Simplilearn Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors
Simplilearn was acquired by Blackstone for $1.5B in July 2021.
Simplilearn revenue
$59M
Series E · Nov 2022
Cumulative funding Simplilearn raised
$70M
across 3 funding rounds
Key investors in Simplilearn
Kalaari Capital
Helion Venture Partners
Mayfield Fund
GSV Ventures
Clal Insurance
DisruptAD
About Simplilearn
Simplilearn is a Bangalore-headquartered online learning platform offering 500 certification courses in project management, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. It delivers blended training through live virtual classes and self-paced modules, accredited by PMI, AWS, and Microsoft. Simplilearn operates study centers in Singapore, Dubai, and London, training professionals in 150 countries. Recognized by Deloitte as one of India's fastest-growing tech firms, it partners with IBM and CompTIA for curriculum.
Founded
2010
HQ
San Francisco, CAWebsite
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2C
Revenue model
Subscription
Revenue
$59M (Nov 2022)
Valuation
$610M (Nov 2022)
Simplilearn Acquisition
Simplilearn was acquired by Blackstone for $1.5B on 19 July 2021.
Before the acquisition Simplilearn had raised $70M across 3 funding rounds.
| Acquirer | Date | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jul 2021 | PE buyout | $1.5B |
Simplilearn Valuation
Simplilearn is currently valued at $610M, based on its Series E in November 2022.
The $45M round was led by GSV Ventures, with participation from Clal Insurance and DisruptAD.
Simplilearn valuation by funding round
| Date | Stage | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2022 | Series E | $610M | 10.3x |
Simplilearn Revenue
Simplilearn's latest recorded revenue is $59M, as of its Series E in November 2022. At a $610M valuation, that implies a 10.3x revenue multiple.
Simplilearn revenue by funding round
| Date | Revenue * | Valuation | Revenue Multiple | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2022 | $59M | $610M | 10.3x | Series E |
* Revenue (or ARR) figures are the values recorded alongside each funding round. Typically run-rate revenue at the time of the deal, or a reported LTM (last 12 months) revenue.
Simplilearn Funding History
Simplilearn has raised a total of $70M across 3 funding rounds.
Simplilearn's first fundraising round was a $10M Series B in September 2013. The most recent completed round was a $45M Series E in November 2022.
Simplilearn funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2022 | Series E | GSV Ventures (lead); Clal Insurance; DisruptAD | $45M | $610M | Simplilearn, founded in 2010 and backed by Blackstone since a $250 million majority stake investment in June 2021, provides digital skilling programs and professional certification courses in areas like cybersecurity, in partnership with institutions such as Purdue University, IITs, MIT, IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon. The company operates across India, US, Europe, and MENA, conducting over 3,000 live classes monthly with 70,000 learners spending 500,000 hours on the platform. It offers paid B2C and enterprise learning alongside a free platform SkillUp with over 2 million users. On November 16, 2022, Simplilearn raised $45 million in a Series D (or Series E per some reports) funding round led by GSV Ventures, with participation from Clal Insurance, DisruptAD, and ADQ’s venture platform. Sources indicate the deal valued the company at over $500 million, amid a funding winter in edtech, following its prior $400 million valuation in July 2021 from Blackstone's investment. Avendus served as financial advisor. The funds are earmarked for growth in India and international markets, potential acquisitions, expanding programs for freelance and HR professionals, amplifying enterprise focus, and national skilling initiatives. CEO Krishna Kumar highlighted 'mindful growth' and financial prudence amid edtech volatility. Post-round traction included adding 120,000 paid B2C learners and 100,000 enterprise learners since Blackstone's investment. This round occurred as competitors like upGrad, Eruditus, and Scaler showed resilience in upskilling amid K-12 edtech declines. Later reports note a ~$600 million valuation reference. |
| Apr 2015 | Series C | Mayfield Fund (lead); Kalaari Capital; Helion Venture Partners | $15M | - | Simplilearn is an online education and training platform providing professional certification courses in areas including project management, big data and analytics, cloud technologies, IT service management, and financial management. The company offers courses both online and through classroom workshops with study centers globally, having certified more than 400,000 people since its 2010 founding and serving approximately 10,000 new users monthly. In April 2015, Simplilearn raised $15 million in Series C funding led by Mayfield Fund, with participation from existing investors Kalaari Capital and Helion Venture Partners. This brought the company's total funding to $27 million following a $10 million Series B round in September 2013 and a $2 million Series A in August 2012. The company offered more than 200 courses across 40 accreditations at the time of the round. CEO Krishna Kumar stated that the capital would support expansion of the platform, course coverage growth, and rapid market penetration in the United States and other primary markets, capitalizing on the shift of learners toward mobile and online education. The company set ambitious 2015 goals including training 1 million new users and doubling its course catalog. The certification focus on short-term courses with direct career impact differentiated Simplilearn from competing online education platforms during this period. |
| Sep 2013 | Series B | Helion Venture Partners (lead); Kalaari Capital (lead) | $10M | - | Simplilearn, a Bangalore-based online education platform founded in 2009, provides professional certification courses including online training, blended classroom training, and exam practice tests across over 80 courses in 11 categories such as project management, IT services, and quality management. The company had trained over 75,000 professionals across 150 countries, including Fortune 500 companies, and was serving 4,000-10,000 new users monthly by 2013. It operated study centers globally and aimed for expansion into the US, UK, Australia, and the Middle East. On September 17, 2013, Simplilearn raised $10 million in a Series B funding round from Helion Venture Partners and Kalaari Capital, marking its second round after an undisclosed investment from Kalaari in 2012. Khetal Advisors served as the sole advisor for the transaction. The funds were allocated to diversify and expand the course catalog, enhance customer engagement through local teams in international markets, develop mobile platform capabilities, pursue strategic acquisitions, and broaden geographical presence. At the time of the round, Simplilearn was projected to achieve Rs 100 crore in revenue during the 2013-14 fiscal year, reflecting strong growth of around 400% since inception and positioning it as a leader in the online certification training market. |
Who has invested in Simplilearn?
