Austin, TX – December 16, 2019 – Today, A Cloud Guru announced the acquisition of Linux Academy, creating the largest and most effective cloud computing training platform in the world. With a shared mission to “teach the world to cloud,” the combined organization now represents THE school for the future of IT: hands-on, practical and updated daily to keep pace with continuous changes in cloud technology.
By bringing together the all-skills level A Cloud Guru offering and the more advanced Linux Academy training programs, the combined content library will represent the world’s largest catalog of hands-on training for cloud computing (AWS, Azure & Google Cloud), DevOps, containers, security, big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
As part of this acquisition, Bain Capital Tech Opportunities has made a significant investment in A Cloud Guru, alongside participation from existing investors Elephant, Summit Partners and AirTree Ventures.
Organizations across sectors and geographies are in the midst of transitioning to a cloud-first strategy. The cloud services market is growing at a rate nearly three times that of the overall IT services market, but most enterprises aren’t prepared for the cloud transition. Nearly three-quarters of IT decision makers believe their organizations have lost revenue due to a lack of cloud expertise within their teams.
Now, solving that challenge will become easier.
“We recognize that our mission to ‘teach the world to cloud’ does not just start with the novice learner or end with the most advanced engineer, but is a mission that meets customers where they are at and enables them to be successful at their particular stage in their journey,” said A Cloud Guru CEO Sam Kroonenburg. “By bringing together our complementary strengths, customers will now have a single partner to keep pace with the rapid evolution of cloud technology.”
A Cloud Guru will bring together the best of both companies to provide an integrated learner’s journey and create an unparalleled customer experience, while also rapidly accelerating the launch of new courses and the pace of innovation.
“I’m thrilled for our students. They are the true winners in this combination of two best-in-class cloud training providers,” said Linux Academy CEO Anthony James. “Our student-first missions are completely aligned, and we truly are better together.”
Kroonenburg will lead the combined organization, which has already helped more than 1.5 million people learn cloud computing, and James will serve in an advisory capacity. The company is growing revenues at a rate of nearly 100% and today employs almost 400 team members around the world.
William Blair & Company, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to Linux Academy.
About A Cloud Guru
Founded in 2015 by brothers Sam and Ryan Kroonenburg, ACG is driven by a straightforward mission—to teach the world to cloud. What began as a single cloud certification course has expanded into a rich content library and hands-on labs covering Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure cloud platforms. ACG has helped more than one million users across 196 countries acquire the skills and certifications needed to pursue meaningful careers in the cloud. The state-of-the-art learning platform helps businesses and individuals rapidly develop cloud skills, prepare for certification exams, and progress through learning paths to become gurus in specialized disciplines.
About Linux Academy
Linux Academy is the premier hands-on cloud training platform for all skill levels. Since 2012 Linux Academy has provided self-paced courses, access to expert training architects, a wide library of content, and real scenario-based environments for cloud mastery. Learners can train real-time in multiple, secure platforms within Linux Academy. With constantly updated information and friendly guidance to succeed, Linux Academy boasts 95% satisfaction among learners. The Linux Academy platform offers more than 200 courses, over 1,000 Hands-On Labs, and Learning Paths to guide training.
