*By Madison Alworth* MasterClass has raised an additional $80 million in funding, cementing the online learning platform's mission to make school "excite you again," said the co-founder and CEO. "School often sucked the life out of us," David Rogier said Friday in an interview on Cheddar. The latest round will be used to expand offerings in new categories and improve the student experience everywhere, beyond the U.S. "We're going to launch in other countries, and we're going to launch classes in fields that we are not in yet, like business and politics," Rogier said. MasterClass released its first three classes in 2015 and has since grown to offer 39 classes. Subscribers can take courses led by bestselling author James Patterson, famed journalist Bob Woodward, or chef Gordon Ramsay, among other giants of industry. With its Series D funding, the company hopes to grow to 50 course offerings by the end of the year. When conceiving new classes, Rogier said MasterClass relies on many parties. New instructors are added to the docket after the company polls MasterClass students, employees, and current instructors. And, of course, there are always some teachers that MasterClass is eyeing for its "dream list." "I would love to take a class from Warren Buffett. I would love to take a class from J.K. Rowling," Rogier said. For the CEO, MasterClass would ideally be able to adapt in tandem with digital technology. "The thing that I am most excited about, that we are just beginning to explore, is AR and VR. Imagine if you're going to learn a dance from Usher, how neat would it be to see where to put your feet," he said. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/masterclass-raises-additional-80-million-in-series-d).

Share:
More In Business
Stocks Close Mostly Higher; Meta Falls Sharply on Earnings
Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist at National Securities, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says investors are paying more attention to earnings this week, which is leading to the Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq gaining this week. Hogan also breaks down Spotify and Meta's earnings, both of which came out after the bell.
Alphabet Reports Blowout Q4 Earnings, Inches Toward $2 Trillion Market Valuation
Google's parent company Alphabet reported blockbuster fourth quarter earnings, boosted by better-than-expected Google ad revenue and Google Cloud revenue. The results sent Alphabet's stock soaring, and the company could come close to hitting a $2 trillion market valuation similar to other tech giants Apple and Microsoft. The company also announced a 20-for-1 stock split, which would make shares more accessible to would-be investors. Mark Lehmann, CEO at JMP Securities, a Citizens Company, joins Closing Bell to discuss Alphabet's earnings report, whether the company will reach a $2 trillion market cap, its stock split, and more.
Rep. Nancy Mace Wants Dem Support for Amazon-Backed GOP Cannabis Reform Bill
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C. 1st District) joined Cheddar to discuss her cannabis legalization bill, the States Reform Act, and the prospects for gaining bipartisan support for a bill that has garnered the endorsement of e-commerce giant Amazon. This legislation is supported by businesses large and small, Amazon obviously being the most recent and largest business to support it," Mace said. "They don't want to sell pot. But what it does do is it affects their working employment pool." She stated that 10 percent of eligible new hires for Amazon are affected by restrictive marijuana laws. The representative also explained that the bill leaves equity provisions up to the states rather than mandating them on a federal level.
FIT:MATCH CEO on Savage X Fenty Collab to Use AR Apparel Sizing
FIT:MATCH is looking to change the game when it comes to the way retailers size clothes. The company's augmented reality technology takes a look at body shape data rather than generalized, traditional sizing parameters to determine how a piece of apparel will fit wearers. Haniff Brown, CEO and founder, joined Cheddar to discuss the patented ar-powered apparel technology and partnering with pop superstar Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie line. "We launched in Vegas with Savage on January 22 and we've been having goosebumps at some of the testimonials, where customers are saying this is such an easier process versus going into a fitting room and having an associate have to touch and get handsy with a cold tape measure," Brown said.
Load More