Amazon acquires TeachStreet, joins AmazonLocal
Amazon is acquiring TeachStreet, an online hub for pairing students with tutors and teachers as well as providing tools and lesson plans to educators for teaching businesses.
Interestingly, the TeachStreet team will be joining AmazonLocal, which is the Seattle-based corporation's answer to the daily deal craze, which offers its own promotions in select markets nationwide as well as advertises deals offered by other providers such as LivingSocial.
There in lies another twist: founder Dave Schappell previously worked at Amazon.com as a director of product development.
However, Schappell didn't offer much of an explanation in his announcement on TeachStreet's official blog, only telling investors to "know that we sincerely gave it our best."
Fortunately, TeachStreet team members won't have to move far as the education startup is also based in Seattle. It is expected to fully shutter on Wednesday, February 15.
For TeachStreet patrons curious about how this will affect them, there is an FAQ section now available online.
Most importantly, TeachStreet asserts that it will "not be selling any customer data. Upon closure of TeachStreet we will be deleting all customer data." Thus, unassuming TeachStreet members should count on not being automatically signed up for AmazonLocal deals in Washington state.
Users should also started backing up all of their data from TeachStreet now.
Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
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