Education Acquisitions in 2023

Emler Swim School acquired New Jersey Swim Schools, Inc. (Njswim) in Q4 2023, adding six locations in New Jersey and expanding Emler's network to 51 facilities across 12 states. Njswim will continue operating under its current name with the same enrollment plans and staff; the founder Joe Oehme will be stepping into the partnership with Emler to maintain continuity.

Corridor Capital has made an investment in Integrity Solutions, LLC, a Nashville-based sales and sales leadership training firm, to support the company’s growth and development of new services. Management, led by CEO Mike Esterday, will remain in place and continue as a material owner while Corridor provides strategic, operational and financial support, with Live Oak Bank providing debt financing.

Salt Creek Capital’s portfolio company, Electronics Manufacturing Training Holding (owner of EPTAC), has acquired Blackfox Training Institute. The transaction combines EPTAC and Blackfox to form one of the largest IPC training and certification providers in the U.S., expanding in-person and online training capabilities and geographic reach.

Traliant, a PSG-backed provider of online compliance training, has acquired Kantola Training Solutions, an eLearning leader focused on harassment prevention and DEI training trusted by over 15,000 organizations. The acquisition expands Traliant's portfolio of harassment prevention and DEI courses and is an add-on to the PSG-supported Traliant platform to accelerate capability and market growth.

Carnegie (Carnegie Dartlet LLC), a New Heritage Capital–backed higher education enrollment marketing firm, has acquired Fire Engine RED's Student Search service and team. The acquisition expands Carnegie’s Student Search capabilities—enabling service for both Slate and non-Slate CRM clients—and brings additional talent and strategic enrollment search capabilities into Carnegie’s platform as an add-on to its existing services.

3STEP Sports has acquired EDP Soccer, International Sporting Events and New York Club Soccer, adding league and event management capabilities to its expanding soccer division. The deal expands 3STEP's youth soccer footprint across New England, the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio, Florida and Eastern Canada and positions the company as the largest owner-operator of youth soccer leagues in the United States.

The Rise Fund (TPG Rise) will make a majority investment in Outcomes First Group (OFG), with Investcorp joining as a minority investor, in a deal that transfers majority ownership from Stirling Square Capital Partners. OFG is a UK specialist provider of education and therapeutic care operating 56 schools serving over 3,000 students; the investment is intended to enhance OFG's clinical capabilities and support the group's next phase of growth.

Exeter Street Capital Partners led a majority recapitalization of Creative Learning Systems, LLC (d/b/a SmartLab) in partnership with IBC Funds, Siguler Guff, and members of SmartLab's leadership team. The investment will support SmartLab's growth plans to expand its national footprint and scale its turnkey, tech-enabled STEM learning environments for K-12 schools.

Flinn Scientific, a Batavia, Illinois-based supplier of science education products and lab supplies, has acquired Educational Innovations, operator of teachersource.com. The acquisition will integrate Educational Innovations' portfolio of classroom materials, kits and online resources into Flinn Scientific's existing offerings to expand capabilities and support for K–12 science educators.

ACI Learning, a Boathouse Capital portfolio company, has acquired Infosec Learning, a provider of cloud-based virtual labs and cybersecurity training. The transaction — ACI's fourth add-on under Boathouse Capital — expands ACI's hands-on lab catalog and consolidates cybersecurity, audit and IT skills training capabilities.

Serent-backed ParentSquare has acquired Remind and will combine the two K‑12 communication platforms under the ParentSquare name to expand school‑home engagement tools. The deal, which closed in November, will keep Remind’s products and free teacher messaging while discontinuing Remind Tutoring; financial terms were not disclosed.

Validated Insights, a higher-education marketing and advertising agency based in Lincolnshire, Illinois, has acquired 32EDU (Thirty Two Edu), a higher-education market research consultancy founded in 2019. The acquisition expands Validated Insights' program and market research capabilities, combining 32EDU's OPM and higher-ed research expertise with Validated Insights' marketing services.

