Microsoft Acquires TakeLessons online education platform for students

Microsoft announced that it acquired TakeLessons, an online education platform for students to connect with tutors that specializes in different areas such as academic subjects, music lessons, professional training, language learning, and hobbies.

The platform is also used by tutors to book and organize all of the lessons they provide to students, and they can do it online and in person.

Microsoft Now Owns TakeLessons

In January, Microsoft stated that its online collaboration platform Microsoft Teams was used by more than 100 million students around the world. This prompted Microsoft to launch support for macOS to reach more users.

Last year, Microsoft even launched a series of new features for its users as Teams competed with Zoom in online video chatting.

The increased engagement is due to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced schools to close down and have students attend classes at home.

The software company decided to acquire TakeLessons to expand its position in the education system, according to CNBC.

The terms and conditions of the deal were not disclosed to the public. TakeLessons is a San Diego-based company that has raised more than $20 million from individuals and firms like Uncork Capital, LightBank, and Crosslink Capital so they can reach out to more students.

The company posted a note on its website that confirmed the report about Microsoft purchasing the rights to the platform.

The note stated that it will still operate the same way for now, although it may make some changes in the near future as it plans to expand to a wider audience.

TakeLessons did not reveal how many active students and tutors it has on its platform, according to ZDNet.

A similar company called GoStudent raised $244 million in funding this year, and it is valued at $1.7 billion, so it is safe to say that TakeLessons may be in the same ballpark.

Other online tutoring platforms like Brainly are also raking in hundreds of millions in funding.

The company's acquisition means that it is equipped with Microsoft's infrastructure and tools to set up an aggressive play in marketing online education. The software company may even go head-to-head with bigger platforms once everything is finalized.