Freelance marketplace Fiverr announced this morning that it’s acquiring Seattle-based online learning company CreativeLive for an undisclosed amount. CreativeLive is an entrepreneurial learning platform where users can attend courses on video, photography, design, business, marketing and more.
Fiverr, which is an online marketplace that connects businesses with on-demand freelancers, says that the ability to gain new skills in a changing work environment is part of its role in leading transformation for buyers and sellers on its platform.
“Fiverr is more than just a work platform, we fundamentally believe in supporting the entire freelance lifestyle, and that includes professional education and training,” said Fiverr founder and CEO Micha Kaufman in a statement. “The acquisition of CreativeLive is part of this broader strategy. The depth and caliber of the courses that CreativeLive offers are exceptional and we look forward to offering them to our entire community.”
The company notes that CreativeLive’s instructors include a diverse group of Pulitzer Prize, Grammy and Oscar winners, along with New York Times best-selling authors and notable entrepreneurs. Fiverr states that CreativeLive’s expertise in creating compelling learning experiences is a natural fit for its platform.
CreativeLive will remain a standalone service and grow its team from its current headquarters in Seattle. Fiverr’s current online learning platform, Fiverr Learn, will be folded into CreativeLive as it works to expand its offerings following the acquisition.
“The future favors people and companies that can create, innovate and adapt to a fast-paced, work environment,” said CreativeLive founder and CEO Chase Jarvis in a statement. “We are excited to be part of the Fiverr family and to grow our inventory of compelling courses that increase economic opportunity for our community, the Fiverr community and today’s modern workforce.”
CreativeLive was founded in 2010 with the aim to “sit at the intersection of the future of creativity, learning, and of work” and to fill the gap that exists in online courses for creative professionals. Since then, the company has offered over 2,000 classes that have reached over 10 million users.
Fiverr, which was also founded in 2010, says four million customers bought services from freelancers on its platform across more than 160 countries in its latest fiscal year. Additionally, the company filed to go public on the NYSE in 2019.
Earlier this year, Fiverr expanded beyond project-based payments with the launch of three- or six-month subscriptions. Through this feature, sellers on Fiverr can offer to provide a defined set of work each month. The buyer or seller can cancel at any time without having to pay fees on the remaining months of the subscription
