Education portfolio

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IU Group

The largest and fastest-growing university group in Germany.

IU Group continued to grow revenues and adjusted EBITDA double-digit in H1 2024, delivering 29% and 37% growth versus prior year, respectively. Overall student numbers have now reached c.146k, growing 20% versus prior year. All business units grow with double-digit growth while international has a growing contribution to student numbers. Going forward, significant investment is being made into new UK-specific programmes that will be launched over the coming months to boost international growth for 2025 and beyond.

OCI valuation
IU Group

£99.9m

IU Group logo
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Schulerhilfe logo

OCI valuation
Schülerhilfe

£61.7m

Schülerhilfe

The leading provider of afterschool tutoring across Germany and Austria.

Schülerhilfe recorded strong intake growth in the period to June 2024 and as a result LTM revenues grew by 8% and LTM EBITDA by 16% versus FY23. Sales were predominantly driven by new business in core regions, as well as expansion into Switzerland. Schülerhilfe entered the Swiss market with the investment in fit4school in 2023, a tutoring provider offering similar services to Schülerhilfe (both offline and online) with 14 corporate centres and 20 franchise centres. Schülerhilfe ended June 2024 with 720 of its own corporate centres and 431 franchise centres.

See Schülerhilfe case study

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K12 Investments

K12 Investments consists of Oakley’s investments in Thomas’s and Affinitas, which both operate as independent platforms.

Oakley's two K12 investments have traded in line with budget in the YTD period ending June 2024. Affinitas completed the acquisition of two schools, one in New York and one in Italy, growing the group to 18 schools. Both represent entry into attractive new markets and will provide a basis for further expansion. Thomas’s has commenced construction at Thomas’s College in Richmond which will cater to over 600 secondary students and will allow Thomas's to deliver education to its students from kindergarten to Year 12.

OCI valuation
K12 Investments

£58.8m

Portfolio company logos - Affinitas Education and Thomas's Day Schools
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Bright Stars

A leading independent group of premium nurseries, providing pre-school childcare.

Bright Stars had a strong first half of the year delivering EBITDA growth of 23% versus prior year. The business acquired 10 settings during H1 2024, bringing the total number of nurseries acquired under Oakley’s ownership to 65. The group is one of the highest quality large nursery operators in England, with 29% of its nurseries rated Ofsted Outstanding in 2023 versus a UK average of 16%.

OCI valuation
Bright Stars

£47.1m

Bright Stars logo

ACE Education

A leading higher education platform focused on sports management, design, fashion and hospitality.

For the YTD period to June 2024, ACE grew its student base by 13% in FY23/24 versus prior year to >8,000 students, supported by growth in new first year Bachelor students, together with the cohort effect of returning students from the prior year. ACE is over halfway through its FY24/25 enrolment campaign, with cumulative enrolments largely in line with the prior year campaign. Post period end, ACE completed the acquisition of ESAT, a specialised university focused on Computer Graphics and Interactive Design Media in Valencia, which will accelerate ACE’s growth in the Iberian Market and continue to diversify ACE through entry into new verticals.

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ACE Education logo

OCI valuation
ACE Education

£17.6m