Learning Platforms

Brainly Acquires OpenStudy

• By Richard Chang
• 06/15/16

Brainly, a multinational social learning network for students and educators, has acquired OpenStudy, a similar, Atlanta-based, peer-to-peer study help platform. The combined companies are anticipated to offer students advanced online learning tools, for both inside the classroom and out.

Co-founded by professors from Emory University and Georgia Tech, OpenStudy features a real-time study platform in Q&A format that has reportedly attracted 54 million learners.

Brainly boasts 60 million monthly users across 35 countries and 12 languages. Primarily used by high school and middle school students, Brainly.com and the Brainly app offer platforms to ask and answer questions about math, history, English, biology, chemistry, physics, geography and other subjects.

Brainly is based in Krakow, Poland, with U.S. headquarters in New York City.

“With the acquisition of the OpenStudy platform, Brainly has created the best peer-to-peer platform for students to follow their curiosity and gain a deeper understanding of a wide variety of subjects along their academic journey,” said Brainly CEO Michal Borkowski in a prepared statement.

Both platforms will operate as separately branded entities with their own respective websites and apps, Brainly said in the statement. Knowledge and data will be shared, and the OpenStudy team will join Brainly, according to edsurge.com.

Last month, Brainly announced a $15 million Series B funding round led by Naspers, intended to accelerate Brainly’s growth globally and expand its presence in the United States. Specific terms of this deal with OpenStudy were not disclosed.

“Joining forces with Brainly was, excuse the pun, a no-brainer,” said Preetha Ram, CEO and co-founder of OpenStudy, in a prepared statement. “Our two brands have synergy around one common goal: to enhance the way students learn outside of the classroom.”

OpenStudy’s other co-founder is Ashwin Ram, Preetha’s husband. Together, they created the Open Social Learning concept, with support from Learn Capital, the National Science Foundation and others.

OpenStudy features game mechanics and analytics, real-time interaction and skills assessment engines that provide users with credentials to apply for jobs and internships.