Barnes & Noble Acquires Deeper Roots in Ed Tech

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 08/23/17

Barnes & Noble Education is embedding itself more deeply into its chosen segment with its acquisition of a student writing service that will put it into continual contact with the students it seeks to serve. The company, which runs 769 campus bookstores, recently acquired Student Brands for $58.5 million in cash. Student Brands maintains an international network of online businesses that help students in college and K-12 improve their writing and research skills.

According to BNED, the company generates 20 million monthly users on its sites, which include 123HelpMe.com, Bartleby.com and StudyMode.com in the United States, TrabalhosFeitos.com in Brazil, Etudier.com in France and Monografias.com in Mexico. Student Brands generates revenue primarily through subscription-based services and digital advertising.

The latest purchase is intended to help BNED expand operations beyond the bookstore and grow roots in educational content. "The lack of writing proficiency is one of the most significant challenges in our education system, and Student Brands provides a significant opportunity to serve this market with solutions that improve student performance," said Kanuj Malhotra, the company's chief operating officer for digital education, in a prepared statement. "The addition of Student Brands and its nearly 100,000 subscribers will enable us to offer products and services directly to our current student base and beyond."

Earlier this year BNED bought MBS Textbook Exchange, which runs virtual college bookstores and serves as a major textbook wholesaler.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • sleek fishing hook with a translucent email icon hanging from it

    Report Identifies Rise in Phishing-as-a-Service Attacks

    Cybersecurity researchers at Trustwave are warning about a surge in malicious e-mail campaigns leveraging Rockstar 2FA, a phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) toolkit designed to steal Microsoft 365 credentials.

  • abstract design with shapes resembling open books and knowledge pathways, intertwined with circuit-like patterns

    New AAC&U Institute to Explore Challenges and Opportunities of AI in Teaching and Learning

    The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) a new Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum designed to "help departments, programs, colleges, and universities respond effectively to the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence (AI) presents for courses and curricula."

  • stylized illustration of a global AI treaty signing, featuring diverse human figures seated around a round table

    World Leaders Sign First Global AI Treaty

    The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and several other countries have signed "The Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law," the world's first legally binding treaty aimed at regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

  • MathGPT

    MathGPT AI Tutor Now Out of Beta

    Ed tech provider GotIt! Education has announced the general availability of MathGPT, an AI tutor and teaching assistant for foundational math support.