LinkedIn launched LinkedIn Learning in 2016. The service debuted in September 2016, combining LinkedIn's professional network with a large library of on-demand video courses for business, creative, and technology skills.
The platform grew out of LinkedIn's 2015 acquisition of Lynda.com, an online learning company founded by Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin. Rather than starting an entirely new education business, LinkedIn used Lynda.com's established course catalog and instructional expertise as the foundation for its own learning product.
The launch is sometimes confused with the later branding transition. LinkedIn Learning began in 2016, but Lynda.com was merged and renamed under the LinkedIn Learning brand in October 2017. Microsoft acquired LinkedIn in December 2016, shortly after the learning service launched. The platform's courses are generally organized around business, creative, technology, and certification-related topics.