MBA students at HEC Paris, the alma mater of the founders of Augment MBA

Augment MBA Provides A MasterClass-Like MBA

A new online MBA-like program taught by the founders of Wikipedia, YouTube, and Shazam has recently raised $6 million in seed funding.

Augment MBA, a new online MBA program created by the French startup Augment, offers students an alternative to the traditional MBA through practical courses taught by industry-leading entrepreneurs. Tuition costs $1,750 and students can complete the program in just 40 hours. Since March 2023, Augment has enrolled 500 students and 80 have graduated.

Romain Dillet, of TechCrunch, recently got an insider-look at Augment’s program and what it has to offer.

STAR-STUDDED FACULTY

One of the selling points of the Augment MBA program is the faculty, which is comprised primarily of tech leaders and founders. The Augment MBA curriculum consists of six modules, or courses, on topics related to entrepreneurship and starting a business. Courses are made up of 15-minute lessons with hundreds for students to choose from.

“In many ways, Augment feels like an alternative to MasterClass, with a specific focus on business education and a structured curriculum that goes beyond video courses,” Dillet says. “Some of the first entrepreneurs turned teachers include Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, YouTube founder Steve Chen and Shazam founder Chris Barton.”

DESIGNED BY ENTREPRENEURS, FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Founders Roy Wellner and Ariel Renous, both MBA alumni of HEC Paris, created Augment after concluding that traditional MBA programs tended to focus more on theoretical knowledge rather than practical. Augment MBA is specifically designed for three types of professionals: aspiring entrepreneurs, managers looks to improve leadership skills, and technical professionals seeking business skills.

“Most of our teachers were academics or researchers, sometimes consultants,” Wellner tells Bloomberg. “It was really great for my colleagues who wanted to go into consulting, into finance. But it is not the place if you want to launch your startup.”

FUTURE GROWTH

While Augment’s main offering is its online MBA program, the startup offers a few other industry-specific programs with more on the way. Students can currently enroll in the Augment MBA, the Entrepreneurship Program, or the Sales Program. The company is also looking to add a Financial Accounting Program and Leadership program to its offerings.

Sources: TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Bloomberg, Augment