Thursday, June 23, 2011

Online Learning Company Ties With UCLA Extension, CAA

A new, venture backed online education company, Encore Career Institute, headed by Steve Poizner, said today that it has linked with the UCLA Extension to offer up professional certificates and career counseling online. The firm said it has raised $15M in a Series A venture capital funding from InterWest Partners and Granite Ventures. Encore explained that its offerings will be based on UCLA Extension's content and courses. In addition to UCLA, entertainment and sports agency CAA is intimately involved in the effort, saying that it will be providing its resources to market the new Encore program nationally. Poizner said the firm will tap the "academic excellence at UCLA, the creative know-how of Silicon Valley and the marketing power of Hollywood." Encore is based in Los Gatos.

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