Education Acquisitions in Wisconsin

Captura, a software platform serving high-volume photography studios, has acquired Studio Source Yearbooks to integrate yearbook production support and operational execution into Captura’s ecosystem. The acquisition brings Studio Source’s yearbook operations, administrative dashboard, ecommerce, printing and fulfillment capabilities into Captura to streamline yearbook workflows and reduce administrative burden for studios and schools.

School Specialty, a leading PreK-12 learning environments and supplies provider headquartered in Greenville, Wisconsin, has acquired Nasco Education U.S., a developer and distributor of hands-on instructional materials based in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. The acquisition expands School Specialty’s product portfolio and procurement efficiencies for K-12 customers while both businesses operate independently during an integration period.

95 Percent Group, a portfolio company of Leeds Equity Partners, has acquired All About Learning Press, a provider of structured, multisensory literacy products for homeschool families and educators. The acquisition expands 95 Percent Group's offerings beyond public-school programs to include All About Learning Press' All About Reading, All About Spelling, and new All About Math products, targeting homeschool and tutoring markets.

Climb Global Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLMB) has acquired Douglas Stewart Software & Services, LLC (DSS), a Wisconsin-based specialty distributor of SaaS solutions for the education market, for an aggregate purchase price of $20.3 million plus potential earn-out. The acquisition expands Climb's North American presence and strengthens its education-focused product portfolio and subscription-based offerings.

Lumivero, a TA-backed data insights and research software provider, has acquired Tevera, a field experience and assessment management software focused on experiential learning. The acquisition adds Tevera to Lumivero's data solutions portfolio (alongside products such as Sonia) to expand capabilities in experiential learning, program outcomes management, and accreditation support for academia.

Emler Swim School has acquired SwimWest Swim School, adding two locations in Madison and Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and marking Emler’s expansion into its fifth state. The transaction closed April 1, 2022; SwimWest will continue operating under its name with all staff retained and current monthly enrollment plans unchanged.

ENTITY Academy has acquired SpeakPulse, an AI-enabled speech analytics interview-prep software founded by Clayton Terris. The technology will be integrated exclusively into ENTITY's wraparound EdTech offerings to enhance students' interview skills and confidence.

Cengage Group agreed to acquire Infosec, a cybersecurity education and training provider, for $190.8 million. The deal brings Infosec into Cengage’s Workforce Skills business to expand its cybersecurity professional training offerings, increase recurring revenue, and reach more learners and enterprise customers; the transaction was expected to close in Q1 2022 subject to customary conditions.

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.

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.

Grace Hill has acquired Elizabeth Moreland Consulting, Inc., a leading provider of Tax Credit and affordable housing compliance training and resources. The acquisition brings Moreland's library of online courses, compliance certifications, forms and educational content into Grace Hill's policy, training and assessment platform to enhance its talent management solutions for multifamily property operators.

Education Advanced, a Tyler, Texas–based K-12 EdTech SaaS company, has acquired Wisconsin-based School Software Group, maker of BuildYourOwnCurriculum (BYOC). The acquisition expands Education Advanced's product suite (adding BYOC's curriculum and learning-management capabilities) and increases its client footprint to over 500 districts, 6,500 schools and 4.6 million students.

SSI Acquisition, LLC — an acquisition vehicle formed by TCW Asset Management, Cerberus Capital Management and Lantern Capital Partners — acquired substantially all assets of School Specialty, Inc. in a transaction that recapitalizes the business and restructures its balance sheet. Post-closing the business will operate as School Specialty, LLC, with Ryan M. Bohr named President and CEO.

Surge Private Equity closed an investment in All About Learning Press Inc., a Wisconsin-based homeschool curriculum publisher. The deal closed with debt financing from Modern Bank and Spell Capital Partners; founders Marie and Greg Rippel remain with the company while Surge will provide operational support to drive growth.

Eden Capital, a New York–based private equity firm, acquired PDH Academy, an online continuing education and workforce training provider for real estate, healthcare, and skilled trades professionals. Eden said it will invest in PDH's organic and inorganic growth to build an industry leader in online learning.