Safeware, Inc. has acquired Hazard3, a specialist emergency response training provider founded in 2020, and is integrating the business to form a new Safeware Training division. The acquisition expands Safeware's capabilities in training emergency responders, military units, and federal organizations and positions the company to offer a broader range of training services beyond emergency response.

Xalles Holdings Inc. has acquired University Consultants of America, Inc. (UCA), making UCA a wholly owned subsidiary and creating a new Education business group within Xalles. UCA — a Tampa-based education consulting firm founded by Robert LeVine — reported roughly $1.0M in 2022 revenue and $250K in profit; Xalles said the acquisition will support international expansion and broader growth initiatives.

Fathering Together is acquiring City Dads Group to combine networks, expand programming, and broaden reach for fatherhood support. The combined organization will expand in-person chapters and school-based programming, reaching over 150,000 dads across multiple countries.

160 Driving Academy acquired the National Tractor Trailer School (NTTS) campuses in Buffalo and Liverpool, New York from Swift Transportation, reopening the locations and resuming student enrollment after NTTS had previously closed. The deal expands 160 Driving Academy's footprint in upstate New York (joining its Rochester campus) as the company continues national growth of its CDL training network.

TPH Academy has acquired Method Hockey and will establish a new TPH Philly campus at Ice Line Quad Rinks in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Method Hockey founders Jamie Lundmark and Kevin Holt remain in the ownership group as TPH integrates Method’s coaching and programming into its academy model to expand local hockey development offerings.

MidOcean Partners has acquired Smith System Driver Improvement Institute, Inc., a leading provider of workplace and driver safety training, from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. Smith System, headquartered in Arlington, Texas, offers driver safety and fleet management training globally and will partner with MidOcean to accelerate product development, organic growth and M&A; the Smith System management team has also invested alongside MidOcean. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Element451, the AI-powered student engagement platform, has acquired Enrollify, a media and content brand focused on higher education marketing and enrollment. The acquisition brings Enrollify's research, podcasts, and educational content into Element451's Engage content brand to expand thought leadership, content production, and AI-focused training for higher education marketers.

Emler Swim School acquired Discover Aquatics of Olympia, Washington, adding the 45th Emler-branded location and marking Emler's first facility in the state of Washington. Discover Aquatics was founded and operated for 21 years by Holly and Brian Nichols, who will transition the location to Emler.

BibliU has acquired Texas Book Company, a Texas-based provider of campus store services and affordable course materials for higher education institutions. The acquisition expands BibliU's Universal Learning offering into a combined campus store management and digital content delivery solution (Universal Learning Plus) and adds an Inclusive Access model to increase affordability and day-one access for students across the U.S.

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.

Vector Solutions, the Tampa-based provider of training and education software, has acquired PATHWAYos, a work-based learning and Career and Technical Education (CTE) platform. The deal expands Vector's capabilities and presence in the K-12 CTE market, enabling the combined company to connect industry customers with trained student talent and offer CTE courses and industry-recognized credentials.

Spartan Education Group, a Chicago-based aviation education operator, acquired Illinois Aviation Academy (IAA), a Part 141 flight school located at DuPage County Airport in West Chicago, Illinois. The deal expands Spartan's flight-training offerings and capacity (IAA operates a 30,000 sq. ft. facility and a fleet of 25+ aircraft) as part of efforts to address the U.S. pilot shortage.

Graphite Capital has made a growth investment in Storal, a UK early-years nursery group that operates 26 nurseries and two out-of-school clubs serving over 2,000 children. The capital will support Storal's planned expansion across the UK and further develop its proprietary curriculum and education offering.