6 investors have backed Simplilearn across its funding rounds, including Kalaari Capital, Helion Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, GSV Ventures, Clal Insurance and DisruptAD.
Lead investors include GSV Ventures, Mayfield Fund, Helion Venture Partners and Kalaari Capital.
Simplilearn Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bangalore | 2 | Lead | Sep 2013 | |
 Port Louis | 2 | Lead | Sep 2013 | |
 Kiryat Gat | 1 | Participant | Nov 2022 | |
 UAE | 1 | Participant | Nov 2022 | |
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Start Free TrialAcquisitions by Simplilearn
Simplilearn has acquired 2 companies to date.
Last acquisition by Simplilearn was on November 28th 2022. Simplilearn acquired Fullstack Academy for $31M.
Latest Acquisitions by Simplilearn
| Description | Fullstack Academy is a software engineering bootcamp offering 17-week immersive programs in New York, Chicago, online formats, and partnerships with universities like the University of Pennsylvania. The curriculum centers on full-stack JavaScript development, covering React, Node.js, and cloud deployment, alongside career coaching that secures placements at firms including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. Grace Hopper Program targets underrepresented groups in tech, boasting placement rates above industry averages. | Market Motive is a San Diego-headquartered provider of digital marketing training curricula adopted by universities such as Duke University, Benedictine University, and Polk State College for classroom and community education programs. The company delivers customized training to Fortune 1000 enterprises, large agencies, and media firms like Google and Adobe for in-house marketing and sales teams. Its courses carry OMCP certification, covering SEO, PPC, social media, and analytics. Founded in 2008, Market Motive has trained over 100,000 professionals worldwide through online and on-site formats. |
| HQ Country | | |
| HQ City | New York City, NY | Santa Cruz, CA |
| Deal Date | 28 Nov 2022 | 25 Jun 2015 |
| Valuation | $31M | $10M |
| EV/Revenue | ||
| EV/EBITDA | ||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Simplilearn acquisitions and their M&A valuation multiples. Start Free Trial | ||
Simplilearn Competitors
Simplilearn competitors include listed companies like Jiangsu Chuanzhiboke and Gaotu Techedu, and private ones like Meishubao, Codemao, Matific and Ruangguru.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Beijing | Private | $170M | - | $600M | 3.5x | |
| China | Publicly listed | $57M | ($7M) | $540M | 6.3x | |
| China | Publicly listed | $917M | ($38M) | $503M | 0.2x | |
| Shenzhen | Private | $17M | - | $495M | - | |
 Sydney | Private | - | - | $800M | - | |
 Jakarta | Private | - | - | $830M | - |
Simplilearn Public Comps
Simplilearn is no longer listed, but its public comps include Docebo, Scholastic, China Education, Jiangsu Chuanzhiboke, Stadio Holdings, Gaotu Techedu, YDUQS, Ataa Educational, Vitru Educação and Lincoln Educational Services.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $243M | $26M | 2.6x | 2.4x | 24.8x | 12.3x | |||
| $1.6B | $180M | 0.6x | 0.6x | 5.0x | 6.1x | |||
| $1.1B | $342M | 1.6x | 1.6x | 5.1x | 3.1x | |||
| $57M | ($7M) | 8.9x | 6.3x | (67.8x) | - | |||
| $113M | $34M | 6.4x | 5.8x | 21.3x | 19.2x | |||
| $917M | ($38M) | 0.2x | 0.2x | (4.3x) | (33.7x) | |||
| $1.1B | $310M | 1.3x | 1.2x | 4.3x | 3.7x | |||
| $176M | $65M | 4.4x | 4.2x | 11.8x | 11.4x | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Simplilearn competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Simplilearn
| When was Simplilearn founded? | Simplilearn was founded in 2010. |
| Where is Simplilearn headquartered? | Simplilearn is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, United States. |
| Is Simplilearn publicly listed? | No, Simplilearn was acquired by Blackstone in July 2021. |
| Who acquired Simplilearn? | Simplilearn was acquired by Blackstone in July 2021. |
| How much was Simplilearn acquired for? | Simplilearn was acquired for $1.5B in July 2021. |
| What is Simplilearn's valuation? | Simplilearn was last valued at $610M in its Series E in November 2022. |
| How much funding has Simplilearn raised? | Simplilearn has raised $70M across 3 funding rounds. |
| What was Simplilearn's last funding round? | Simplilearn's last funding round was a $45M Series E in November 2022, led by GSV Ventures. |
| Who are Simplilearn's investors? | Simplilearn's investors include Kalaari Capital, Helion Venture Partners, Clal Insurance, DisruptAD, GSV Ventures and Mayfield Fund. |
| What is Simplilearn's revenue? | Simplilearn's latest recorded revenue is $59M (November 2022). |
| What is Simplilearn's revenue multiple? | Simplilearn's latest valuation implies a 10.3x revenue multiple ($610M valuation on $59M of revenue). |
| Which companies are comparable to Simplilearn? | Companies comparable to Simplilearn include Meishubao, Jiangsu Chuanzhiboke, Gaotu Techedu, Codemao, Matific and Ruangguru. |
| How many companies has Simplilearn acquired? | Simplilearn has acquired 2 companies, including Fullstack Academy and Market Motive. |
| What was the largest acquisition by Simplilearn? | The $31M acquisition of Fullstack Academy in November 2022 is the largest acquisition Simplilearn has made to date. |
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