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The Creative Divide

The Creative Divide
July 14, 2021

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You may have seen a recent headline or photo making the rounds on the Internet lately, one depicting restaurant employees walking out on their jobs, claiming harsh conditions and low pay as they drop the hairnets and aprons. But it’s not just the service industry experiencing what has been coined The Great Resignation. Bankers, customer service representatives, lawyers, and even tennis pros are reassessing what truly matters to them.

Today, we look at the private companies on both sides of the divide, those providing tools to train and retain employees, as well as the e-learning providers helping people striking out on their own.



Employee training is hot, hot, hot

In what world does a Series A bring in $1.5BN? In the world of employee training, apparently. Articulate Global lured private equity investors such as General Atlantic, The Blackstone Group, and Iconiq Capital with its popular apps for online training, used by 99 of the Fortune 100.

There's also 1Huddle, whose gamified employee training app has been scientifically shown to increase employee retention of information. Lessonly wants employee training to be less soul-crushing (Lessonly's words, not mine) and is seeing a 62% faster ramp time. Moth+Flame raised a $2.5MM seed round in June to build virtual reality training for the Air Force and to remove unconscious bias from interviewing.


Solopreneurs, self-taught moguls, & college-dropouts

For those striking out on their own or switching careers, there are many resources to learn literally any skill. Here’s a look at some of the highest-grossing private companies promising to turn interests into professions.

🤓 Masterclass: Video seminars for top industry professionals. Learn filmmaking from James Cameron, tv writing from Shonda Rhimes, or cooking from Gordon Ramsay. The company is valued at $2.75BN.

📚 Kajabi: Kajabi allows you to become a teacher, monetizing your skills through online courses. It's worth a cool $2BN. 

👩‍🏫 Skillshare: A marketplace for creative skills like water coloring, photography, or building creative confidence, to name a few.

🐴 CourseHorse: Started by a few NYU alums, CourseHorse gathers all manner of online and in-person classes on their platform.

🎸 ArtistWorks: For anyone stuck at a day job but dreaming of rock stardom, there’s ArtistWorks, a membership-based music lesson marketplace.

👨‍🎤 E-Learning Brothers: This lively brand platform has every type of personalized learning, off-the-shelf topic-based learning, and course creation templates to help you become a ROCKSTAR in your business. The company has shown consistent year-over-year growth since 2010.

Cleaning out mom's garage

Super Mario 64 game sells for $1.5MM at auction.
[BBC]

Google's battle over WFH policy
Employees are annoyed over confusing and contradictory policies.
Since last week, PrivCo has added:

384 Companies | 135 Funding Activities | 87 M&A Deals

Funding & Deal Highlights:
 

 

Netskope raises $300MM from ICONIQ Capital

Software & Internet Services • Equity • Los Altos, CA
 

Elevate Brands raises $250MM from FJ Labs

Creative Branding Agency • Equity • New York, NY
 

ClearCo raises $215MM from SoftBank Vision Fund

Specialty Finance • Equity • San Francisco, CA
 

C-Stacks raises $100MM from WebBank

Fintech • Debt • Sioux Falls, SD
 

Reconstruct raises $17MM from Nemetschek Group

Construction Software & Internet Services • Round B • Menlo Park, CA
 

CodeBoxx raises $2MM from MadaLuxe Group

Education Services • Seed • Mountain View, CA
 

Athletic Brewing raises $50MM from Alliance Consumer Growth & TRB Advisors

Food & Beverage Producers • Round C • Stratford, CT
 

Lula Technologies raises $18MM from Khosla Ventures & The Founders Fund

Insurtech  • Round A • Miami, FL
 

Talkshoplive raises $6MM from Spero Ventures & The Raine Group

Software & Internet Services • Seed • West Hollywood, CA
 

Osso VR raises $27MM from GSR Ventures

Software & Internet Services • Round B • San Francisco, CA
 

Repeat raises $6MM from Battery Ventures

Big Data Software & Internet Services • Round A • Venice, CA
 

Cloverly raises $2.1MM from Tech Square Ventures

API Software & Internet Services • Seed • Atlanta, GA


Skedulo raises $75MM from SoftBank Vision Fund

Talent Management Software • Round C • San Francisco, CA


Meati raises $50MM for Bond Capital & Acre Venture Partners

Food & Beverage Producers • Round B • Boulder, CO
 

Rimkus Consulting acquires Blackstone Consulting

Consulting • Acquisition • Warwick, NY
 

Ares Management acquires Resource Label Group

Commercial Printing • Acquisition • Franklin, TN
 

Vitrolife AB acquires Igenomix for €1.3 BN

Biotechnology • Acquisition • Miami, FL
 

PlanetArt acquires I See Me! LLC

Publishing • Acquisition • Eden Prairie, MN
 

View, Inc. acquires IoTium 

Commercial & Industrial Engineering • Acquisition • Santa Clara, CA
 

Goldman Sachs acquires In Commodities A/S

Investment Management & Financial Advisory • Acquisition • Wilmington, DE


Nester Consulting acquires Salient CRGT

Technology Services • Acquisition • Fairfax, VA

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