LinkedIn is an American business and employment-oriented social networking service. The platform is primarily used for professional networking and career development, as it allows jobseekers to post their CVs and employers to post their job listings. As of 2024, LinkedIn has more than 1 billion registered members from over 200 countries and territories. It was launched on May 5, 2003 by Reid Hoffman and Eric Ly, receiving financing from numerous venture capital firms, including Sequoia Capital, in the years following its inception. Users can invite other people to become connections on the platform, regardless of whether the invitees are already members of LinkedIn. LinkedIn can also be used to organize offline events, create and join groups, write articles, and post photos and videos.