Private Equity-Backed Education Acquisitions

CIC Partners has realized its investment in American College of Education (ACE) and sold the company to Bain Capital Double Impact, with the transaction completing in Q4 2025. ACE is an accredited online private college headquartered in Indianapolis that serves adult and professional learners across education, healthcare and business programs; financial terms were not disclosed.

LearnWell, a U.S.-based provider of K-12 academic continuity and mental/behavioral health services, received a growth investment from the Sustainable Investing business at Goldman Sachs Alternatives to accelerate growth and expand its service footprint. The capital will support scaling LearnWell’s integrated in-school and virtual offerings; the company serves thousands of school districts through a team of educators and therapists and was previously backed by 424 Capital.

Small Miracles, a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity firm Traverse Pointe Partners, has acquired Gingerbread Schools, Inc., a three-location early learning provider in the Tampa–St. Petersburg, Florida market. Vision Point Capital served as sell-side advisor; the acquisition expands Small Miracles' Florida footprint and increases its total enrollment capacity to more than 2,600 children across its network.

Charter Impact, a national provider of back-office financial and operational services for charter schools, has acquired EdFinMN, a Minneapolis-based school finance and back-office firm. The deal brings EdFinMN’s local team and client relationships into Charter Impact’s platform to expand capacity, technology, and service offerings for Minnesota charter schools as part of Charter Impact’s national expansion strategy.

PebblePad has acquired myday, a UK-based student engagement portal, to integrate personalized student-facing services with PebblePad’s ePortfolio, workbook, and assessment platform. The acquisition brings myday’s 14-person team into PebblePad and aims to deepen the company’s presence in further and higher education while serving more than 200 institutions globally; financial terms were not disclosed.

EAB has acquired Hybrid, a Bristol-headquartered higher education marketing agency, from UK private equity firm LDC. The acquisition expands EAB's global reach and strengthens its digital and AI-driven marketing capabilities for universities and colleges across the UK, US and APAC.

Ellucian has completed the acquisition of Anthology's Student Information Systems (SIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) business, having been the successful bidder in Anthology's Chapter 11 process. The deal transfers more than 260 Anthology SIS and ERP customers to Ellucian and is intended to provide continuity for customers while expanding Ellucian's higher-education product and services ecosystem.

LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, has made a minority growth investment in Cheshire-based myHappymind to support the company’s expansion into more UK and international schools and ongoing product development. The funding will back the management team’s plans to scale the digital mental health and wellbeing programmes currently delivered to over 1,900 schools.

Broadtree Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm based in Charlotte, has acquired The CFO Project, a membership-based education and mentorship platform for accountants, CPAs and bookkeepers. The deal—supported by Salem Investment Partners—will position The CFO Project to scale its digital Certified CFO program and community of 500+ members under new CEO Dyanna Salcedo.

Following a 2024 merger, PeopleGrove and CORE Higher Education Group have combined under the PeopleGrove brand and launched a unified website and integrated product suite. The combined company will integrate CORE’s experiential and clinical education management solutions with PeopleGrove’s engagement and career-readiness platform to better serve colleges, universities, and health-science programs.

Trivest Partners and Lunchline Partners have launched Lunchline Youth Brands, a new platform to scale early childhood education and youth enrichment franchisors, and announced a strategic growth investment in LeafSpring Schools. LeafSpring, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia, is a franchisor of early education programs and summer camps across the Southeastern United States and will join the new platform to support accelerated growth and franchise expansion.

360training.com, Inc. has acquired UST Training, a leading provider of state‑approved Class A/B and Class C online operator training for underground storage tank (UST) systems. The acquisition brings UST Training's Tank Savvy content and regulatory expertise onto 360training's platform to expand regulated EHS training offerings and accelerate growth in tank‑safety and fuel‑system compliance markets.

KKR has increased its investment in Lighthouse Learning Group, with additional participation from PSP Investments, as Lighthouse prepares for a new phase of platform expansion across major Indian metropolitan regions. KKR will remain the majority stakeholder while the fresh capital will support expansion of preschools and K‑12 schools, enhance teaching capabilities, technology initiatives, and operational systems.

TPG’s Rise Fund has made a minority growth investment in Healthcademia, joining majority shareholder G Square Capital to support the healthcare education provider’s next phase of expansion. The capital will be used to accelerate organic growth and pursue acquisitions as Healthcademia scales its technology-enabled healthcare education programs across Europe and the Americas.

KEV Group has acquired TES Software, a provider of purpose-built financial and administrative solutions for K–12 schools, strengthening KEV's U.S. presence and expanding its K–12 school finance platform. The acquisition broadens KEV's product footprint across several U.S. states (notably Utah and Alabama) and will help the combined business deliver unified accounting, payments, reporting, and time-management capabilities to K–12 districts.

Main Street Capital Corporation completed a $47.0 million minority recapitalization of a leading swim school franchisee that operates more than 40 locations across ten U.S. states. The investment included a combination of first-lien senior secured term debt and a direct minority equity stake and was completed in partnership with the company's existing owners and management.

