LinkedIn acquired Lynda.com in 2015, and the service later became LinkedIn Learning.
Lynda.com was an online education company founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin. It became known for structured video courses covering software, design, business, photography, and technology. Its lessons were aimed at people developing practical skills for work, which made the company a natural fit for LinkedIn’s professional-networking business.
LinkedIn announced the acquisition on April 9, 2015, in a deal valued at approximately $1.5 billion. The transaction combined roughly 52 percent cash and 48 percent LinkedIn stock. LinkedIn planned to connect Lynda.com’s training library with its member, recruiting, and professional-development ecosystem.
The transition was gradual rather than an immediate disappearance of the Lynda.com brand. LinkedIn completed the three-year move to LinkedIn Learning in May 2021, transferring learning histories, certificates, and playlists. Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare are separate companies and were not the acquisition behind LinkedIn Learning.