How Kahoot! Became a Global Learning Platform: A Look at History and Who Owns Kahoot!
Kahoot! is a game-based learning and presentation platform that is used by millions of teachers, students, employees, and families around the world.
But who owns Kahoot! and how did it become such a popular and successful company?
In this article, we will explore the ownership structure, history, and vision of Kahoot!, and how it plans to make learning awesome for everyone. We will also explore how it become a global learning platform.
What is Kahoot!?
Kahoot! is a global learning and engagement platform company that wants to empower everyone, including children, students, and employees, to unlock their full learning potential.
Their learning platform makes it easy for any individual or corporation to create, share, and host learning sessions that drive compelling engagement.
Kahoot! sessions can be hosted anywhere, in person or virtually, using any device with an internet connection.
Kahoot! offers free and paid plans designed for use in the classroom, at work—whether in-person or virtual— or at home for social use or self-study.
Today, Kahoot! is used by approximately over 8 million teachers globally, hundreds of millions of students and families, and in 97% of Fortune 500 companies.
Since launch, Kahoot! has hosted hundreds of millions of learning sessions with 9 billion participants (non-unique) in more than 200 countries and regions.
Kahoot! currently serves over 1 million paying users with headquarters in Oslo, Norway and offices in the US, the UK, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Spain and Poland. Kahoot! is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker KAHOT. Let’s play!
Kahoot! Ownership Structure
Kahoot! is owned by its shareholders. The largest ones are private equity firm General Atlantic which owns 14.9% of the company, followed by CEO Eilert Hanoa, who owns an 8.4% share, and investment firm Datum with a 6.8% ownership share.
Notable owners are also co-founder Åsmund Furuseth, with a 1.5% ownership share, and co-founder Morten Versvik with 1.5% ownership.
The largest Kahoot!’s owner is General Atlantic, which owns 14.9% of the company. General Atlantic’s ownership is quite new.
They acquired the stake from SoftBank in 2022. General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm that invests in companies that are transforming industries and shaping the future.
The second largest Kahoot!’s owner is its CEO and early investor, Eilert Hanoa, who owns an 8.4% stake in Kahoot! through his company Glitrafjord AS.
Eilert Hanoa became CEO in 2019. Until then, he was chairman of the board since 2014. Next to CEO salary and stock options, Hanoa’s company Glitrafjord AS also charges “Consulting services” to Kahoot!. The total amount in 2021 was $380 thousand.
The third largest Kahoot!’s owner is an investment firm Datum Group with a 6.8% ownership. Datum is controlled by Norwegian investor Jan Haudemann-Andersen. Datum is a long-term investor that focuses on companies with strong growth potential and competitive advantages.
Other notable owners of Kahoot! are co-founders Åsmund Furuseth and Morten Versvik, who each own 1.5% of the company through their respective companies, Furuseth Invest AS and Versvik Invest AS. Furuseth is also the Chief Product Officer of Kahoot!, while Versvik is no longer involved in the company.
Kahoot!’s History
Kahoot! was founded in 2012 by Morten Versvik, Johan Brand, and Jamie Brooker.
Kahoot! was founded in 2012 by Morten Versvik, Johan Brand, and Jamie Brooker who, in a joint project with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), teamed up with Professor Alf Inge Wang, and were later joined by entrepreneur Åsmund Furuseth.
The technology is based on research conducted by Kahoot! co-founder Morten Versvik, a student of Professor Wang’s at the time, for his Master’s degree at NTNU.
Furthermore, Kahoot! was presented at SXSW EDU in March 2013. In September 2013, Kahoot! was opened to the public, and it’s been quite a ride ever since.
Building a company with learning at its heart, they chose to address the classroom first, but it seems game-based learning is now a pop culture phenomenon.
Today, the Kahoot! movement spans far beyond classrooms: it is played in business training sessions, at sporting and cultural events, and in any social and learning context, whether in-person or virtually.
Kahoot! has also been a publicly traded company on the Oslo stock exchange since 2019, but it was not on its primary market.
After its re-IPO in 2021 on Oslo’s stock exchange primary market, Kahoot! is currently traded under the ticker KAHOT. Additionally, Kahoot! has also acquired several other companies to expand its product portfolio and reach, such as Drops, Actimo, Whiteboard.fi, Motimate, Clever, and DragonBox.
Kahoot!’s vision
Kahoot!’s vision is to build the leading learning platform in the world. To achieve this, Kahoot! has three strategic pillars: growth, engagement, and learning outcomes.
Growth: Kahoot! aims to grow its user base, revenue, and market share by offering a diverse range of products and services for different segments and use cases, such as schools, workplaces, and homes. Likewise, Kahoot! also seeks to grow through partnerships, acquisitions, and international expansion.
Engagement: Additionally, Kahoot! strives to increase the engagement and retention of its users by providing a fun, social, and interactive learning experience. Kahoot! also leverages data and insights to personalize and optimize the learning journey for each user.
Learning outcomes: Kahoot! focuses on delivering high-quality learning outcomes for its users by aligning its products and content with the best pedagogical practices and standards. Furthermore, Kahoot! also measures and reports on the impact and value of its learning platform for its users.
Conclusion
Kahoot! is a game-based learning and presentation platform that is used by millions of teachers, students, employees, and families around the world.
Kahoot! is owned by its shareholders, with the largest ones being General Atlantic, Eilert Hanoa, and Datum. Kahoot! was founded in 2012 by Morten Versvik, Johan Brand, and Jamie Brooker, who teamed up with Professor Alf Inge Wang and Åsmund Furuseth.
Additionally, Kahoot! has been a publicly traded company since 2019, and has acquired several other companies to expand its product portfolio and reach.
Kahoot!’s vision is to build the leading learning platform in the world, by focusing on growth, engagement, and learning outcomes.
Furthermore, Kahoot! is a company that wants to make learning awesome for everyone. By combining the power of games, technology, and pedagogy, Kahoot! has also created a unique and innovative learning platform that is loved by millions of users across the globe.
Kahoot! is not only a successful business, but also a social and educational movement that is transforming the way we learn and interact.
READ ALSO:
- How to Play Kahoot: A Fun and Engaging Way to Learn Anything
- What is Kahoot!: A Fun Twist to Learning and Engagement
- How to Make a Kahoot: A Step-by-Step Guide for Teachers