Linden Lab

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.

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

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

• Virtual world platform
• User generated content
• Virtual goods marketplace
• Avatar customization platform
• Metaverse platform

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Premium account subscriptions providing enhanced features and access within Second Life. Users can subscribe to premium tiers for additional benefits and functionality.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• ThunescoreTechnology or Integration · 23 April 2024Thunes, 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.
• STYNGRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2023STYNGR 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 RecordsflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 June 2023Motown 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 FidelityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2022High 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/LindenLab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/lindenlabofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/linden-lab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Linden Lab