Founded in 2001 with a vision to help everyone in the world to find their future education, EMG’s marketplaces today attract over 30 million website visitors per year. EMG’s platform accelerates business growth for educational institutions by providing a one-stop-shop for promoting any type of course or degree programme, using targeted marketing to find the right students. Prospective students benefit from the most complete course content on the market, access to user-based reviews, advice on international mobility and user-friendly search and info tools.
“EMG has a fantastic level of energy and vision. The team has been growing EMG profitably for almost two decades and they are still as excited as when they kicked off. Online education and international mobility mean we are going to see a global transformation both in how knowledge is disseminated and how education is marketed. Education is moving online, and EMG’s marketplaces provide an excellent platform to enable that development”, says Jakob Tolleryd, Partner at Verdane.
A focus area in accelerating the group’s growth will be to expand EMG’s market presence in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The group’s growth is supported by a growing number of private educational institutions that are shifting their marketing budgets online, and over 3 000 active institutions today market their course content via EMG’s platform. Corporate clients include H&M, GE and Volvo.
EMG joins Verdane’s portfolio of 19 consumer internet companies across the Nordics and Germany, including Babyshop, Boozt, Desenio, EasyPark, MatHem, momox, RoyalDesign and smava. Other EdTech holdings include assistive software company Lingit and digital learning platform provider Conexus.
Fredrik Söderlindh (founder and CEO), Fredrik Högemark (co-founder and CIO) and Mattias Säker (co-founder and COO) will remain at EMG. All three will reinvest to jointly become majority owners as part of the deal.
“We are very pleased with the journey we have had with EMG and that we together with the entrepreneurs have taken the company to the next level. We are convinced that there is a continued large potential for EMG, especially internationally, where Verdane with its industry knowledge will be an excellent partner,” says Joakim Skarborg, CEO at Novax.
The parties have agreed not to disclose further details of the transaction.
About EMG – Educations Media Group
EMG is the market leader of education marketing and runs several of the world’s largest search engines for education and workplace training. The group’s 20 local brands include studentum.se, utbildning.se, gymnasium.se, kurser.se and, internationally, educations.com. EMG works with over 3 000 education providers in 40 different countries across the world. EMG’s vision is to help everyone in the world find their future education and the right training for their requirements. EMG reaches out to students and professionals worldwide through its leading online services, comprehensive media partners, school visits and educational conferences and exhibitions. The global head office is located in Stockholm, with local offices in Copenhagen, Helsinki, Mannheim and Oslo.
About NOVAX
Novax, the investment arm of the Axel Johnson Group, is a long-term owner, operator and builder of small and medium-sized businesses. Novax current portfolio consists of; Academic Work, ApoEx, ApoHem, Concept, Datema, Filippa K, Hyper Island, Lagerhaus, RCO, Revide and STC. For more information, please visit Novax’s website: www.novax.se
About Verdane
Verdane is a specialist growth investment firm that partners with tech-enabled and sustainable European businesses. Verdane can invest as a minority or majority investor, either in single companies or through portfolios of companies, and looks to deploy inside two core growth themes; digitalisation and decarbonisation.
Verdane funds hold over €6 billion in total commitments and have made over 400 investments in fast-growing businesses since 2003. Verdane’s team of over 140 investment professionals and operating experts, based out of Berlin, Munich, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Oslo, and Stockholm, is dedicated to being the preferred growth partner to tech-enabled and sustainable businesses in Europe.
Verdane is also a certified B Corporation, the most ambitious sustainability accreditation globally. The firm only backs businesses that pass its 2040 test, which indicates whether the company can thrive in a more sustainable future economy.
Verdane is partly owned by the Verdane Foundation, which is focused on two areas: climate change and more equitable and inclusive local communities.
More info: www.verdane.com
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Press Contact
Verdane Press Office
press@verdane.com
+46 76 27 28 100
Fredrik Söderlindh, CEO
EMG – Educations Media Group
fredrik@educations.com
+46 70 797 65 95
