Education Acquisitions in 2021

Skillsoft acquired Codecademy in a transaction valued at approximately $525 million in cash and stock, combining Codecademy's interactive coding platform and roughly 40 million registered learners with Skillsoft’s enterprise learning business. The deal expands Skillsoft’s Technology & Developer capabilities, creates cross‑selling opportunities across Skillsoft’s large corporate customer base, and is expected to be immediately accretive to bookings, revenue growth, and gross margins.

Teaching Strategies has acquired Noni Educational Solutions, an edtech start-up that developed noni for Teachers, an app-based coaching resource supporting preschool–5th grade teachers working with trauma-impacted children. The acquisition expands Teaching Strategies' social-emotional and trauma-informed instructional capabilities and makes the noni for Teachers app immediately available for purchase by schools and programs.

PDH Academy, a portfolio company of Eden Capital, has completed the acquisitions of OphthoQuestions and SunCam to expand its continuing-education and test-prep offerings in ophthalmology, podiatry and engineering. The deal was supported by debt financing from Tree Line Capital Partners and legal advice to Eden/PDH from Cooley LLP; the acquisitions add a large engineering course library (SunCam’s ~75 educators) and a market-leading ophthalmology question bank to the PDH platform.

Uniguest, an Atlantic Street Capital portfolio company, has acquired Planet eStream, a West Yorkshire–based unified video platform used by secondary schools, colleges, and universities. The add-on expands Uniguest's Tripleplay IPTV and digital signage division, adding more than 4 million users across 550+ locations and broadening its education-focused video and digital signage capabilities.

Global Tech Industries Group, Inc. (GTII) executed a member unit purchase agreement to acquire 100% of Classroom Salon Holdings, LLC, the holding vehicle for Classroom Salon, LLC, an education-technology platform developed in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University. In consideration, GTII will issue 10,000,000 shares of its common stock; the acquisition aims to expand GTII's product offerings in educational software and learning analytics.

XanEdu, a Frontenac-backed educational products and services company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has acquired NextLesson, a San Francisco–based provider of Common Core–aligned K–12 courseware and digital lessons. The acquisition expands XanEdu's digital courseware capabilities and integrates NextLesson's LMS-enabled content and grading automation into XanEdu's customized content and delivery offerings for K-12 and higher education.

American Securities LLC has acquired 100% of FullBloom from The Vistria Group. FullBloom is a provider of K‑12 special education and behavioral health solutions serving hundreds of school districts and tens of thousands of students and educators; the company expanded via five acquisitions under Vistria and grew EBITDA substantially during the hold period.

The Riverside Company has signed a definitive agreement to invest in iCEV, a Lubbock, Texas–based developer of SaaS-based digital curriculum, instructional materials and certification testing for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) market. Riverside said it will leverage its Education & Training platform to expand iCEV's content and capabilities through organic growth and M&A initiatives.

Colibri Group, a Gridiron Capital–backed professional education platform, has acquired TeachNow, Inc., a technology-centric teacher certification institution. The acquisition adds teacher education and international reach to Colibri's portfolio of professional learning brands and will allow TeachNow to leverage Colibri’s infrastructure to scale its cohort-based online certification and degree programs.

Prairie Capital VII, LP (Prairie Capital) completed a recapitalization of Conscious Discipline, partnering with founder Dr. Becky Bailey and management to support the company's next phase of growth. Prairie will provide company-building capital to accelerate sales, marketing, technology, product development and to pursue add-on acquisitions within the social-emotional learning (SEL) and education market.

PresenceLearning acquired Global Teletherapy to expand its teletherapy services for K-12 virtual schools while simultaneously securing a majority growth equity investment from Spectrum Equity and TPG's The Rise Fund. Bain Capital Double Impact and Catalyst Investors will retain minority stakes as PresenceLearning prepares to scale its software and teletherapy platform nationwide.

