Houlihan Lokey Advises BPP

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that it advised BPP, a portfolio company of TDR Capital, on its purchase of Digital Marketing Institute (DMI), a portfolio company of Spectrum Equity. The transaction closed on 7 February 2023.

Founded in 2009, DMI is a leading standard in digital marketing training and certification. Since its launch, DMI has certified more than 55,000 individuals globally with its digital marketing training portfolio, from short courses to master’s-level programmes. DMI’s high-quality certifications are internationally recognised and are partnered with global marketing professional bodies including the American Marketing Association and the Australian Marketing Institute. DMI also works in close collaboration with Neil Patel Digital, a global leader in search and performance marketing.

BPP is a global leader in professional and vocational education, providing training and education in law, business, finance, accountancy, banking, technology, psychology, and nursing both through relationships with corporates and directly to consumers across test preparation, university, apprenticeship, and professional development. Established for more than 45 years, BPP’s education is delivered to be as real-world, relevant, and innovative as possible.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to BPP on its acquisition of DMI. This transaction builds on Houlihan Lokey’s market-leading position in the education and training sector in general and the higher education, professional training, and apprenticeship market in particular, where the Houlihan Lokey deal team has advised on the sales of FutureLearn to Global University Systems, ICS Learn to Skill & You, BIMM to ICG, The College of Law to Montagu Equity and BPP Education Group to Apollo Global Education, as well as the acquisitions of BPP by TDR Capital and its subsequent acquisitions of Firebrand Training and Estio Training, and of Arden University, The University of Law, and LCCM by Global University Systems, Corndel by THI Investments, and Lifetime Training by Silverfleet Capital.

Other Houlihan Lokey transactions in the higher education and professional training sector include advising Circus Street on its sale to QA; Skillsoft on its Chapter 11 restructuring and subsequent sale to Churchill Capital Corp II; EducationDynamics on its sale to Renovus Capital; Questionmark on its sale to Learnosity; Oakley Capital on the acquisition of Seagull; Kallidus on its sale to Apse Capital; Inflexion on its acquisitions of Times Higher Education, Inside Higher Education, and Calco; Atlas Knowledge on its sale to Mintra Group; and Primary Capital on the acquisition of ICS Learn.