Funds advised by global private equity firm Permira have agreed the partial realisation of their investment in Universidad Europea, a network of premium higher education campuses across Europe, to the EQT Infrastructure VI fund (EQT Infrastructure).
Under the terms of the deal, the Permira funds will sell a majority stake to EQT Infrastructure, while retaining a significant minority shareholding in the business.
Universidad Europea was established in 1996 and is one of the largest private university networks in Europe, offering single, double and bilingual undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as advanced career and technical education programmes. According to a press release, the group comprises 54,000 students, 130,000 alumni and more than 3,400 and staff across 12 campuses.
Since the Permira funds partnered with Universidad Europea in 2019, revenues and EBITDA have increased by 2x and 2.5x respectively, according to the press release, while student enrolment has grown three-fold.
In a press statement, Pedro Lopez, Partner and Head of Madrid at Permira, said: “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.”
The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