BYJU'S has acquired Austria-headquartered GeoGebra, an interactive mathematics learning platform, to integrate its visual and collaborative math tools into BYJU'S mathematics portfolio. GeoGebra will continue to operate as an independent unit under founder Markus Hohenwarter as BYJU'S incorporates its capabilities to expand and enhance math learning offerings.

Onex Corporation, through its Onex Partners V fund, has agreed to acquire Tes Global from Providence Equity Partners; Tes management will reinvest alongside Onex. Tes is a London-based education technology provider powering school and teacher products (staff management, safeguarding & compliance, pupil & learning management) and employs over 500 people across multiple offices worldwide. The deal is expected to close in Q1 2022 and financial terms were not disclosed.

Leeds Equity Partners made a significant growth investment in 95 Percent Group, a provider of evidence-based literacy curriculum, assessments, and professional development for K–12 districts. The capital will support product and digital development while founders and existing management remain involved as the company scales its curriculum, intervention products, and implementation services across thousands of U.S. schools.

Symplicity Corporation, an H.I.G. Capital portfolio company, has acquired Orbis Communications, a Hamilton, Ontario–based experiential learning and outcomes platform for post-secondary institutions. The acquisition expands Symplicity’s presence and market share in Canada and broadens its experiential learning and early-talent employer network for higher-education customers.

American Safety Council (a portfolio company of Ridgemont Equity Partners) has acquired TPC Training from Frontenac. The combination brings together ASC's content and direct-to-professional marketing with TPC's EHS software, LMS and industrial safety training capabilities to form a broader safety training and compliance platform; terms were not disclosed.

Transom Capital Group acquired Wolters Kluwer's U.S. Legal Education business and the business will operate as Aspen Publishing, a provider of casebooks, study aids and digital learning tools for law schools and students. Transom will invest in product innovation and growth, partnering with Aspen management to expand digital learning and institutional solutions.

Huron Consulting Group announced on December 2, 2021 that it has acquired Whiteboard Higher Education, a student enrollment advisory firm. The acquisition brings Whiteboard’s recruitment, retention, pricing and financial aid analytics capabilities into Huron’s Education operating segment; terms were not disclosed and the entire Whiteboard team will join Huron.

Veritas Capital has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Finalsite, a Glastonbury, Connecticut–based leader in school websites and digital communications, from Bridge Growth Partners. Financial terms were not disclosed; the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021 and is intended to scale Finalsite's education technology platform and accelerate growth.

TransPerfect has acquired Transfer Group, a Paris-based corporate language training firm founded in 1985. The acquisition expands TransPerfect's Language and Cultural Training capabilities in France and strengthens its enterprise-level virtual and in-person learning offerings for multinational clients.

Teacher Created Materials (TCM) acquired Minneapolis-based Free Spirit Publishing effective November 30, 2021. Free Spirit will continue operating from its Minneapolis location under the Free Spirit brand while TCM integrates editorial, sales & marketing, and operations teams to expand its social-emotional learning and early childhood product offerings.

HSI, a Frisco, Texas-based provider of EHS, compliance and professional development solutions (majority-owned by Waud Capital Partners), has acquired microlearning provider Blue Ocean Brain. The acquisition expands HSI's employee learning and professional development capabilities by adding Blue Ocean Brain's daily microlearning content and platform to HSI's integrated training and software offerings.

New Harbor Capital has completed a majority equity investment in MindPlay Education, a Tucson-based education software company that provides K–12 literacy instruction and professional development for educators. New Harbor cited MindPlay’s product efficacy, strong financial performance, and growth potential and will support scaling the company’s offerings to reach more students and schools nationwide.

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.

Eurazeo has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Scaled Agile, Inc., the provider of the SAFe framework, investing approximately $300 million alongside existing investors. Leeds Equity Partners will remain an investor and continue to serve on the board; the deal is expected to close in late 2021, and Scaled Agile will continue to scale its training, certification and digital platform for enterprise agility.

