Mergers, acquisitions, IPOs and appointments are discipline-specific terms. If you’re reading this, you’re probably doing homework. Now that we’ve taken back the term geek and crushed the stigma against being smart and hardworking, the e-learning universe for professionals is shaking up the terminology.

Nerdy, based in San Francisco and St. Louis, has announced it is going public, and not about its secret love of reading. The company describes itself as “a leading direct-to-consumer, curated gig economy platform for live online learning benefiting both learners and experts.” Everyone else is calling it a tutoring marketplace or match maker. The IPO is expected by the end of next quarter.

Press release: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210129005283/en/Nerdy-to-Become-Public-Company-via-Business-Combination-with-TPG-Pace-Tech-Opportunities

It’s probably the smart kids banking on Climate Real Impact Solutions II Acquisition Corporation. Its IPO released 21,000,000 units at $11.50 US each under CLIM.U. Soon, the securities making up the units will trade separately and be listed as CLIM and CLIM WS. The company was formed to merge acquisitions not limited to the climate industry, but focused primarily on climate solutions.

Press release: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210126006124/en/Climate-Real-Impact-Solutions-II-Acquisition-Corporation-Announces-Pricing-of-210-Million-Initial-Public-Offering

Office Depot, that B2B essential, has appointed Marcus Dunlop to its board of directors. The hedge fund analyst of VG Hora Capital Management is one of the most prominent African Americans in the investment industry. VG Hora owns almost 10% of the company.

Press release: https://news.theodpcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/odp-corporation-appoints-marcus-b-dunlop-board-directors

There’s been even more consolidation in the online payments industry, but this time it’s the small business sector they are interested in. FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc., a global business payments company, has acquired Roger, a global accounts payable cloud platform especially for small businesses. The acquisition will extend FLEETCOR’s portfolio of accounts payable solutions to small businesses, and help automate their payment processes.

Press release: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fleetcor-acquires-cloud-software-platform-211000853.html

The following two tabs change content below.

Kate Baggott is a former Managing Editor of B2BNN. Her technology and business journalism has appeared in the Technology Review, the Globe and Mail, Canada Computes, the Vancouver Sun and the Bay Street Bull. She is the author of the short story collections Love from Planet Wine Cooler and Dry Stories. Links to recently published pieces can be found at www.katebaggott.com