Upskilling platform Degreed has announced the acquisition of talent academy platform Learn In and the return of co-founder David Blake as chief executive office (CEO). Blake was previously the co-founder and CEO of Learn In.

Blake’s plans for the future of Degreed were divergent with the current direction, so an amicable decision was made that he return to the company as CEO and execute that vision, the edtech startup said in a statement.

Degreed plus Learn In will unify the broader range of development options people use, spanning daily learning to long-term upskilling for individual career growth and innovation within organisations, it added. 

Learn In helps companies establish internal talent academies that bring together all the resources needed for building a highly skilled workforce, including the longer journey of developing deep skills. Learn In’s core features supplement those of the category-defining Degreed LXP (Learning Experience Platform), including a prepaid learning stipend card, a world-class skills marketplace and custom program builder, a tuition benefits manager, and dedicated coaching. 

Co-founded by the founders of Degreed, Learn In is backed by leading edtech and future-of-work investors, including Firework Ventures, Kickstart Fund, Album, GSV, and Village Global, and has been covered in CNBC, USA Today, EdTechReview, EdSurge, Fast Company, and Techcrunch.

“A corporate capability academy goes beyond ‘a library of content. It’s a place people go to advance their job-related capabilities. It goes beyond technical and functional skills and focuses on the real business capabilities a company needs to thrive," said global industry analyst and CEO of the Josh Bersin Company, Josh Bersin. 

“Businesses that can quickly build effective talent are the ones that will be able to deliver on strategic business goals. Just as Degreed created the LXP market, Learn In has begun for talent academies. Now together, we have the product and technology to help our customers deliver business capabilities at scale with continued innovation in the learning and skills space,” said Blake.

This is the fourth acquisition for Degreed, and Blake re-joins a seasoned Degreed leadership team from Bank of America, Mastercard, Danone, LinkedIn, Adobe, SAP and Saba.