Youth Enrichment Brands (Roark) Acquires i9 Sports from LNC Partners

Youth Enrichment Brands (Roark) Acquires School of Rock from Sterling Partners

October 24, 2023

Education

Youth Enrichment Brands (YEB), the Roark Capital-backed youth activities platform headquartered in San Rafael, California, has acquired School of Rock, the performance-based music education franchisor and operator. The deal brings School of Rock’s more than 500 schools and 180,000+ students into the YEB network as an add-on to expand YEB’s music education capabilities and accelerate growth; Sterling Partners exited as seller.

Unleashed Brands Acquires Youth Esports Franchise XP League

April 26, 2022

Education

Unleashed Brands, a franchised brand operator focused on kids' enrichment, has acquired youth esports franchise XP League. The deal adds XP League to Unleashed's portfolio of family-focused brands and expands the platform into youth esports programming; financial terms were not disclosed.

Roark Capital Acquires Mathnasium

November 16, 2021

Education

Roark Capital, an Atlanta-based private equity firm focused on franchised and multi-location businesses, has acquired Mathnasium, a leading franchisor and operator of math learning centers. Mathnasium operates over 1,000 locations across 46 U.S. states and 12 countries; Roark intends to expand the brand’s reach and support franchisee growth globally.

KKR Makes Minority Growth Investment in o9 Solutions

April 28, 2020

AI & Machine Learning

KKR has made a minority equity investment in o9 Solutions, valuing the AI-powered integrated business planning platform at over $1 billion. The funding (from KKR Next Generation Technology Growth Fund II) is o9's first external capital raise and will be used to accelerate go-to-market initiatives, global expansion and continued product development.

Stronger Youth Brands Acquires Little Kickers

October 31, 2022

Education

Stronger Youth Brands, the PE-backed youth enrichment franchisor platform (backed by Susquehanna Private Capital), has acquired Little Kickers, an international franchisor of preschool soccer programs based in the United Kingdom. Little Kickers will continue to operate as a standalone brand and the acquisition expands Stronger Youth Brands' global footprint and franchise network.

Seidler Equity Partners Acquires Majority Stake in Unleashed Brands

February 7, 2023

Education

Seidler Equity Partners has invested in Unleashed Brands, acquiring a majority stake to fund the franchisor's next phase of growth and future youth-enrichment brand development. Management, led by CEO Michael Browning, will remain in place as the company uses the capital to expand its portfolio and open additional locations across the U.S. and Canada; former investors MPK Equity Partners and AHR Growth Partners exited as part of the transaction.