 2020, Coursera and edX launched massive free course programs, offering thousands of courses at zero cost in Spanish. Aprendanet's paid model could not compete. With its subscription revenue collapsing, the company shut down in 2021.
// LESSON
Paid content platforms survive against free content only if they offer outcomes (credentials, jobs) or community that free platforms don't. Content alone is not defensible when well-funded platforms can offer it free.
Paid content platforms survive against free content only if they offer outcomes (credentials, jobs) or community that free platforms don't. Content alone is not defensible when well-funded platforms can offer it free.
🔥 Platzi Crisis
Competition
Platzi built LatAm's largest online learning platform with 5M+ learners and $300M valuation. The crisis came from three directions simultaneously: Google's career certificates on Coursera (free or $49/year) covered the same tech roles; YouTube's free creator-led tutorials improved dramatically in quality 2021-2023; and Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft launched their own free certification programs competing for the exact same student segment. Platzi's $25/month premium subscription experienced churn rate doubling 2022-2023. Laid off 25% of staff in 2023.
// LESSON
You cannot charge $25/month for educational content when Google certifies the same skills for free to drive Cloud platform adoption. When Big Tech uses education as a loss leader, the paid education market does not survive in that vertical.
You cannot charge $25/month for educational content when Google certifies the same skills for free to drive Cloud platform adoption. When Big Tech uses education as a loss leader, the paid education market does not survive in that vertical.
// EXPLORE FURTHER