Education Acquisitions in New York

Japan Educational Foundation (JEF) has completed its acquisition of LIM College, a New York City–based college focused on the business of fashion. LIM will remain independently operated with its name, campus, and leadership retained while joining JEF's global portfolio to expand international academic and student opportunities.

Campus, an online two-year college, has acquired Sizzle AI, an AI-powered learning platform used by over 1.7 million users. Jerome Pesenti (former Meta AI chief) will join as CTO as Campus integrates Sizzle's adaptive learning technology to enhance its live online instruction and accelerate its engineering roadmap.

AlphaBEST Education has acquired iCAMP, a STEM-focused summer camp and enrichment provider operating in New York and Connecticut. The acquisition expands AlphaBEST’s footprint by roughly 100 schools and two states while integrating iCAMP’s STEM programming into AlphaBEST’s after-school and summer offerings.

EdSights, an AI-powered student voice and retention platform for higher education, secured an $80 million strategic growth investment from JMI Equity. The funding will be used to scale EdSights' product, expand its team, and accelerate adoption across colleges and universities nationwide to improve student engagement and retention.

U.S. News & World Report has acquired a majority stake in Sups, an AI-powered college admissions guidance platform, and will integrate Sups into its CollegeAdvisor.com division. The move is intended to expand U.S. News' AI capabilities in education and broaden access to personalized college-application guidance for students globally.

IMG Academy has acquired SportsRecruits, a college sports recruiting platform, to combine it with IMG's NCSA College Recruiting and expand its college recruiting products and network. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Raptor Technologies has acquired SmartPass, a digital hall pass and student accountability SaaS used by thousands of K–12 schools, to expand its school safety and operations product portfolio. The deal integrates SmartPass's hall-pass technology into Raptor's suite of safety solutions, with IKONA Partners advising SmartPass and Reach Capital and Goodwin Procter advising Raptor.

Teaching Strategies has acquired Cognitive ToyBox, a research-driven, game-based early childhood assessment platform. The acquisition will integrate Cognitive ToyBox's five-minute game-based assessments into Teaching Strategies' GOLD observational assessment system to give educators a more comprehensive, objective view of young children's development and reduce teacher assessment burden.

PowerToFly has acquired Skillcrush to expand its upskilling and technical training capabilities for underrepresented professionals. The acquisition adds Skillcrush's mentor-led coding and design programs to PowerToFly's AI-led talent matching and employer-facing solutions, enhancing workforce development offerings for millions of diverse candidates.

Follett School Solutions has acquired MasterLibrary, a cloud-based facilities and asset management software provider for K-12 districts, to expand Follett’s K-12 edtech portfolio. The acquisition adds facility scheduling, work-order management, asset mapping and preventative maintenance capabilities to Follett’s suite of district solutions.

Demco has acquired all assets related to StickTogether LLC, bringing StickTogether's sticker poster kits and virtual stickerboard products into Demco's learning-environment portfolio. The deal (an asset sale from StickTogether Products, LLC and founder Sylvia Stein) is intended to expand Demco's pre-K–12 offerings and scale StickTogether's collaborative, inclusive learning tools nationwide.

Branching Minds, an education-technology company providing an MTSS platform for K-12 schools, received a growth investment from Bain Capital Double Impact to accelerate platform development and expand access to more school districts across the United States. The company will continue to be led by co-founders Maya Gat (CEO) and David Magier (COO); financial terms were not disclosed and Tucker Capital served as exclusive financial advisor.

Savvas Learning Company has acquired Outlier.org to bring Outlier’s cinematic, college-level online courses and dual-enrollment offerings to Savvas’s K–12 customers. The deal expands Savvas’s portfolio of college- and career-readiness solutions, enabling millions of high school students to earn transferable college credits and career certificates.

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.

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.

Atairos, an independent strategic investment company, acquired LifeLabs Learning, a provider of manager and team upskilling programs, in a transaction that closed on March 23, 2023. The investment will accelerate LifeLabs Learning’s rollout of digital learning innovations and support growth of its manager-focused training programs; Houlihan Lokey served as exclusive financial advisor to Atairos.

MindPlay Education, a portfolio company of New Harbor Capital, has acquired LightSail Education, a K-12 digital literacy and reading platform. The deal expands MindPlay's digital literacy offerings by adding LightSail's library, assessment capabilities, and engagement features to MindPlay's instructional products for schools nationwide.