Banyan Software has acquired Veritech S.A., which does business as Classter, a Greece-based provider of a modular, cloud-based student information system used by more than 500 organizations and 500,000 users worldwide. Banyan — a permanent-capital acquirer of niche enterprise software businesses — said the acquisition will support Classter’s growth while preserving its mission and product focus.

Cordance has acquired AppsAnywhere, a provider of application delivery and IT management software for higher education, to deepen its education technology portfolio and align the product with existing Cordance holdings. The deal pairs AppsAnywhere’s student-centric application delivery platform with LabStats’ analytics to expand capabilities for universities and improve IT efficiency and student experiences.

TZP Group completed a strategic investment in True Lacrosse to launch True Sports Group, a national youth sports platform headquartered in Illinois. The investment will support True Sports' expansion of youth travel teams, tournaments, camps and clinics and enable organic growth and add-on acquisitions while partnering with co-founders Jake Deane and Mike Gabel.

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.

Oakley Capital’s Fund VI is investing new capital into its K12 platform Affinitas (Affinitas Education) alongside two third‑party co‑investors, while Oakley Capital Fund IV is selling part of its stake and retaining a minority. The injection of funds is intended to support further organic and M&A-led expansion of Affinitas, which now comprises ~20 schools and around 14,000 students worldwide.

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.

Beech Tree Private Equity has completed an investment to acquire Inspiro Learning, a UK-based vocational and technical training provider; existing owner Inspirit Capital has partially reinvested and Investec provided funding. The capital will be used to enhance service delivery, expand technical training into adjacent sectors, and support strategic acquisitions to accelerate organic growth.

Taurus Capital Partners has made a platform investment to form and recapitalize Pathlight Learning, a leading franchisee of Primrose Schools, partnering with existing owner and manager Sarah Albahadily and other prior co-owners. The recapitalization provides Pathlight with resources to expand its Primrose school footprint nationally while retaining management continuity.

Atlanta-based private equity firm Eagle Merchant Partners has made a control / strategic growth investment in Sacramento-based Guidewell Education, with Graycliff Partners providing follow-on unitranche debt and minority equity to support the transaction. As part of the partnership, Guidewell—an education platform serving ~22,000 students annually—acquired Reach Cambridge, a UK-based summer academic and cultural program operator, to expand its international footprint.

Ethos Software portfolio company Peterson's LLC has acquired Animal Behavior College (ABC), a leading vocational school for pet care professionals headquartered in Valencia, California. ABC will become a division of Peterson's, expanding the platform's vocational and certification offerings in the pet care market.

The Longreach Group, partnering with independent sponsor Our Billion Ventures, completed a take-private of Lightworks Corp (TSE:4267), a Japan-based cloud learning management and HCM platform. The tender offer priced Lightworks at JPY 2,179 per share (a ~68.9% premium) with the deal intended to accelerate product and service growth while retaining CEO Natsuo Eguchi.

Edcetera, the Eden Capital‑backed provider of career education, has acquired Pulse Radiology Institute (PRI), an online school offering an Associate of Science in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The acquisition combines PRI’s degree programs with Pulse Radiology’s didactic and clinical placement services, enabling Edcetera to expand into degree‑granting allied health programs and introduce new offerings such as an RN to BSN pathway.

RiverGlade Capital, a healthcare-focused private equity firm, has formed a partnership with Custom Learning Designs (CLD), a Belmont, Massachusetts-based provider of technology-enabled sales training for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies. Terms were not disclosed; CLD’s CEO Donna Kilcoyne will remain in place and the management team will continue to run day-to-day operations as RiverGlade supports the company’s organic growth and strategic M&A plans.

Sdui Group, a German provider of cloud-based administrative software for K-12 schools, has secured a growth investment led by Bain Capital's Tech Opportunities fund with participation from existing investors HV Capital and High-Tech Gründerfonds. The funding will be used to expand Sdui's product offerings and support its goal of becoming a unified digital platform for education across Europe.

Infinedi Partners' portfolio company CEA CAPA Education Abroad has completed the acquisition of CIS Abroad, CISaustralia, and Barcelona SAE from parent company Global Educators. The deal expands CEA CAPA's global footprint and program offerings—bringing an additional ~4,000 students annually into a combined platform that now serves more than 15,000 students across dozens of countries and study centers.

Funds managed by Harvest Partners have completed a majority acquisition of The Learning Experience (TLE) from Golden Gate Capital. TLE's management team will remain significant owners and Golden Gate will retain a minority stake; Harvest will provide capital and strategic support to accelerate TLE's growth and geographic expansion.

THI Investments has acquired Empowering Learning Group (ELG), a UK-based provider of training and staffing services to schools, from Graphite Capital. Under Graphite's ownership ELG grew from a start-up to £60 million of turnover in 2024; THI said it will back ELG's continued growth and international expansion under CEO Mohammed Azam.

