Noodle, a producer of e-learning content based in the United States, has finalised the acquisition of Hubble Studios, a global e-learning design studio based in Cape Town.
Hannes Geldenhuys, the CEO of Hubble Studios, will join Noodle as senior vice president of international, leading international collaborations.
Why The Acquisition?
According to the firms, the acquisition would result in the creation of many new jobs in South Africa as Noodle maintains its strong development trajectory.
“The management and staff of Hubble Studios are honoured to join the esteemed team at Noodle and contribute to their trailblazing efforts to deliver high-quality, rigorous and accessible hybrid degree programmes,” notes Geldenhuys. “As one entity, we can elevate our support for university partners in North America and introduce the Noodle brand to universities around the world.”
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The acquisition, according to the firm, represents Noodle’s entry into the local market, with aspirations to expand to other nations such as Australia, England, Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore.
According to the firm, the increased capacity accelerates the company’s objective to modernise online learning design and the overall learner experience for Noodle’s university partners and students.
Noodle and Hubble Studios initially collaborated in 2021, and they are presently developing over 100 courses for partners such as Yale School of Nursing, Butler University, New England College of Optometry, and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.
The acquisition comes at an exciting time for Noodle’s growth and iteration, as well as its dedication to building a strong partner ecosystem.
Noodle currently collaborates with over 40 colleges and 30 organisations worldwide, thanks to the addition of Hubble Studios.
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“The acquisition underscores and strengthens Noodle’s commitment to building world-class online learning design that is affordable for our partners and modernises teaching and learning,” says John Katzman, founder and CEO of Noodle. “We believe Hubble Studio’s innovative and interactive design capabilities empower Noodle to create a unified vision for the rigor and aesthetic of the online learning experience and to integrate that vision into the ongoing student journey, from inquiry to alumnus, and becoming a lifelong learner.”’
A Look At What Hubble Studios Does
Hannes Geldenhuys and Robert Paddock (co-founders of GetSmarter) created Hubble Studios in South Africa in 2012 to build specialised online education material and technology that would maximise learning effect and fulfil the missions of its partner institutions, organisations, and clients.
Its primary goal is to advise, co-design, and produce client-led customised e-learning solutions by providing formal evaluations, notes and graphics, videos, animation, and games that are custom-built for effective learning.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard