Rosetta Stone is under new ownership — again — as it announced its acquisition Wednesday by San Mateo, Calif.-based edtech company IXL Learning.
Founded in 1992 and based in Arlington, Va., Rosetta Stone sells language learning software across 150 countries. It became known for its big yellow CD-ROM boxes but has transitioned to app-based products that feature speech recognition tech and live lessons.
The company went public in 2009 and turned private again last year after a deal with Cambium Learning Group.
Rosetta Stone has about 40 employees at its Seattle hub that is led by Matt Hulett, a Seattle-area tech vet who took over as president in August 2017. He previously worked at Pioneer Square Labs; TinyPulse; ClickBank; RealNetworks; AdXpose; Expedia; and Atom Entertainment.
In a LinkedIn post, Hulett noted the unusual nature of executing two transactions within a year. He said the latest tie-up with IXL will “be a boon for customers.”
“Rosetta Stone is going to be get even better with the right growth capital to advance the world’s language learning journey,” he wrote.
IXL has been on an acquisition spree, swooping up Wyzant, Vocabulary.com, Education.com, and ABCya over the past four years. The company’s IXL product is used by 12 million students.
