LinkedIn acquires machine learning startup Newsle

World's largest professional network LinkedIn has acquired California-based machine learning startup Newsle Inc, the company announced in a blog post . The transaction details are not disclosed.

Post acquisition, Newsle will be operated as a standalone service and it will combine all the functionality with LinkedIn's core services.

"Over the past year or so, we have introduced several new ways for you to further access this exchange of information to be better informed, educated and inspired by the business knowledge that exists on LinkedIn. But there's more work to be done. That's why I'm so excited to welcome Jonah Varon, Axel Hansen and the rest of Newsle to the LinkedIn family," reads the LinkedIn blog post.

Founded in January of 2011, Newsle has leveraged its disambiguation, natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to build a product that finds blogs and articles that mention one or his/her colleagues, bosses, industry thought leaders, etc, and notifies him/her seconds after they have published.

Newsle has raised a total of $2.6 million in funding from investors including Transmedia Capital and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

Founded in 2003, LinkedIn is a professional network with over 300 million members worldwide. As of February this year, LinkedIn has more than 24 million members in India. This accounts for almost half (48 per cent) of LinkedIn's Asia Pacific (APAC) member base of more than 50 million.

LinkedIn reported a 46 per cent rise in its revenue for the first quarter ended March 31, 2014 to $473.2 million. The company reported net loss of $13.4 million compared with net income of $22.6 million in the same quarter the previous year.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, LinkedIn has offices across the globe, including in India.

(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)