Mike Feerick, founder of Alison, says online learning will concentrate on a small number of platforms
The online learning platform has already won an innovation award from Unesco.
So how has it stayed below the radar? While the new wave of online courses - so-called Moocs, such as Coursera and edX, have become darlings of the digital media, why has Alison not had the same attention?
Mr Feerick says the big difference is who they are trying to reach. It's the academic versus vocational divide being played out in the digital market.
"The people we're helping do not have a huge voice," says Mr Feerick.
While the Moocs are associated with high-status universities, Alison's focus is on the vast numbers of people around the world needing to improve their vocational skills and training.
There are courses in subjects such as computer skills, learning English, basic accountancy, building a website, food safety, immunology, introductions to legal studies.
He is planning to expand into secondary school level, with video lessons customised for national exam systems, beginning with maths.
