Linden Lab
Linden Lab operates Second Life, a 3D user-generated virtual world launched in 2003 serving ~73 million registered accounts and ~750,000 monthly active users. The company generates revenue through premium subscriptions and marketplace transaction fees on nearly 2 billion user-created items.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Linden Lab does
Linden Lab (legal name Linden Research, Inc.) is a privately held American software company founded in 1999 by Philip Rosedale and headquartered in San Francisco. The company develops platforms that enable users to create, share, and monetize virtual experiences, with Second Life — a 3D user-generated virtual world launched in 2003 — as its core product. Second Life has accumulated approximately 73 million registered accounts, roughly 750,000 monthly active users, and nearly 2 billion user-created items across its 20+ year continuous operation. The platform combines avatar-based social interaction, text and voice communication, user-generated 3D environments, and an integrated virtual goods marketplace.
The company operates a freemium business model monetizing through premium subscription tiers (monthly billing) and transaction-based fees on virtual goods and services traded in the Second Life marketplace, which processes over 1.6 million transactions daily and supports tens of thousands of monetizing creators. GTM is primarily product-led and community-led, with the user community ("Residents") functioning as ambassadors, content creators, and event organizers. Distribution is self-serve via direct download from secondlife.com, with a first mobile application entering public beta in June 2024. Until April 2024, Linden Lab also operated Tilia, a majority-owned licensed money transmitter serving virtual economies; Tilia was divested to Thunes under a five-year exclusive payment processing partnership. The leadership team is led by Executive Chairman and CEO Brad Oberwager and founder/CTO Philip Rosedale, supported by a Board including J. Randall Waterfield and Raj Date (former Deputy Director of the U.S. CFPB).
Linden Lab's primary customer segments are individual virtual world enthusiasts and creators/content developers who monetize virtual goods, with secondary business engagements from entertainment and media brands (e.g., Motown Records) seeking metaverse presence. The company maintains offices in San Francisco and Atlanta, and is led operationally by an experienced management team including SVP of Engineering Jerome Despret (appointed March 2026, formerly of EA/Maxis, Riot Games, and Zynga) and SVP of Product Anya Kanevsky.
Linden Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Linden Lab
- Legal name
- Linden Research, Inc.
- Website
- https://lindenlab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Linden Lab operates Second Life, a 3D user-generated virtual world launched in 2003 serving ~73 million registered accounts and ~750,000 monthly active users. The company generates revenue through premium subscriptions and marketplace transaction fees on nearly 2 billion user-created items.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Linden Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Virtual World Platform
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metaverse & Social Virtual Worlds (BPAMAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Gaming & Virtual World Social Platforms (MPACAJAG)
Keywords
Where Linden Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Linden Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: Premium account subscriptions providing enhanced features and access within Second Life. Users can subscribe to premium tiers for additional benefits and functionality.
- Virtual Goods and Marketplace: Transaction fees and revenue from the sale of virtual items and services. Tens of thousands of creators profit from selling millions of virtual items on the marketplace, with over 1.6M transactions daily within Second Life.
- Payment Processing Services: Tilia LLC, a majority-owned subsidiary, provides payment processing and payout services for virtual economies, online games, and creator platforms. Thunes acquired Tilia in 2024 with a 5-year exclusive partnership for payment processing to Linden Lab.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free access with optional premium subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Membership Subscriptions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Linden Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Linden Lab develops and operates Second Life, a pioneering 3D virtual world platform launched in 2003 where users create avatars, socialize via text and voice, and build user-generated virtual environments. The platform supports a $650 million USD creator economy where tens of thousands of creators develop and sell millions of virtual items through an integrated marketplace, processing over 1.6 million transactions daily. The company also offers premium subscriptions, a mobile app (Second Life Mobile), and previously operated the Tilia payment processing subsidiary before its 2024 sale to Thunes.
Product overview
Linden Lab operates a platform-plus-content model centered on Second Life, a pioneering 3D virtual world launched in 2003. The platform enables users to create virtual experiences, socialize via text/voice, and participate in a thriving virtual economy where creators sell virtual items. Second Life Mobile extends access to mobile devices. The company previously operated Sansar (VR platform, discontinued) and Blocksworld (acquired), and spun off Tilia (payments) which was subsequently sold to Thunes in 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Second Life: The largest and most successful 3D virtual world, developed entirely by its users. A platform where tens of thousands of creators develop environments and profit from the sale of millions of virtual items on the marketplace. Nearly two billion user creations and a vibrant economy.
- Tilia
Products and services
- Second Life The largest and most successful 3D virtual world, developed entirely by its users. Second Life enables Residents to create avatars, join groups, message people worldwide via text or voice, explore user-built virtual places and experiences, and for tens of thousands of creators to profit from selling millions of virtual items on the integrated marketplace. It is offered on a freemium model with optional premium subscriptions.
