The founder of international schools operator Global Schools Group is launching a new private equity firm Academic Capital Partners targeting up to $300m for a debut fund focused on education assets across Asia and the Middle East, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The Singapore-based firm is led by Atul Temurnikar, who founded Global Schools Group, alongside Vishal Thapliyal, a former partner at PwC. The report report cites fundraising materials seen by Bloomberg as revealing that its first vehicle, the ACP Education Opportunities Fund, is targeting a 5% distribution yield, with the general partner expected to commit 5% of the fund’s capital.
Thapliyal said fundraising is expected to begin in around two weeks, with ACP targeting a first close in the first quarter of 2027.
The strategy will focus on acquiring K-12 education businesses with annual EBITDA of between $1m and $5m. Target markets include Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Thailand, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
