goetzpartners advised Aspire Education Group, majority-owned by EMZ Partners

Fortlane Partners advised Aspire Education Group ("Aspire Education"), a privately operated education group in the German-speaking region majority-owned by EMZ Partners ("EMZ"), with a Commercial Due Diligence on the acquisition of WEKA Group's education division ("WEKA"), a leading education platform comprising five media and continuing education companies with locations in Switzerland and Germany.

The Commercial Due Diligence aimed at creating confidence around the significant expansion of both groups' offerings, both geographically and in terms of courses. The acquisition marks a significant and transformative milestone in the strategic development of Aspire Education.

Having assisted with a commercial vendor due diligence as part of the sale of Aspire Education to EMZ in December 2022, supporting on this acquisition highlights Fortlane Partners' unique expertise in providing strategic and commercial advisory services in pan-European professional education, qualification, and training markets.

About WEKA
WEKA Education consists of five media and continuing education companies with locations in Switzerland and Germany. WEKA Business Media AG in Zurich is the first Swiss provider of specialized continuing education and practical specialist information for professionals and executives. Lernwerkstatt in Olten is the market leader for adult education in Switzerland. The Coach Academy Switzerland in Rebstein operates a comprehensive coaching program based on the St. Gallen coaching model in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy. Zentrum für Unternehmensführung in Zurich has a strong reputation for selected top management seminars and courses. The WEKA Academy in Wiesbaden is an established provider of continuing education for specialists and managers of medium-sized companies. The companies' offerings range from one-day seminars and congresses to certified training courses leading to recognized diplomas. All companies are among the leading institutes in their respective target groups.

About Aspire Education
Based in Vienna, Aspire is the leading platform for professional qualification and training in the GSA region and the largest private sector education provider in Austria with 1,200 employees and 100,000 learners per year. The Aspire platform, consisting of the brands ibis acam, ETC, brainymotion, ARS, and Stepin, offers its customers a wide range of services, from software and IT, legal, compliance, tax and finance, to preparing apprentices and jobseekers for starting or reentering the workforce. Aspire, with its targeted learning development resources, also helps to improve employment prospects for individuals, thereby promoting greater economic and social mobility. The Aspire Group invested in online and digital capabilities early on and Aspire customers can access the service offering either on-site, hybrid, or online.

About EMZ Partners
EMZ is a leading European investment firm, acting as a true partner to medium-sized companies. The focus of EMZ' activities lies on investments alongside founders, family shareholders, and managers. The core of the EMZ philosophy is a significant reinvestment of the management team in order to create an aligned shareholder partnership. EMZ is majority-owned by its own employees and has a base of European investors. The current fund has a volume of more than € 1.2bn and its investment size ranges from € 30-200m.

Transaction team:

Alexander Reitmann
Principal
 

Andreas Haselbach
Manager

Lea Hoppe
Consultant

Gabriel Roa
Consultant

Tobias Rebhan
Consultant

Calvin Knautz
Associate Consultant

Tom Kuhla
Associate Consultant