- Since the Permira Funds’ acquisition in 2019, more than €230m of additional capital has been invested into delivering high-quality education and campus expansion. In that timeframe, the business has grown new enrolment, EBITDA and revenue by 3x, 2.5x and 2x respectively
- The Permira Funds will retain a significant minority stake with an opportunity for substantial value accretion in the years ahead
- Permira welcomes EQT Infrastructure as a new investor with a mutual vision for the quality of education being at the heart of Universidad Europea
Madrid, 08 April 2024 – Permira, the global private equity firm, is pleased to announce that funds advised by Permira have agreed the partial realisation of their investment in Universidad Europea (“the Company” or “the Group”), a network of premium higher education campuses across Europe, to the EQT Infrastructure VI fund (“EQT Infrastructure”). The transaction will see the Permira Funds sell a majority stake to EQT Infrastructure, while retaining a significant minority shareholding in Universidad Europea going forward.
Established in 1996, Universidad Europea is one of the largest and fastest-growing private university networks in Europe, offering high-quality single, double and bilingual undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as advanced career and technical education programs tailored to today’s job market. Today, the Group comprises a network of 54,000 students, 130,000 alumni and more than 3,400 and staff across 12 campuses, offering more than 500 degrees and 110 new official value-add programs.
Since the Permira Funds partnered with Universidad Europea in 2019, the Company has experienced a period of exceptional growth at scale, with revenues and EBITDA increasing by 2x and 2.5x respectively, and student enrolment growing three-fold. The Permira Funds have supported the management team in developing a premium differentiated academic model focused on experiential learning, complemented with high-quality faculty, state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technology, delivering superior student outcomes. The Permira Funds have also backed a comprehensive digitalization initiative and scaling of the Company's high-quality online services, making it the sole player in the face-to-face market with a large-scale premium online offering.
Pedro López, Partner and Head of Madrid at Permira, said: “When Permira backed Universidad Europea in 2019, it committed to delivering high-quality education as its clear north star, and providing new and innovative learning experiences for students. We are delighted that this partnership has delivered best-in-class quality metrics alongside exceptional growth for the business and would like to thank the entire Universidad Europea team for their dedication, which has been instrumental in the success of the partnership.
This transaction provides another opportunity for the Permira funds to return significant capital to our investors and remain meaningfully invested in an exceptional business with a long runway for growth going forward. We are pleased to welcome EQT as a new shareholder and look forward to working with them and the management team on the exciting next phase of development.”
Otilia de la Fuente, CEO of Universidad Europea, commented: “With Permira as our trusted partner, we´ve achieved remarkable success over the past four years. Together, we have strengthened the quality of our academic model for our students and embarked on ambitious expansion initiatives, including the establishment of new campuses and infrastructures. None of these milestones would have been possible without the unwavering dedication and collaborative efforts of our teams. As we enter this new chapter, we extend a warm welcome to EQT and we are excited to explore the boundless opportunities that lie ahead in this extraordinary venture. Joining forces with EQT, alongside Permira, allows us to continue our journey of innovation and growth, furthering our mission of changing lives through higher education.”
The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