Fremman Capital has acquired a majority stake in Kids Planet Day Nurseries, the UK's largest independently owned nursery operator. Founding management and BGF will remain as significant minority shareholders; the investment will fund accelerated national expansion, senior hires and recruitment across Kids Planet's 82 sites serving over 7,500 children.

Blueprint Education, a portfolio company of New Harbor Capital, has acquired Rosh Review, a provider of online medical exam preparation and continuing medical education. The add-on expands Blueprint's medical education offerings and capabilities across the learner journey, integrating Rosh's subscription-based assessment, analytics and institution-facing dashboards that serve 250,000 learners at 740 institutions.

Lockstep Technology Group, a Renovus Capital Partners portfolio company, has acquired BridgeTek Solutions, a Piedmont, South Carolina-based provider of education IT solutions. The deal expands Lockstep's education-focused service offerings — including cybersecurity, managed services, devices, VR and cloud solutions — and accelerates its geographic reach across the Southeast.

PowerSchool has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kickboard, a provider of K-12 behavior management and social-emotional learning (SEL) software, to integrate Kickboard’s capabilities into PowerSchool’s Unified Classroom. The acquisition is intended to give educators a more comprehensive view of student behavior and wellbeing by combining behavior management, SIS, LMS, and analytics; Kickboard and PowerSchool will continue to operate separately until the transaction closes.

eDynamic Learning, a provider of digital K-12 curriculum, has acquired Greenways Academy, a fully accredited online K-12 virtual school. The acquisition expands eDynamic Learning's virtual school offerings and enables the combined organization to reach more students and schools with personalized, career-focused and CTE-aligned online programs.

Private equity funds managed by Blackstone will make a significant equity investment in Renaissance, the pre-K–12 edtech leader, alongside existing investors including Francisco Partners and TPG’s The Rise Fund. The capital will be used to accelerate organic growth, product innovation, and support Renaissance’s ongoing acquisition strategy while Francisco Partners remains a major shareholder.

Evergreen Coast Capital Corp., Elliott Investment Management’s technology-focused affiliate, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in DreamBox Learning. TPG’s The Rise Fund will retain a significant minority stake as DreamBox — a Bellevue-based K-12 adaptive learning provider on track for more than $100 million in revenue — prepares for the next phase of growth and product expansion.

Small Miracles, a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity firm Traverse Pointe Partners, has acquired Desert Shadows Montessori, an early education center in the Phoenix area. The add-on expands Small Miracles' footprint in Arizona; financial terms were not disclosed.

BPP Education Group has acquired Estio Training, a UK specialist provider of NVQ level 3 and 4 IT and digital apprenticeships, from Palatine Private Equity's Impact Fund. The deal expands BPP’s vocational and digital apprenticeship offering and follows Palatine’s 2018 investment during which Estio significantly grew revenues and learner numbers.

SchoolStatus has acquired Operoo, a cloud-based school forms, medical data, and trip management platform headquartered in Australia. The deal brings Operoo's technology, team (27 employees), and over a thousand customers into SchoolStatus' K-12 analytics and communications platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

Meteor Education, a Saw Mill Capital portfolio company, acquired Premier Furniture + Equipment (Premier F+E), a Shell Rock, Iowa-based distributor of K-12 classroom furniture. The deal expands Meteor's footprint into the Heartland (adding Premier's presence across Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota) and will keep Premier operating from its Shell Rock showroom while providing additional resources, tools and operational support.

Anthology and Blackboard have completed a definitive merger to create a combined higher-education technology company operating under the Anthology parent. The combined company, majority owned by Veritas Capital with minority stakes for Leeds Equity Partners and Providence Equity Partners, will be headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida and aims to offer an expanded, data-driven EdTech ecosystem serving institutions worldwide.

