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Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft Corp., gestures as he speaks during a panel session on day two of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. World leaders, influential leaders, bankers and policymakers attend the 48th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos from January 23-26.
Jason Alden | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Microsoft has acquired TakeLessons, a start-up with a website where people book paid courses online and in person on a variety of topics, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed on Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The move shows that Microsoft remains committed to providing opportunities for people to find educational content, and not just in business. Over 6% of Microsoft’s revenue comes from LinkedIn, and the professional networking platform generates a portion of its revenue through premium memberships that include access to LinkedIn Learning, through which subscribers can take online courses.
LinkedIn is different from TakeLessons because it offers live training for private lessons from instructors and live group lessons. While LinkedIn Learning specializes in content on leadership, sales, and other business topics, TakeLessons offers courses in many consumer-focused topics including music, languages, and the arts.
“TakeLessons is a unique and trusted online marketplace that connects diverse, qualified and approved instructors with students of all ages pursuing their goals,” a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC in an email. “This acquisition responds to the growing demand for personalized hybrid opportunities and extends our product offering to consumers of TakeLessons, a leading online learning platform.
TakeLessons was founded in 2006 and is based in San Diego. Investors include Crosslink Capital, Moore Venture Partners, SoftTech VC and Triangle Peak Partners.
“With the help and courage of the exceptional team at TakeLessons, hundreds of millions of people from all corners of the world visited TakeLessons and took millions of minutes of lessons – learning everything from STEM to Farsi, from guitar to horseback riding, parkour, tennis, singing and yes, even boosting Excel macros, ”wrote Steven Cox, founder and CEO of TakeLessons, in a LinkedIn post.
The coronavirus pandemic has benefited e-learning. Covid “has accelerated the market for e-learning solutions,” Coursera said earlier this year when filing a request for publication. And the number of hours spent on LinkedIn Learning doubled year-over-year in the fourth quarter, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told analysts on a conference call in January.
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