# OpenSesame

> OpenSesame is a Portland, Oregon-based e-learning company that runs an online marketplace of curated corporate training courses. Founded in 2011, it aggregates content from hundreds of publishers into a single catalog of tens of thousands of courses spanning business skills, compliance, safety, leadership, technology and wellness, and integrates that content directly into a customer's existing learning management system. The company sells to enterprise and mid-market employers who want to buy, curate and deliver workforce training without stitching together dozens of separate vendors.

- **Founded:** 2011
- **Headquarters:** Portland, Oregon, United States
- **Founders:** Don Spear (Co-Founder & CEO), Joshua Blank (Co-Founder), Aaron Bridges (Co-Founder), Tom Turnbull (Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** ~320 employees (approx. 250 per some sources)
- **Products:** OpenSesame Marketplace, OpenSesame Plus Subscription, LMS Integration, Course Curation & Expert Services, AI tools (Simon course builder, AI Coach, Curation Assistant)
- **Notable:** Built one of the largest curated e-learning marketplaces, with tens of thousands of courses from 100+ publishers., Raised a $50 million strategic growth investment led by JMI Equity in 2021., Won a 2025 bronze Telly Award for its course 'The Truth About Bias in AI'.

## Products & services

- **OpenSesame Marketplace** — A curated catalog of tens of thousands of business training courses from 100+ publishers, spanning compliance, safety, leadership, business skills, technology, diversity and wellness, available in 70+ languages.
- **OpenSesame Plus Subscription** — A curated annual subscription that gives employers access to a large, pre-vetted library of courses for a flat price, delivered into their existing LMS.
- **LMS Integration** — Direct, SCORM/AICC-compliant delivery of purchased courses into a customer's existing learning management system without custom development.
- **Course Curation & Expert Services** — Human curators and account teams that build tailored learning paths for compliance, safety, leadership and skills programs.
- **AI tools (Simon course builder, AI Coach, Curation Assistant)** — AI-assisted tools for building custom courses, translating content into 70+ languages, coaching learners and recommending relevant courses.

## Achievements

- Built one of the largest curated e-learning marketplaces, with tens of thousands of courses from 100+ publishers.
- Raised a $50 million strategic growth investment led by JMI Equity in 2021.
- Won a 2025 bronze Telly Award for its course 'The Truth About Bias in AI'.
- Successfully defended its remote-learning patent, upheld by the PTAB in February 2024.
- Expanded course delivery to 70+ languages for global multilingual workforces.

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Catalog reported at 40,000+ courses from 100+ publishers across 30+ languages; company markets 60,000+ courses in 70+ languages.
- **2024-02** — OpenSesame's remote-learning patent upheld by the U.S. PTAB after a legal challenge.
- **2024-01** — Rolled out AI-assisted tools for course creation, translation, coaching and curation.
- **2021-07** — Closed a $50 million strategic growth round led by JMI Equity with FTV Capital and Altos Ventures.

## Links

- Website: https://opensesame.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/opensesame
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/opensesame
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OpenSesameLearning
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/opensesame

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/opensesame
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-18