Lynda

What Lynda does

Lynda, founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman, was an online learning platform that built a library of video courses covering software, creative, and business skills, marketed to individual professionals and enterprises. The company was acquired by LinkedIn in 2015 for approximately $1.5 billion and was subsequently rebranded as LinkedIn Learning; following Microsoft's 2016 acquisition of LinkedIn, the product now operates inside the Microsoft-owned LinkedIn business. Today the catalog spans 25,800+ courses produced by 3,900+ experts across 20+ languages, and is sold via individual subscriptions and enterprise licenses to organizations including 78% of the Fortune 100 (named customers include MGM Resorts, Yildiz Holding, Godiva, TVH, TalkTalk, LEGO, and Autodesk).

The product is delivered as on-demand video, short-form Nano Tips, learning paths, skill assessments, and role guides, with recommendations and personalization drawing on LinkedIn's labor-market graph — skills in demand, hiring velocity, and career transitions. Distribution is layered: LinkedIn surfaces learning prompts in feed, profile, and recruiter flows; enterprise customers access content through LinkedIn Learning Hub and through integrations with Microsoft Viva Learning, Microsoft Teams, and third-party tools including GitHub Codespaces, Blue Prism, LambdaTest, and Zendesk.

The business model combines individual B2C subscriptions (monthly/annual plans), enterprise license sales (team and organization tiers, including 21% off bulk list pricing), and bundling inside Microsoft 365 / Viva. Revenue is not disclosed separately; LinkedIn Learning sits inside LinkedIn, which reported $17.1 billion in total revenue in 2024 (8.6% YoY). Go-to-market is hybrid: a freemium-to-paid individual funnel through LinkedIn, and an enterprise sales motion augmented by Microsoft's commercial channel.

Name

Lynda

Legal name

LinkedIn Corporation

Website

https://lynda.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lynda, now LinkedIn Learning, operates a 25,800+ course online learning library sold to individual professionals and enterprises (78% of Fortune 100), distributed natively through LinkedIn and the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Learning Platform

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) & Learning Portals (EDAFAAAB)

Keywords

• Online learning platform
• Video training courses
• Professional skill development
• Corporate e-learning
• Career advancement training

Headquarters

HQ city

Carpinteria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription for individual professionals to access all 25,800+ courses, skill evaluations, career guides, and professional certificates. Offers free trial period.
2. Team/Enterprise License: Organizational licenses for teams, businesses, higher education institutions, and government agencies with bulk pricing and admin capabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lynda, now operating as LinkedIn Learning, is a video-based online learning platform offering 25,800+ courses in Business, Technology, and Creative skills taught by 3,900+ industry experts. The platform serves both individual subscribers via self-serve monthly and annual plans and organizational buyers through team and enterprise licenses. Courses are complemented by Skill Evaluations, Role Guides, Learning Paths, Professional Certificates, and hands-on practice environments.

Product overview

LinkedIn Learning is a single, unified online learning platform that delivers video-based educational content through the LinkedIn ecosystem. The platform's core offering is LinkedIn Learning itself, supplemented by role-specific Role Guides (35+ roles) and 1,300+ curated Learning Paths for structured skill development. Additional features include Skill Evaluations for personalized recommendations, Professional Certificates offered in partnership with Microsoft, Zendesk, LambdaTest, and BluePrism, Nano Tips (450+ quick videos), and hands-on practice via 10,000+ exercise files with GitHub Codespaces integration. The platform supports 25,800+ courses, 3,900+ experts, and 20+ languages, serving both individual subscribers and enterprise teams (Trusted by 78% of Fortune 100 companies).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) Video-based online learning platform offering 25,800+ courses across Business, Technology, and Creative categories, taught by 3,900+ industry experts, available in 20+ languages. Available via individual monthly or annual subscription with free trial, as well as team and enterprise licenses for organizations.
• Professional Certificates Credential programs offered in partnership with trusted providers including Microsoft, Zendesk, LambdaTest, and BluePrism, preparing learners for 120+ off-platform certifications, continuing education units, and academic credits. Over 2,000 courses prepare users for these professional certificates.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% of Fortune 100 companies trust LinkedIn Learning
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft is a provider of professional certificates available through LinkedIn Learning. The platform offers Microsoft certification preparation courses, allowing users to prep, assess, and showcase Microsoft skills on the LinkedIn platform.
• ZendeskcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZendesk provides professional certificates available through LinkedIn Learning, enabling users to prepare for Zendesk certifications and showcase these credentials on their professional profiles.
• LambdaTestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLambdaTest is a certificate provider partner offering professional certifications available through LinkedIn Learning for cross-browser testing and related skills.
• BluePrismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBluePrism provides robotic process automation (RPA) professional certificates available through LinkedIn Learning for enterprise automation skill development.
• GitHubcoreTechnology or IntegrationGitHub Codespaces integration provides virtual coding environments for hands-on practice alongside LinkedIn Learning courses, enabling learners to apply concepts in real development environments.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• edX: edX (owned by 2U) offers university-level courses, bootcamps, and credentials from top institutions. Comparable to LinkedIn Learning's higher education channel, professional certificate prep, and asynchronous video learning format.
• Coursera: Coursera is the largest open online course platform, partnering with universities and companies (Google, IBM, Meta) to deliver certificates, specializations, and degrees. Directly comparable to LinkedIn Learning as a paid B2C/B2B online learning subscription with employer, degree, and government channels.
• Udemy: Udemy operates a global marketplace for 200,000+ courses spanning business, technology, and creative skills, with Udemy Business targeting enterprises. Directly comparable to LinkedIn Learning's content breadth, individual subscription model, and enterprise sales motion.
• O'Reilly Media: O'Reilly offers tech and business learning content (books, videos, live courses) primarily via enterprise subscriptions. Comparable to LinkedIn Learning's technology category content library and enterprise subscription model.
• Skillsoft: Skillsoft is an enterprise learning platform offering compliance, leadership, and technology training via subscriptions to Fortune 1000 customers. Directly comparable to LinkedIn Learning's enterprise business motion and Fortune 100 penetration.
• Pluralsight: Pluralsight (now part of Vista Equity) is a tech-skills focused learning platform serving developers, IT, and security professionals with hands-on labs and skill assessments. Comparable to LinkedIn Learning's technology/Coding category and GitHub Codespaces hands-on practice integration.

Emerging players

• DataCamp: DataCamp specializes in data science, AI, and analytics education with interactive coding environments. Comparable to LinkedIn Learning's technology category, especially courses like 'Learning Data Analytics' (910K+ viewers).
• MasterClass: MasterClass is a premium video learning platform featuring celebrity instructors in creative and lifestyle topics. Partial overlap with LinkedIn Learning's creative category, though MasterClass focuses on premium consumer subscriptions rather than enterprise.
• Codecademy: Codecademy focuses on interactive coding education with in-browser IDEs and project-based learning. Comparable to LinkedIn Learning's technology/coding category, especially the GitHub Codespaces integration and tech professional target persona.

Others

• Degreed: Degreed is a Learning Experience Platform (LXP) that aggregates content from multiple providers for enterprise skill-building and career development. Comparable to LinkedIn Learning as an LXP/career pathways provider, but serves as an enabling layer rather than a direct content producer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lynda
• YouTubeyoutube.com/linkedin
• Facebookfacebook.com/lynda
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/linkedin
• Instagraminstagram.com/linkedin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 records

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Lynda