"The year 2017 will be the year of microlearning," says KnowledgeFox CEO and founder Peter A. Bruck. Microlearning is KnowledgeFox’s successful solution for the international market that enables sustainable learning in small steps on all digital communication devices. "With over fifty existing customers in 23 countries around the world, it was time to look for a new strategic partner for the coming years," says Bruck, an entrepreneur and media scientist who founded KnowledgeFox in 2012.

"It is no coincidence that Bonnier’s vision is to ‘continuously reinvent media.’ We have reinvented learning," says Bruck. "With a historic base in journalism and publishing, Bonnier is increasingly investing in digital-first media and especially in eLearning. KnowledgeFox is thus a perfect fit for Bonnier’s digital diversification strategy."

For KnowledgeFox customers, however, nothing will change – other than the performance of the learning software, which will be improved even more quickly. "We will be investing in the future technologies of social, crowd-based microlearning and semi-automated content creation," Bruck says.

Bruck will remain as CEO, supported by Karmo Kaas-Lutsberg, business area head of Bonnier Business to Business, who will serve as co-CEO.

Founded in 1804, Bonnier currently encompasses 180 companies and brands in fourteen countries worldwide. The Bonnier media group has an annual turnover of 2.8 billion euros.

"The KnowledgeFox acquisition is one step in Bonnier’s business-to-business strategic plan to strengthen our offering to B2B customers in the field of knowledge development," says Kaas-Lutsberg. "We serve our customers in different niches with various training tools and materials both offline and digitally. The KnowledgeFox platform and microlearning-based content creation will enable Bonnier Business to Business to add an innovative way of knowledge development for our existing and new customers."

The investment was managed by Viennese startup investment advisors i5invest. For Herwig Springer and Johannes Raidl, edtech experts at i5invest, Bonnier was the ideal investor:  "Educational technology is an important growth market for media companies, enabling them to diversify existing business models with new, digital offerings and sales channels," says Springer. "We are very pleased with the agreement reached and see this transaction as the foundation with which KnowledgeFox can develop its full potential together with this strong partner." Bonnier and KnowledgeFox have agreed to maintain confidentiality on the scope of the investment.