Education
PE-backed for-profit schools, tutoring, test prep, and education technology
PE-Owned Brands
Cengage Learning
Owned by The Carlyle Group
Apax Partners and OMERS Private Equity sold Cengage (formerly Thomson Learning) to various PE hands including Carlyle. Cengage filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013 with $5.8B in debt, largely from its 2007 LBO. Students faced continued high textbook prices throughout.
0 locations tracked
Laureate Education
Owned by KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts)
KKR and a consortium took Laureate Education, the world's largest for-profit higher education network (over 1 million students), private for $3.82B in 2007. Laureate has faced regulatory scrutiny in multiple countries. KKR took it public in 2017. The for-profit education model has been criticized for exploiting student loan debt.
0 locations tracked
Nord Anglia Education
Bain Capital acquired Nord Anglia Education, a premium international school network, for $4.3B in 2021 in partnership with CPPIB. Nord Anglia operates 80+ premium schools across 33 countries. School fees at Nord Anglia schools can exceed $50,000/year. Critics question the application of PE return expectations to international education.
0 locations tracked
Renaissance Learning
Owned by Francisco Partners
Francisco Partners acquired Renaissance Learning, a K-12 assessment and reading software company, in 2011. Sold to Permira in 2014 for $1.1B. Schools using Renaissance products (Accelerated Reader, Star Reading) reported price increases and reduced support.
0 locations tracked
Renaissance Learning (Permira era)
Owned by Permira
Permira acquired Renaissance Learning from Francisco Partners for $1.1B in 2014. Sold to Francisco Partners again in 2018. Schools report that during PE ownership, Renaissance's assessment products (used by millions of K-12 students) saw pricing increases and subscription model transitions.
0 locations tracked