LinkedIn buys online-learning platform lynda.com for US$1.5bn

10 Apr 2015

LinkedIn has acquired online learning company lynda.com for US$1.5bn. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said the combination of lynda.com’s content with LinkedIn will change the way people grasp opportunities.

The transaction is valued at approximately US$1.5 billion in a combination of 52pc cash and 48pc stock.

The acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of 2015.

“This is such an exciting moment in the 20-year history of lynda.com and I couldn’t imagine a better pairing than lynda.com and LinkedIn,” said Lynda Weinman, co-founder and executive chair of the board of lynda.com.

Based in Carpinteria, California, lynda.com was co-founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin and provides a library of premium skills content, offering a massive library of high-quality courses.

Through a subscription to lynda.com’s service, individual members and organisations have access to a collection of top-quality courses taught by industry experts, offered in English, German, French, Spanish, and Japanese.

Lynda.com also serves corporate, government and educational organisations through its lyndaEnterprise, lyndaPro, lyndaCampus, lyndaLibrary and lyndaKiosk products.

Connecting learning with opportunity

“The mission of LinkedIn and the mission of lynda.com are highly aligned. Both companies seek to help professionals be better at what they do,” said Weiner.

“Lynda.com’s extensive library of premium video content helps empower people to develop the skills needed to accelerate their careers. When integrated with the hundreds of millions of members and millions of jobs on LinkedIn, lynda.com can change the way in which people connect to opportunity.”

In a blog post, LinkedIn’s head of content Ryan Roslansky described the alignment between LinkedIn and lynda.com:

“Imagine being a job seeker and being able to instantly know what skills are needed for the available jobs in a desired city, like Denver, and then to be prompted to take the relevant and accredited course to help you acquire this skill. Or doing a search on SlideShare to learn about integrated marketing and then to be prompted with a lynda.com course on the same subject.

“Both lynda.com and LinkedIn are used by small and large organisations that place a high premium on talent — whether it’s acquiring it, training it, or retaining it. Lynda.com’s video content is used across academic institutions and companies alike to help train their employees and to educate students.”

Online learning image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com