IXL Learning, the San Mateo–based developer of personalized learning products, has acquired Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT), the world’s largest marketplace of educator-created content. The acquisition expands IXL’s portfolio of education brands and enhances its ability to connect PK–12 educators and schools with teacher-created instructional resources and subscription offerings.

Learning.com has acquired Codesters, bringing Codesters' web-based Python curriculum and the previously acquired Vidcode offering into Learning.com's platform. The acquisition integrates the Codesters team (with founder Gordon Smith joining as VP of Product Strategy) and expands Learning.com's K-12 computer science and digital literacy offerings to its existing customer base.

LinkIt!, a K-12 assessment, analytics and MTSS software provider, has received a growth investment from Serent Capital to accelerate geographic expansion and further invest in product development and platform integrations. Lane Rankin will join LinkIt!'s board as part of the transaction, and Leonis Partners advised LinkIt! on the deal.

Housatonic Partners has made a strategic growth investment in Brainfuse, a New York City–based provider of online tutoring, career counseling, and veterans assistance that serves public libraries, higher education institutions, and K‑12 school districts. Financial terms were not disclosed; Housatonic Managing Director Mark Hilderbrand joined Brainfuse's board as the firms partner to enhance the company's proprietary online learning platform and support growth.

Simplilearn, a Blackstone-backed online bootcamp operator, has acquired Fullstack Academy, a New York–based tech bootcamp, in an all-cash, 100% acquisition. The deal expands Simplilearn’s U.S. footprint and university/government partnerships, and brings Fullstack’s ~300 employees and ~USD 30M in annual revenue into Simplilearn’s global platform.

Promethean, a global education technology company, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Explain Everything, a digital whiteboard platform for creating lessons, videos and interactive presentations. The acquisition will integrate Explain Everything's team and platform into Promethean's portfolio to expand its interactive and collaborative edtech offerings.

Edcetera, the Eden Capital‑backed provider of continuing education and licensing programs, has acquired Pulse Radiology, an online pre‑licensure and continuing education provider for radiologic technologists. The acquisition expands Edcetera’s allied‑health education offerings and integrates Pulse Radiology’s online courses and network of 1,100+ affiliated imaging centers into Edcetera’s learning ecosystem as an add‑on to its platform.

KIRKBI A/S, the family-owned holding company of the LEGO brand, has acquired 100% of BrainPOP, a leading K–12 educational technology platform. KIRKBI will operate BrainPOP as an independent business, invest to accelerate its product roadmap, and leverage the LEGO ecosystem to expand BrainPOP’s digital learning reach and direct-to-consumer offerings.

EAB, a provider of education research, technology, and enrollment solutions, has acquired Concourse (Concourse Global), the company behind an alternative college admissions platform that enables institutions to proactively make admission and financial-aid offers. The acquisition expands EAB’s Greenlight Match program and combines Concourse’s technology with EAB’s network to help thousands more first-generation, underserved, and international students connect with colleges.

Northlane Capital Partners has made a majority investment in Infobase, a New York–based provider of cloud-based educational content and learning platforms. Centre Lane Partners and Infobase management retain significant continued equity, and NCP will support Infobase's growth and M&A initiatives to expand its position in K–12, higher education and corporate learning markets.

Jenzabar, a higher-education technology provider, has acquired Spark451, a Westbury, New York-based enrollment marketing and technology firm. The acquisition strengthens Jenzabar's enrollment strategy, marketing, analytics, and digital transformation capabilities to help colleges and universities recruit and retain right-fit students, including adult and non-traditional learners.

CentSai Inc., a New York–based financial education platform, has acquired TDFQ Inc., the maker of The Daily FinQ mobile financial-literacy app. The acquisition brings gamified trivia and mobile engagement capabilities to CentSai's content and learning offerings; founder Bill Ullman will remain involved as an investor and strategic advisor.

SchoolStatus, a K-12 communications and operations platform provider, has acquired TeachBoost, an education software company that builds tools for educator observations, evaluations, and coaching. The acquisition expands SchoolStatus' product capabilities by adding teacher-evaluation and coaching workflows to its data and family-engagement platform to better support educator development and student outcomes.

