Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by educator Salman (Sal) Khan. It aims to provide free and high-quality education for any student in any part of the world. The site provides micro-lectures, instructional videos, and practice assignments. The content focuses on K-12 subjects. The learning platform provides a personalized learning dashboard that lets students study at their own pace in and outside the classroom. As of December 2019, Khan Academy had 90.4 million registered users. 

In early 2020, founder Sal Khan launched Schoolhouse.world, a free, non-profit program for volunteers to provide small-group tutoring for students across the world. The platform currently offers tutoring in high school math and SAT preparation with plans to expand to more age groups and subjects. As of January 2021, more than 1,100 tutoring sessions had been conducted with students across more than 40 countries. The program launched a new website in January 2021 and began entering into statewide partnerships—including one with the Nevada Department of Education in April 2021—to provide free, live tutoring services for middle and high school students.

In September 2023, Khan Academy partnered with Instructure, a US-based EdTech company, to create AI-driven tools for educators and students. The two EdTech companies are collaborating to develop “Khanmigo,” an AI-based teaching assistant and tutoring tool for students.

Key customers and partnerships

In May 2021, Khan Academy partnered with Adobe which is contributing USD 1 million to co-create online lesson plans for teachers across various subjects. In June 2022, the company partnered with nonprofit SBI Foundation to launch UpSchool, a digital learning program for students in grades 1-10. The program will be available in English, Hindi and Kannada languages aiming to reduce learning gaps and improve math and reading skills.  

Funding and financials

Khan Academy is mostly funded by donations from philanthropic organizations. In July 2020, a USD 3 million grant from the Amgen Foundation was renewed to support several science learning initiatives. In January 2021, the organization received donations of USD 5 million and USD 1 million from the Musk Foundation and General Motors, respectively. The Musk Foundation’s donation will support Khan Academy’s efforts to improve its content and software. General Motors’ donation is aimed at helping disadvantaged children receive a better education, particularly as learning disadvantages in low-income and minority communities have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.