????近年來(lái)，谷歌（Google）全力進(jìn)軍教育領(lǐng)域，在幼兒園以及中小學(xué)（美國(guó)K-12學(xué)校）推廣Chromebook，同時(shí)還推廣Google Play應(yīng)用商店教育版，幫助用戶輕松訪問(wèn)學(xué)習(xí)應(yīng)用程序和內(nèi)容。

????如今，谷歌資本（Google Capital）——谷歌公司旗下此前一直秘密行動(dòng)的成長(zhǎng)型基金——正加速著方面的努力。日前，谷歌資本投資4000萬(wàn)美元于教育公司Renaissance Learning，后者推出的學(xué)生評(píng)價(jià)工具目前在40,000所學(xué)校使用。這筆交易對(duì)Renaissance Learning的估值為10億美元。

????這僅僅是谷歌資本進(jìn)行的第三筆投資。谷歌旗下這只基金的掌門(mén)人是谷歌并購(gòu)部門(mén)前負(fù)責(zé)人大衛(wèi)?拉韋，他在投資Renaissance之際首次公開(kāi)談到了谷歌資本基金。2013年，谷歌資本曾參與在線調(diào)查供應(yīng)商SurveyMonkey規(guī)模龐大的債務(wù)及股本融資活動(dòng)，對(duì)后者進(jìn)行投資。同年，它還投資了P2P借貸平臺(tái)Lending Club。

????Renaissance成立于上世紀(jì)80年代，它開(kāi)發(fā)的Accelerated Reader閱讀軟件在教育界享有盛名。它曾經(jīng)是一家上市公司，2011年被私募資本Permira以4.4億美元收購(gòu)。這幾年，Renaissance一直在研究一項(xiàng)叫做Common Core（通用核心）的青少年教育學(xué)習(xí)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。奧巴馬政府對(duì)這套自成體系的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)十分推崇，準(zhǔn)備用它取代美國(guó)當(dāng)下頗為混亂的國(guó)家標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。Renaissance首席執(zhí)行官杰克?林奇表示，雖然他的公司并不需要現(xiàn)金融資，但谷歌的投資仍然極具誘惑力。而借此機(jī)會(huì)，谷歌也一舉成為Renaissance的小股東之一。

????林奇接受采訪時(shí)說(shuō)：“與谷歌合作能給公司的發(fā)展帶來(lái)發(fā)展的良機(jī)。”林奇還表示，Renaissance可以為Google Play應(yīng)用商店開(kāi)發(fā)教育軟件?！俺酥?，Google Apps系列軟件對(duì)幼兒園和中小學(xué)都是免費(fèi)的，意味著有整整一代人在學(xué)習(xí)使用Google Docs而不是Word。我們和Google Apps有很大的合作空間?！绷制孀詈筮€提醒道，谷歌的這筆投資是最近一年來(lái)教育行業(yè)所收獲的最大一筆投資之一。

????除了拉韋，谷歌資本的大佬還包括2011年從Steelpoint投資伙伴基金跳槽而來(lái)的斯科特?蒂爾尼，以及近期從德太投資（TPG Capital）加盟的吉恩?弗朗茨。

????弗朗茨在新聞稿中稱：“對(duì)許多教育工作者而言，問(wèn)題不在于是否接受新技術(shù)，而在于如何在通過(guò)采用新技術(shù)減輕教師負(fù)擔(dān)的同時(shí)提升學(xué)生的成績(jī)。Renaissance Learning處在這一教育運(yùn)動(dòng)的前沿，他們用數(shù)據(jù)來(lái)支持有效教學(xué)、推動(dòng)學(xué)生成長(zhǎng)的能力無(wú)與倫比?！?/p>

????谷歌旗下還有專(zhuān)注于初期投資的谷歌創(chuàng)投（Google Ventures）。谷歌資本和谷歌創(chuàng)投一樣，主要任務(wù)都是根據(jù)財(cái)務(wù)回報(bào)潛力來(lái)評(píng)估投資。但熟悉谷歌創(chuàng)投的人士表示，這家也愿意對(duì)Renaissance這樣的項(xiàng)目進(jìn)行投資，因?yàn)檫@類(lèi)投資能確保自己的戰(zhàn)略利益。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))

????譯者：項(xiàng)航

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????In recent years, Google (GOOG) has made a concerted push into education,marketing Chromebooks in K-12 schools and promoting its Google Play for Education initiative to offer easy access to learning apps and content.

????Now Google Capital, the company's previously stealth growth fund, is accelerating those efforts with a $40 million investment in Renaissance Learning, an educational company whose student evaluation tools are used in 40,000 schools. The deal values the company at $1 billion.

????The investment is only the third by Google Capital, which is run by David Lawee, the former head of M&A at Google. With the Renaissance investment, Lawee is speaking publicly about the fund for the first time. Previously, Google Capital invested in SurveyMonkey as part of a large debt and equity round by the online surveys provider, and in Lending Club, the peer-to-peer lending platform. Both investments were made in 2013.

????Renaissance was founded in the 1980s and is best known for its Accelerated Reader products. Previously a publicly traded company, Renaissance was bought by private equity investor Permira Funds for $440 million in 2011. In recent years, the company has developed products to help further the Common Core standards, a set of rigorous learning goals promoted by the Obama administration as a replacement for the assortment of state standards. Jack Lynch, chief executive of Renaissance, said the investment from Google, which will become a minority shareholder, was attractive even though the company did not need the cash.

????"There are incredible opportunities to collaborate with Google," Lynch said in an interview. Lynch said Renaissance could help with instructional materials for Google Play for education. "In addition to that, Google Apps are free in K-12, so there is an entire generation of kids who are learning to use Google Docs instead of Word," Lynch said. "There are a number of touch points between Google Apps and what we do." Lynch said the investment by Google is one of the largest investments in an educational company in the last year.

????In addition to Lawee, Google Capital includes Scott Tierney, who joined from Steelpoint Capital Partners in 2011, and Gene Frantz, who joined recently from TPG Capital.

????"For many educators, the question is not whether to embrace new technology, but how to embrace technology in a way that makes teachers' lives easier and meaningfully boosts student achievement," Frantz said in a press release. "Renaissance Learning is at the forefront of this educational movement, and their ability to use data to support effective teaching and drive student growth is unparalleled."

????Like its corporate cousin, Google Ventures, which focuses on early stage investments, Google Capital's principal mandate is to evaluate investments based on their potential for financial returns. But people familiar with the company say investments like the one in Renaissance, which can also promote a strategic interest of the company, are welcome as well.