Dive Brief:

• Barnes & Noble Inc. Monday announced it has invested an undisclosed amount in online student study vendor Flashnotes. 

• Flashnotes was founded in 2010 and is a platform for students to buy and sell notes, flashcards, and study guides.

• The investment makes good on the bookseller’s announcement last month to spin off its collegiate business and grow it through mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships.

Dive Insight:

After the disappointing performance of its Nook business, Barnes & Noble has struggled, despite decent results from its brick-and-mortar business, especially on college campuses. This relationship with Flashnotes is one of the more interesting announcements to come from the bookseller in several months.

“One of the key objectives of the planned separation of Barnes & Noble Education...from Barnes & Noble Inc., is to pursue strategic opportunities in the growing educational services markets, and our investment in Flashnotes.com is consistent with that objective,” Max Roberts, chief executive of the company’s education division, told the Wall Street Journal.