Dive Brief:
- Barnes & Noble announced its investment in Flashnotes this week, creating new opportunities for the separation of Barnes & Noble Education, which runs campus bookstores, into a new company.
- In the announcement, CEO Max J. Roberts said a stake in Flashnotes.com will give Barnes & Noble “strategic opportunities in the growing educational services market.”
- Barnes & Noble will promote Flashnotes.com as part of an alliance agreement, offering more students the opportunity to buy and sell their original, course-specific study materials.
Dive Insight:
Flashnotes.com was founded in 2010 and, according to edSurge, had raised more than $11 million in venture funding before the Barnes & Noble support. This latest investment will certainly bring the peer-to-peer online study marketplace to new audiences and give Barnes & Noble a chance to tap into it. Barnes & Noble’s own research shows more than half of all college students receive some sort of tutoring, but the type of support varies significantly. With 714 Barnes & Noble campus bookstores nationwide promoting Flashnotes Inc., more students may soon turn online for their study needs.