Tuesday, May 09, 2023

Go1 acquires Blinkist in a deal they say is circa $100 million



GO1 the Ozzie Loved learning Unicorn has bought German business Blinkist that has been  disrupting the microlearning segment with its innovative digital reading platform .


Startup daily says that the deal is said to be worth around $100m , with one of its key Investors , Insight Partners, taking an additional US$30 million in equity in Go1 at an “upround” that’s believed to value the business at around $3.5 billion.


What Blinkist Does

Blinkist, summarizes the key ideas from the world’s most powerful books into bite-sized nuggets of knowledge. 


Created by four friends at university who share a passion for learning, the company initially struggled with only 100 downloads in the first few months, but now they can boast over 26 million users and counting


BlinkistProvides genuine value to someone’s life.” – says Holger Seim, CEO of Blinkist - sharing  key insights from over 5,700 of the world’s best nonfiction and fiction titles. 

It Provides Knowledge right at your fingertips 



What was the 10X factor that made this happen making it “one of the best apps in the world” (according to Apple)  and the best startup employer in Germany (according to LinkedIn ) 


  • $35 million in VC funding, enabling it to employ over 160 people igniting millions of curious minds. 
  • Diverse content - A learner can choose from topics across 27 categories to broaden their perspective. 
  • Endorsements from the likes of Apple’s CEO Tim Cook 
  • Solving a pain - saving time - reading takes a lot of time -  Blinkist created an easy and powerful way to make the most of a user’s reading time by presenting them in quick, readable servings known as “blinks” that you  can read (or listen to) on any device, anywhere at any time. Filled with actionable advice as well as relevant examples, making it less likely to forget what they’ve read. 


“Blinkist helps its users learn and retain more information than ever before. 


The App That Is Loved By Millions has received over 94K five-star ratings on the App and Google Play Store from intellectuals all over the world. 


Why GO1 is excited 

Andrew Barnes, co-CEO of Go1 - the global content aggregator for high-quality training said that the combination of Go1 and Blinkist will create a new model for consumption of any type of learning content - providing an experience of ongoing learning that serves professional goals while being engaging.


The goal is for life long  learners to  incorporate learning into their day-to-day lives. How can we provide an ability to learn wherever and whenever a learner want to.


This is the future of learning.

I am really excited about this development of learning , and excited to be on the journey of providing lifelong learning with BSI Learning and NEXTTECH Learning . 


Yes, it’s challenging - but oh so rewarding and on the cutting edge of innovation 


GO1 is supported by a powerful cocktail of Investors 

Go1’s backers of over $400 million include SEEK, Microsoft’s M12, Madrona Venture Group, and AirTree, with Blinkist’s other investors Greycroft, Headline, IBB, and MGO, now joining its cap table.


Read more at: https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/berlin-startup-acquisition?utm_source=cpp

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