Cross Country Education, a division of Cross Country Healthcare, has acquired substantially all the assets of Selected, a cloud-based educator matching and hiring platform. The purchase expands Cross Country Education's SaaS and tech-enabled capabilities to support K-12 staffing and advance the organization's digital transformation in the education market.

Pearson has acquired Credly, the market leader in digital workforce credentialing, in a deal valuing the company at $200 million (including Pearson's existing stake). The acquisition — funded from Pearson’s cash and liquidity — will fold Credly into Pearson’s Workforce Skills division alongside Faethm to expand the company’s credentialing, workforce analysis and learning capabilities.

PowerSchool has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kinvolved, a provider of K-12 two-way communications, attendance, and engagement software. The acquisition will integrate Kinvolved's messaging and attendance capabilities into PowerSchool's Unified Home solution to strengthen school-to-home communications and support efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism.

Learning Pool, a Marlin Equity Partners portfolio company, has acquired True Office Learning, a New York–based adaptive compliance eLearning and behavioral intelligence provider. The deal expands Learning Pool's governance, risk and compliance (GRC) capabilities and bolsters its North American footprint by adding True Office's adaptive compliance technology and content.

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.

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.

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.

Yellowbrick, a New York–based online education platform focused on the Creative Economy, acquired Animation Mentor, a leading online animation school. At the same time Yellowbrick secured an investment from Sony Innovation Fund by IGV to support the company's expansion into film, television and other creative industries.

Platinum Equity completed the acquisition of McGraw Hill from funds managed by Apollo Global Management for approximately $4.5 billion. McGraw Hill, a 130+ year global education company headquartered in New York, generates the majority of its revenue from digital products and will continue to be led by CEO Simon Allen under Platinum's ownership as the firm invests to accelerate digital growth and pursue strategic expansion.

Falfurrias Capital Partners has made a growth investment in Training The Street, the provider of financial training and professional education founded by Scott Rostan. As part of the deal Falfurrias partners will join the board while Rostan remains CEO and a co-investor; the capital will be used to expand content, technology, marketing and international presence.

Cisco has acquired New York–based Involvio LLC, a student experience platform that integrates with learning management systems. The acquisition will enhance Cisco Webex's education capabilities and expand its vertical offerings by embedding Involvio's integrations and developer expertise into the Webex platform.

Course Hero, the online learning platform, acquired LitCharts, a leading creator of literature study guides and resources used by millions of students and educators. LitCharts will continue to operate as an independent brand led by its co-founders and will help expand Course Hero’s literature content and teaching tools.

CuriosityStream (NASDAQ: CURI) acquired One Day University, a provider of live and on-demand lectures from top university professors, to expand its factual and edutainment content offering and reach new audiences. The acquisition adds access to One Day University's library of lectures and live events, enabling content and promotional synergies between the two businesses.

Edlio acquired eChalk, a New York–based provider of K‑12 accessible school websites and communication tools, combining two established K‑12 website and communications platforms. The deal expands Edlio’s product portfolio and customer reach in the K‑12 market and will continue support and enhancements for eChalk customers.

WRAP Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: WRAP) completed an asset purchase of NSENA Inc., a developer of immersive virtual reality training for law enforcement, and will rebrand the business as WRAP Reality. The acquisition is intended to expand WRAP’s training capabilities by integrating NSENA’s VR scenarios and content with WRAP’s BolaWrap training and academy offerings to target public-safety agencies and improve de‑escalation and use‑of‑force training.

NewSpring Growth, the growth strategy of private equity firm NewSpring, invested in Skillshare in a growth capital round to support the online learning platform's international expansion and expansion of its enterprise offering. Skillshare, an online creative learning community with over 12 million registered members and roughly 8,000 teachers, will use the proceeds to localize internationally, deepen its U.S. presence, and invest in teacher and engagement tools.

Luminary acquired Declare, a leadership and career-advancement platform for professional women, purchasing the Declare brand and assets to combine networks, programming and corporate partnerships. The deal brings Declare’s community and corporate partners under Luminary’s membership platform to expand Luminary’s professional development offerings and strengthen its position as a workplace equity advocate.

Six Red Marbles (SRM) has acquired Triple SSS Press Media Development, Inc., a provider of higher-education content and courseware development. Founder Susan Simpfenderfer will join SRM as Executive Director of Higher Education Content to expand SRM's higher-education content development capabilities and client offerings.