Linden Lab
Linden Lab (officially Linden Research, Inc.) is the San Francisco-based developer of Second Life, the pioneering 3D virtual world launched in 2003 where users create avatars, build environments, socialize, and transact via the in-world Linden Dollar economy. Founded in 1999 by Philip Rosedale, the company is widely regarded as a forerunner of today's metaverse platforms, with billions of dollars in user-to-user transactions over Second Life's lifetime. Linden Lab also operates Tilia Inc., a licensed money transmitter providing payments infrastructure for virtual economies. In July 2020, Linden Research, Inc. announced its acquisition by an investment group led by Randy Waterfield and Brad Oberwager; Oberwager subsequently took on the Executive Chairman/CEO role at the company.
Acquired
Linden Lab has been acquired
This company is no longer available on our private secondary market.
Overview
Company data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Founded
1999
Employees
200–300
Total Funding
$19M
3 rounds
Funding
Total raised $19M across 3 rounds
Funding data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Last updated 06-25-2026
Latest Round
Type
Later VC
Date
January 13, 2022
Amount
Not disclosed
Valuation
—
Lead Investors
| Date | Round | Amount Raised | Valuation | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 13, 2022 | Later VC | Not disclosed | — | High Fidelity |
| March 1, 2006 | Series B | $11M | — | Not explicitly named |
| October 28, 2004 | Series A | $8M | — | Benchmark Capital |
Prominent Investors
Leadership
Brad Oberwager
Executive Chairman & CEO
Philip Rosedale
Founder & Strategic Advisor
Competitors
Competitor list is illustrative and may be incomplete, stale, or erroneous.
Roblox
Public user-generated 3D experiences platform; far larger scale than Second Life with a younger demographic and creator economy.
VRChat
Social VR-first virtual world platform competing for social/avatar-driven metaverse use cases.
Decentraland
Blockchain-based virtual world with user-owned virtual land via NFTs; overlaps Second Life's virtual real estate model.
The Sandbox
Decentralized voxel-based metaverse with user-generated content and crypto-native land/asset ownership.
Horizon Worlds (Meta)
Meta Platforms' social VR metaverse; well-funded direct competitor in the social virtual-world category.
High Fidelity
Spatial audio and virtual-world company founded by Philip Rosedale after leaving Linden Lab; historical Second Life competitor in social VR.
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