LinkedIn

LinkedIn Corporation, commonly known as LinkedIn, is an American business and employment-oriented online service. Founded in December 2002 and officially launched on May 5, 2003, it is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with major campuses in Mountain View and offices globally. Since December 2016, LinkedIn has operated as a subsidiary of Microsoft, which acquired it for $26.2 billion. As of April 2025, LinkedIn reported having over 18,000 full-time employees, with annual revenues reaching $17.1 billion in 2024.

LinkedIn primarily functions as a professional networking and career development platform, connecting over 1.3 billion members worldwide. Its core offerings allow job seekers to post resumes and find employment opportunities, while employers can list jobs and recruit candidates. The company generates revenue through various channels, including membership subscriptions (e.g., Business Premium, Sales Navigator, Recruiter, Premium Career), advertising sales via Marketing Solutions, and recruitment solutions through its Talent Solutions products.

In terms of patent litigation, LinkedIn operates as an operating company that defends against patent infringement claims. The company's patent litigation posture is characterized by having zero cases as a plaintiff and one recorded case as a defendant. This single tracked case, Sampo IP, LLC v. LinkedIn, was filed in the United States District Court of Delaware in 2014, indicating a defensive stance against patent assertions.

Notable recent context for LinkedIn includes its strategic pivot towards AI infrastructure, which led to a reduction of approximately 5% of its global workforce in May 2026. Additionally, Daniel Shapero assumed the role of CEO in April 2026.