Discovery Education, a Clearlake Capital–backed global edtech company, agreed to and completed the acquisition of DreamBox Learning, a Bellevue-based PK–12 adaptive learning platform serving more than 6 million students and 600,000 educators. The deal (terms undisclosed) brings DreamBox’s adaptive math and reading technology into Discovery Education’s suite to expand product capabilities and reach; DreamBox investors Elliott Investment Management and TPG’s The Rise Fund will retain minority stakes.

Instructure Holdings, Inc. has acquired Parchment (PCS Holdings, LLC), the largest academic credential management platform and network, for approximately $835 million in an all-cash transaction. The deal adds Parchment’s credentialing, transcript exchange and verification capabilities to Instructure’s Canvas learning platform, expanding its addressable market and providing cross-selling opportunities across K-12, higher education and employer verification channels.

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) has acquired Empowered Education, the parent company of the Health Coach Institute and Functional Nutrition Alliance, expanding ISSA’s curriculum into health coaching and functional nutrition. The deal adds more than 36,000 students to ISSA’s community and integrates the teams and course libraries to position ISSA as a broader health and wellness education provider.

Big Blue Marble Academy, a portfolio company of Avathon Capital, has acquired Odyssey Early Schools, a premium early childhood education provider based in Birmingham, Alabama. The transaction brings Odyssey into BBMA’s platform of early care and preschool centers and was advised by Founders Advisors; Odyssey was owned by Bob Mitchell and his family.

Emler Swim School (Dallas-based) has acquired Saint Street Swim, a single-location swim school in Houston's River Oaks area. The acquisition expands Emler’s national footprint to 44 locations and marks its seventh location in the greater Houston market.

Global Education Holdings (GEDU) has acquired MLA College, a UK-based higher education provider specializing in distance learning for the marine and maritime sector. The acquisition advances GEDU’s global expansion and broadens its higher-education and maritime training offerings.

Prairie Capital VII, LP partnered with the founders (the Arick family) to recapitalize STAR Autism Support, a Beaverton, Oregon-based provider of digital special education curriculum and professional development for K-12 districts. Prairie Capital will support acceleration of STAR's SaaS solutions through investments in talent, sales and marketing, product development and add-on acquisitions.

O2B Kids, part of O2B Early Education, has acquired Bright Start Academy’s six preschool locations across St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri. The deal expands O2B’s footprint into its fifth state, bringing the operator to a total of 57 preschools; the acquired centers will be rebranded, renovated and transitioned to O2B’s FD Education curriculum.

FullBloom has acquired EmpowerU, a provider of evidence-based, technology-enabled mental health and resilience programs for K-12 students. The acquisition integrates EmpowerU's online platform and one-to-one master's-level coaching into FullBloom's suite of student and educator services to expand mental health, behavioral supports, and scalable counseling capacity for school districts.

Genius SIS, a Leeds Equity Partners portfolio company, has acquired LiteracyPro Systems, a provider of student information system software for adult basic education, correctional education and community literacy programs. The acquisition is an add-on to Genius designed to expand its capabilities and presence in adult education and workforce development markets; terms were not disclosed.

Munetrix, a K-12 performance analytics platform based in Michigan, has acquired Eidex, a K-12 data visualization and analytics firm. The deal combines Eidex's visualization capabilities with Munetrix's data consolidation platform to expand product offerings, accelerate innovation, and broaden reach across K-12 districts.

Meazure Learning, a Gryphon Investors-backed provider of test development and delivery solutions, has acquired Examity, a leading online proctoring company, from Great Hill Partners. Great Hill will retain a minority stake alongside Gryphon, Eastside Partners, and members of management; the deal expands Meazure's proctoring capacity, security capabilities, and global footprint.

engage2learn, a portfolio company of Leeds Equity Partners, has acquired the Coaching Assessment Effectiveness Suite developed by ReadyCoach. The Suite — built on 10 years of peer‑reviewed research — will be integrated into e2L's GroweLab platform and DIG Coaching Collaborative to expand the company's coaching assessment and certification capabilities for K‑12 school districts.

