DataCamp Acquires Optima to Build an AI-Native Learning Platform

DataCamp has acquired AI learning startup Optima in a move that the company says will redefine the future of online education and accelerate its transition into a fully AI-native learning platform. The acquisition brings Optima’s founder and CEO, Yusuf Saber, into DataCamp as Chief AI Officer, where he will lead the company’s global AI operations from the United Arab Emirates. The entire Optima team has also joined DataCamp, marking one of the most significant integrations in the company’s history.

The strategic move comes as DataCamp prepares to hit $100 million in annual recurring revenue by the end of next year, supported by a global user base of more than 18 million learners and 6,000 B2B customers. With the acquisition, DataCamp aims to shift from conventional e-learning models toward a real-time, personalized learning experience built directly on an adaptive AI engine.

A Big Bet on Personalized, AI-Driven Education

At the center of the acquisition is Optima’s AI-native learning engine, which dynamically adapts lessons for each learner. Unlike traditional online courses, where videos and content remain static, Optima generates exercises, explanations and challenges on the fly shaped by the learner’s background, pace, goals and skill level.

“Optima was built to embed intelligence directly into the learning experience, so we can intuitively adjust each lesson to who a learner is and what they already know,” said Saber. “From our first conversation with the DataCamp team, it was clear how much our visions aligned. By bringing Optima’s AI-native learning experience into DataCamp’s global platform, I think we have the opportunity to set a new standard for how people learn online.”

This foundation marks a shift in DataCamp’s educational philosophy. Instead of AI as an add-on or feature, the company is rebuilding its platform so that AI becomes the environment itself a core layer that shapes every learner’s journey in real time.

Addressing the Limits of Traditional Online Learning

DataCamp argues that the online education industry has hit a ceiling with traditional formats. Pre-recorded videos and generic learning paths cannot match the pace of change in fields like data science, analytics and artificial intelligence where skills become outdated within months.

This challenge accelerated DataCamp’s shift toward personalization at scale, something that Optima’s technology is designed to solve.

“The field of data and AI is evolving faster than ever,” said Jonathan Cornelissen, co-founder and CEO of DataCamp. “DataCamp is turning the page on an era of online learning defined by static and generic content. With the Optima team now part of DataCamp, we’ve never been better placed to redefine how organizations move their people along the learning curve.”

Cornelissen said the future of upskilling requires human-like adaptability, where lessons evolve as quickly as the industries they serve. Optima’s engine, he added, moves beyond AI hints and minor content tweaks to deliver a truly dynamic, personalized environment.

Optima’s Journey: From Zoom Tutorials to Global Scale

Optima’s story began just two years ago, when Yusuf Saber started teaching data and AI skills through Zoom sessions enhanced by a rudimentary GPT-3 tutor. What started as a simple adaptive assistant quickly grew into a full learning platform capable of customizing entire curriculums in real time. Backed by COTU Ventures and early angel investors, Optima became a category-defining AI learning engine, one that caught DataCamp’s attention at a crucial moment in its product evolution.

The acquisition now brings Optima’s technology to a global audience across 180 countries, including enterprise customers representing more than 80% of the Fortune 1,000. For Saber and his team, the deal signals that AI-native learning built in the MENA region can scale to millions of learners worldwide.

A New Category of AI-Native Learning

DataCamp describes the integration as “a new foundation,” not a feature release. With Optima, learners will interact with a system that adjusts the depth, difficulty and context of each concept, speeding through familiar topics while going deeper into areas that require more work. Key characteristics of the new learning experience include:

• Hyper-personalized sessions: Every lesson is unique to each learner’s background, objectives and current progress.
• Context-aware content: Lessons adapt to real-world roles, from finance analysts to students or marketers.
• Continuously updated knowledge: Content evolves alongside industry changes, ensuring learners build skills based on the latest AI standards.
• Human-like instruction: The learning experience is designed to feel intuitive and conversational, rather than bot-driven.

For organizations, DataCamp says this will unlock fully customized learning paths aligned with their tools, datasets and strategic priorities something traditional course platforms cannot replicate at scale.

What Happens Next With DataCamp & Optima ?

Starting immediately, Premium DataCamp subscribers can access the AI-native experience in two initial courses: Introduction to AI for Work and Introduction to SQL. Free learners will be able to try the first chapter of both. Over the coming months, DataCamp plans to expand AI-native learning across more programs, languages and enterprise offerings. The long-term goal is a platform where every learner,  individual or corporate can experience a personalized pathway shaped entirely by AI.

The acquisition of Optima signals the beginning of this new chapter. As Cornelissen puts it, “If the last decade was about building the most engaging platform to learn data and AI, the next one is about redefining how learning itself works.”