Providence Equity Partners has made a strategic growth investment in Seesaw Learning Inc., the San Francisco–based SaaS classroom technology platform focused on elementary education. Seesaw’s founders will continue to lead the company as Providence supports the company’s next phase of product and customer growth; financial terms were not disclosed.

i9 Sports, a Tampa-based franchisor of multi-sport youth leagues, has been acquired by Youth Enrichment Brands, a platform company backed by Roark Capital. The deal marks an add-on acquisition to the Youth Enrichment Brands platform as LNC Partners exits its investment; i9 Sports' management will remain in place to support continued growth across its nationwide footprint.

BARBRI Global, a Francisco Partners-backed legal education provider headquartered in Dallas, acquired PowerScore, a test-preparation leader for the LSAT and other standardized exams. The acquisition expands BARBRI's offerings at the front end of the legal education lifecycle and aims to accelerate PowerScore's growth through technology and new product-delivery methods.

Renovus Capital Partners has acquired EducationDynamics, a market leader in higher-education marketing, enrollment management and student success coaching. WhiteHorse Capital provided debt financing and an equity co-investment to support the transaction; Renovus says it will invest in capabilities and pursue organic growth and tuck-in acquisitions to strengthen EducationDynamics' partnership with colleges and universities.

Blueprint Test Prep, a portfolio company of New Harbor Capital, has completed the acquisition of Med School Tutors, a New York–based provider of one-on-one medical exam tutoring, admissions and residency advisement, and consulting services for medical schools. The deal is an add-on to Blueprint's education platform and expands its medical tutoring capabilities and tutor network.

Gemini Investors announced investments in two new platform companies: Little Newtons, a five-location early childhood education operator based in Plymouth, Minnesota, and Aero Bending Company, a Palmdale, California-based precision tube-bending and CNC machining supplier to aerospace OEMs. Both transactions are described as platform investments by Gemini to build out businesses in early childhood education and aerospace manufacturing.

Dictionary.com has acquired Skillo, a learning management system that provides modern training and coaching tools, to expand its education and corporate learning capabilities. The acquisition will integrate Skillo's LMS features into Dictionary.com's suite of educational products to support educators, students, and corporate clients.

Accelerate Learning, maker of the STEMscopes K‑12 STEM curriculum, has acquired Study Edge, the company behind the Math Nation math curriculum and tutoring platform. The purchase expands Accelerate Learning's digital math offerings and learner-focused technology capabilities for K‑12 schools and districts nationwide.

Amplify has acquired London-based edtech startup Mathigon to strengthen its K–12 mathematics offerings and integrate Mathigon's interactive tools into Amplify's math programs. Mathigon's Polypad and interactive courses will remain freely available while Mathigon founder Philipp Legner joins Amplify as vice president, Mathigon Studio.

Fiverr has acquired Seattle-based online learning platform CreativeLive to expand its professional education offerings. CreativeLive will remain a standalone organization in Seattle with founder Chase Jarvis continuing as CEO, and Fiverr will fold its Fiverr Learn content into CreativeLive to scale learning for freelancers and businesses.

OverDrive, the digital reading platform for libraries and schools, acquired TeachingBooks.net to strengthen curriculum-focused resources for K-12 educators and integrate supplemental materials into OverDrive Education’s Sora app. The acquisition expands OverDrive’s catalog of instructional content and provides educators with over 265,000 curated resources used by tens of thousands of schools and libraries worldwide.

Vector Capital has made a co-investment in McGraw Hill Education alongside existing owner Platinum Equity. The investment will support McGraw Hill's digital transformation and expansion of its courseware and platform offerings (including Connect and ALEKS) as the company integrates additional capabilities such as Achieve3000.

Infobase, a Centre Lane Partners portfolio company, has acquired Purple Briefcase, a career services administration and employer recruiting platform. The deal expands Infobase’s Vault/Firsthand Career Engagement Platform by integrating Purple Briefcase’s student-facing tools and employer recruiting capabilities to deepen engagement between universities, students/alumni, and employers.