Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

LinkedIn Buys Another Startup, One of Its Largest Acquisitions This latest deal rings in at $120 million in cash and stock.

By Jason Fell

Professional social networking site LinkedIn has gobbled up another startup. The company announced Thursday that it has agreed to acquire Bright, a San Francisco-based data-driven job search startup, for $120 million.

Parker Barrile, LinkedIn's vice president of product, says the team at Bright will help the company improve job search features such as LinkedIn's "Jobs You May Be Interested In" and LinkedIn Recruiter, and help ensure that job and prospect search results are as relevant as possible.

"[Bright's] incredibly talented team takes the same data-driven approach to connecting people and employers, and has built a powerful matching technology that will help accelerate our efforts on multiple fronts," Barrile said in a blog post announcing the deal.

Here is LinkedIn's take on the deal:

Bright was founded in 2011 by Eduardo Vivas, who also serves as the company's COO. Bright says that its machine-learning algorithm "examines thousands of data points to find the best fit between job seekers and job openings."

"We decided to join LinkedIn because of what we lacked -- the ability to apply this technology across the entire economy," Vivas wrote in a separate blog post. "We share LinkedIn's passion for connecting talent with opportunity at massive scale."

Bright had raised $20 million in two funding rounds from Toba Capital and Passport Capital.

Among LinkedIn's other startup acquisitions are Slideshare, which it bought in May 2012 for $119 million, and the Pulse newsreader last year for $90 million.

Related: 5 Tips for Maximizing LinkedIn for Your Business

Jason Fell

Entrepreneur Staff

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing the Entrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Productivity

How Knowing Yourself Leads to More Productivity and Efficiency

The problem with many plans is that they depend on your changing your life to match what someone else says will work, rather than your understanding yourself well and deciding to budget your time accordingly.

Side Hustle

I Made $14,000 in 1 Week With a Spontaneous Halloween Costume Side Hustle — Here's How

Sabba Keynejad was in art school when he started to refine his entrepreneurial skills.

Franchise

The McRib Is Back, But Only at Select McDonald's — Here's Where to Find It

This scarcity is nothing new. In 2022, McDonald's announced a "Farewell Tour" for the McRib, suggesting that it might be the last time customers could get their hands on it.