New Story acquired the Virginia assets of the Center for Autism & Related Disorders (CARD), comprising three school campuses and nine ABA therapy clinics. The locations will transition to New Story brands Rivermont Schools and Your Life ABA clinics, expanding New Story’s special education and therapy footprint in Virginia and growing its network support across multiple states.

Hidden River Strategic Capital and Taurus Capital Partners partnered to form Somersault Holdings, LLC and acquired seven existing The Little Gym franchise locations across North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee from long-time franchisees the Moore Family and Connie Tator. Hidden River's investment is its first from its inaugural fund and Taurus' Griffin Gordon will play an active operational role as Somersault looks to expand further through acquisitions and development of new locations.

SchoolStatus has acquired ClassTag, a New York–based family engagement and communications platform used by over 5 million families, integrating ClassTag’s operations and technology into SchoolStatus’ K-12 data and communications suite. The acquisition adds a mobile app and expanded multi-channel communications capabilities to SchoolStatus’ offerings, enhancing teacher-family communications and student-level data sharing.

Dallas-based Trive Capital and New York-based Epic Partners have invested in Pryor Learning, a corporate training, credentialing and educational content provider headquartered in Mission, Kansas. The investment will support Pryor's digital offering and buy-and-build growth strategy; Steven Riehs has been named CEO. Trive and Epic plan organic investments to enhance the customer experience and pursue acquisitions to expand Pryor's content and platform capabilities.

ZRG has acquired The Registry, a Peabody, Massachusetts–based interim executive solutions and membership organization that places interim senior leaders at colleges and universities. The Registry—whose membership exceeds 1,000 and which has made more than 1,200 placements at over 500 institutions—will expand ZRG's higher education talent offerings; ZRG is PE-backed by RFE Investment Partners.

PeopleGrove has acquired jobZology and its PathwayU assessment product; the deal is an add-on to PeopleGrove, which is part of The Riverside Company portfolio. The acquisition integrates PathwayU's science-based career assessment capabilities into PeopleGrove's Career Access Platform to strengthen career exploration, advising, and alumni engagement for higher education customers.

Emler Swim School, a Dallas-based operator of children's swim schools, has acquired Donna's Dolphins Swim School in Colorado Springs. The acquisition marks Emler’s 43rd location and expands the company's presence into its 10th U.S. state as Donna's Dolphins is rebranded to Emler Swim School Colorado Springs.

ikeGPS (IKE) has acquired the training assets of Marne and Associates, Inc., bringing NESC and OSHA training capabilities and expertise into IKE's offering. David J. Marne will continue to lead the training programs through 2023 as IKE integrates the safety-code training into its suite of grid infrastructure products and services.

Woolpert has acquired Cooperative Strategies, a national education facility and program planning firm that provides K‑12 facility management, enrollment and demographic analysis, capital planning and program planning services. The acquisition adds national education facility expertise and the My Facility Informer (MFI) data platform to Woolpert's architecture, engineering, geospatial and consulting capabilities to expand K‑12 offerings and analytics.

CollegeNET, a Portland-based provider of web-based technologies for higher education, has received a strategic growth investment from an affiliate of Peak Rock Capital. The investment will provide runway for product development — including CollegeNET's patent-pending AI Opportunity Drivers — and support the company's planned growth in higher-education technology markets.

Ascent, a San Diego-based student lending and student success provider, has acquired Ampersand, a web-based professional development platform for early-career professionals. The acquisition adds Ampersand’s library of asynchronous training content and its founder Allie Danziger to Ascent’s student success team to deepen career-readiness services and close the education-to-employment skills gap.

Sallie Mae (SLM) has acquired several key assets of scholarship search app Scholly, including its scholarship search app, scholarship administration technology, Scholly Offers platform, certain technology, intellectual property, and staff. Sallie Mae will make Scholly free for students and families and intends to integrate the technology to expand its education solutions and improve access to scholarships; terms were not disclosed.