- Second Life Mobile Second Life Mobile is the first mobile application for the Second Life virtual world, enabling Residents to access the platform on iOS and Android mobile devices. It was made available in public beta in June 2024 and is distributed through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Quantifiable outcome
- 73 million accounts created since 2003 with ~750K monthly active users
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Linden Lab
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Linden Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Linden Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- ThunescoreThunes, a global cross-border payments company, acquired Tilia LLC (Linden Lab's payment subsidiary) and entered a 5-year exclusive partnership to provide payment processing and payouts to Linden Lab. Thunes' global network connects to 4 billion bank accounts, 3 billion digital wallets, and 550 Alternative Payment Methods.
- STYNGRcoreSTYNGR is the first platform bridging music and gaming, providing globally licensed music with access to 100 million+ tracks. The partnership enables Motown Records content integration into Second Life through STYNGR's licensing, technology, and platform which imports curated music from major and indie labels.
- Motown RecordsflagshipMotown Records partnership launched an immersive music experience and venue in Second Life featuring classic and contemporary Motown artists. The venue includes interactive experiences, 'Styngs' music snippets for avatars, and a dedicated Motown Records radio station curated by Motown and STYNGR.
- High FidelityminorHigh Fidelity invested in Second Life. High Fidelity, co-founded by Philip Rosedale (Second Life founder), created an open-source platform for emerging VR headsets and licenses patented spatial audio technology to other companies.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Linden Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Roblox Corporation: Public user-generated 3D virtual world and game platform with a massive creator economy, daily active users in the tens of millions, and a similar marketplace/transaction-fee revenue model. Directly comparable as a UGC-driven virtual world competing for creator and user attention.
- VRChat: User-created 3D social virtual worlds platform with avatar-based social interaction, user-generated worlds, and creator tools. Closely comparable to Second Life's core use case of social/creative virtual world experiences, with a younger and more VR-leaning user base.
- High Fidelity: Spatial audio and VR/metaverse infrastructure company co-founded by Philip Rosedale (Linden Lab's founder). Comparable as a virtual-world platform with overlapping founder DNA and an investor relationship with Linden Lab.
- Decentraland: Decentralized 3D virtual world with user-owned land, user-generated content, and a virtual economy. Comparable to Second Life as a user-driven virtual world with creator monetization, though with a blockchain-based asset model.
- IMVU: Avatar-based 3D social platform with user-generated virtual goods and a creator marketplace. Closely comparable to Second Life on avatar customization, virtual goods commerce, and freemium social experiences.
Broad incumbents
- Meta (Horizon Worlds): Meta operates Horizon Worlds, a social VR/metaverse platform, as part of a much broader Reality Labs portfolio. Overlaps with Second Life on social virtual world experiences but benefits from Meta's capital, distribution, and VR hardware investment.
- Epic Games (Fortnite / UEFN): Fortnite's UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite) has become a leading user-generated game and social platform with strong creator monetization. Comparable to Second Life as a competing destination for user-generated 3D experiences and live virtual events.
Emerging players
- Rec Room: Cross-platform social gaming app with user-generated rooms, avatar-based social interaction, and creator monetization tools. Comparable to Second Life on UGC-driven social virtual experiences with stronger mobile/cross-platform distribution.
- The Sandbox: User-generated 3D virtual world with creator-driven experiences and a virtual economy, originally voxel-based. Comparable to Second Life on UGC virtual world and creator monetization mechanics.
Others
- Unity Technologies: Provider of real-time 3D development engine (Unity) used to build interactive 3D content, including virtual worlds and metaverse experiences. Not a direct competitor but an enabling platform on which Linden Lab and its peers build and could partner with for tooling.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Linden Lab social profiles
Digital presenceLinden Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Linden Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Linden Lab subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Linden Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Linden Lab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Linden Lab
What does Linden Lab do?
Linden Lab develops and operates Second Life, a pioneering 3D virtual world platform launched in 2003 where users create avatars, socialize via text and voice, and build user-generated virtual environments. The platform supports a $650 million USD creator economy where tens of thousands of creators develop and sell millions of virtual items through an integrated marketplace, processing over 1.6 million transactions daily. The company also offers premium subscriptions, a mobile app (Second Life Mobile), and previously operated the Tilia payment processing subsidiary before its 2024 sale to Thunes.
Is Linden Lab a public or private company?
Linden Lab is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Linden Lab founded?
Linden Lab was founded in 1999. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Linden Lab based?
Linden Lab is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Linden Lab make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are virtual Goods and Marketplace and payment Processing Services.
Who are Linden Lab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Roblox Corporation, VRChat, High Fidelity, Decentraland and IMVU. Broad incumbents are Meta (Horizon Worlds) and Epic Games (Fortnite / UEFN). Emerging players are Rec Room and The Sandbox. Unity Technologies is listed as an others.
Does Linden Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Linden Lab.
What industry is Linden Lab in?
Linden Lab's product category is Virtual World Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAKAF, Metaverse & Social Virtual Worlds, with a secondary code of MPACAJAG, Gaming & Virtual World Social Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.