Learning company Go1 acquired Blinkist, a mobile-first learning app that summarizes key ideas from professional books and podcasts. The company says the acquisition will be the foundation of a “new model of corporate learning” that will seek “engage learners throughout their day-to-day lives.”
Go1’s roots are in its work as an aggregator of learning and development content. The company offers “tens of thousands” of short-form courses that are typically used in a corporate setting. The company decided that engaging learners on a “grand scale” requires democratizing access to more types of learning content, as well as making that content available in more places so as to “meet learners where they are.” That increasingly means on smartphones or during commutes – both areas where Blinkist can be a solution.
Blinkist’s acquisition will expand Go1’s appeal to an audience that wants to learn new skills and stay up to date on business and self-improvement topics, the company said. Learners can access Blinkist content through their corporate learning management system but they’ll now also be able to access content on their mobile, through CarPlay or other channels.
“Go1 is not entering the content production market – we’re combining our existing content aggregation service with Blinkist’s similar service for books to open a new model for consumption of any type of learning content,” said Co-CEO Andrew Barnes. Go1 and Blinkist will offer “an experience of ongoing learning that serves professional goals that’s purpose-built to be personally engaging.”
“We’re thrilled with Go1’s acquisition of Blinkist,” said Thilo Semmelbauer, managing director at Insight Partners, an investor in the combined companies. “Blinkist’s mobile content and product will expand the learning opportunities already available to Go1’s customers and create a powerful pair with Go1’s corporate learning offering.”
Mike Bertolino, global leader of EY’s Skills Foundry, which partners with Go1 for access to professional learning content, shared similar enthusiasm on the deal. “We are excited about the Blinkist acquisition and the ability to now offer summaries such as Jim Collins’ Good to Great to our customers,” said Bertolino.
In addition to its consumer app, Blinkist works with leading employers to offer leadership and skills development to their employees.
Image: Blinkist
