Microsoft invested $300 million dollars in which company's Nook in 2012?

Microsoft invested $300 million in Barnes & Noble’s Nook business in 2012.

The deal was announced on April 30, 2012, as part of a strategic partnership between Microsoft and Barnes & Noble. The investment went into a newly formed subsidiary, often called Newco, which combined Barnes & Noble’s digital reading, digital content, and college bookstore operations. Microsoft received an approximately 17.6% stake, while Barnes & Noble retained about 82.4%.

The partnership was designed to strengthen Nook against competitors such as Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iBooks. It also included plans for a Windows 8 reading application and digital content marketplace. The Nook was Barnes & Noble’s e-reader and digital-book platform, launched in 2009.

A common mix-up is saying Microsoft invested directly in a Nook device. More precisely, Microsoft invested in the subsidiary holding Barnes & Noble’s Nook and related digital businesses. The commercial agreement later ended in 2014, but Barnes & Noble is the company associated with the investment.