Argosy Private Equity has acquired a controlling interest in Heavy Equipment Colleges of America (HEC), a nationally accredited provider of heavy equipment, crane, directional drilling, and HVAC training with multiple campuses across the U.S. Argosy plans to professionalize HEC's operations, invest in digital integration, expand training programs, and pursue add-on acquisitions to scale the platform.

Gravyty, an AI-powered engagement and fundraising provider for higher education, has acquired Athlete Network, a platform that connects student-athletes with alumni and supports athletic department engagement. The acquisition will integrate Athlete Network’s athletics-focused engagement tools into Gravyty’s suite to expand fundraising and donor intelligence capabilities for collegiate athletic programs.

Impact Partners, Inveready and Generali have acquired Miura Partners' majority stake in Tekman Education, with the founding team reinvesting and remaining involved in management. Tekman, a Barcelona-based provider of K-12 math and language programs serving over 500,000 students across 2,400+ schools, will use the new ownership to consolidate leadership in Spain and accelerate growth across Latin America.

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.

Digital Capital Partners (DigiCap) has acquired PAIRIN, an AI-powered workforce development software company best known for its My Journey platform. PAIRIN's management will remain in place while DigiCap provides oversight, executive leadership and resources to accelerate product development and expand its public-sector and education-focused go-to-market.

Charterhouse Capital Partners has welcomed Peugeot Invest and Hayfin Capital as minority investors in the newly formed Novétude Group, a European healthcare education platform built around Novétude Santé. Charterhouse will retain a majority stake while the new investors provide growth capital to support international expansion and platform development across healthcare education programs.

Archer Review, a Dallas-based nursing and medical exam preparation provider and portfolio company of Leeds Equity Partners, has acquired Core Anesthesia, a podcast and mobile app focused on nurse anesthetist education. The deal expands Archer's advanced practice nursing offerings and will let Core Anesthesia leverage Archer's technology and resources to build a broader question bank, mock exams and continuing-education products.

360training.com, Inc. has acquired Ready Training Online (RTO), a provider of eLearning and compliance training for convenience stores and restaurants. The deal expands 360training’s industry-specific learning management and compliance training offerings, integrating RTO’s catalog and customer relationships into 360training’s portfolio to better serve service and retail employers.

Summit Professional Education, an Avathon Capital portfolio company, has acquired The Knowledge Tree to expand its continuing education offerings into behavioral health, certification programs, and exam preparation. The Knowledge Tree's founder, Dr. Becky Beaton-York, will remain with Summit to lead mental health training and help integrate The Knowledge Tree's interactive virtual learning capabilities across Summit's catalog.

Caltius Structured Capital (Caltius Capital Management) closed a debt and equity investment in Laguna Hills-based Strategic Kids, a provider of after-school enrichment programs and school staffing services. The financing will support the company's growth and geographic expansion into new schools and districts; Caltius principals Graham Brockington and Andy Morrow will join Strategic Kids' leadership team while co-founder Adam Brody remains President.

360training.com, Inc. has acquired three On The Fly brands — TABC On The Fly, Certified On The Fly, and BASSET On The Fly — expanding its food & beverage regulatory training portfolio. The deal strengthens 360training's market leadership by adding state-approved alcohol and food handler certification products that serve hospitality and foodservice professionals across Texas and Illinois.

Singapore-headquartered education investor Manifest Global has acquired 100% of UK-based BridgeU from Kaplan. BridgeU will join Manifest's international education portfolio (including Cialfo), expanding the group's student guidance and university recruitment capabilities for K-12 schools and higher-education partners worldwide.

American Healthcare Institute (AmHealth), in partnership with SALT Venture Partners, has acquired Faith Academy, a Tampa-based vocational school offering LPN and Home Health Aide programs. The acquisition expands AmHealth’s affordable healthcare training footprint and preserves Faith Academy’s workforce-focused programs while supporting broader student access and improved licensure outcomes.

Pryor Learning, a Trive Capital- and Epic Partners-backed training and learning platform, has acquired PeopleKeys, a provider of DISC behavioral assessments, analytics, certifications, and consulting services. The acquisition expands Pryor's assessment and benchmarking capabilities to enhance hiring, upskilling, and organizational development offerings and broaden its distribution reach.

Banyan Software has acquired Mosaic Learning, a provider of learning management and workforce training solutions for unions, training funds and corporate organizations. The acquisition expands Banyan's presence in EdTech and will help scale Mosaic's Combobulate SaaS platform with Banyan's resources and sales and marketing capabilities.

McGraw Hill has acquired Essaypop, an interactive, cloud-based K-12 writing platform built by teachers to provide guided instruction, templates, and real-time feedback. The acquisition — announced March 24, 2025 — expands McGraw Hill's digital literacy and personalized learning capabilities as it continues its transformation under Platinum Equity ownership.

An EQT-led consortium including Neuberger Berman Private Markets, CPP Investments, Corporación Financiera Alba and Dubai Holding has completed the acquisition of Nord Anglia Education for USD 14.5 billion. The transaction broadens Nord Anglia's shareholder base, provides long-term capital to support continued organic and inorganic expansion of its premium international schools network, and delivers an exit for an existing investor.