Houlihan Lokey Advises EMZ Partners

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that EMZ Partners has acquired a majority stake in Aspire Education Group, a leading technology-driven education platform for life-long learning. Houlihan Lokey acted as the debt advisor to EMZ Partners on the acquisition financing.

Established in 2014 through the merger of ibis acam, Stepin, and ARS, Aspire Education Group is a leading education provider operating in the B2P and B2B/B2C markets in Austria and Germany. The portfolio was further expanded with ETC in 2018 as well as the entry into the German B2B and B2P market with brainymotion in 2022. Operating in more than 80 locations in Austria and Germany, the group’s course offering comprises job orientation and application coaching, IT training, seminars for higher-skilled employees, and high school exchange programmes, both online and in physical/hybrid sessions.

Together with EMZ Partners, a strong partner who values the importance of education in today’s world and fully shares the group’s vision and growth plans, the management team plans to continue its growth strategy towards life-long-learning experiences for all its customers. In addition to organic growth, the further development of Aspire Education Group’s hire-train-deploy program as well as the acquisitions of add-ons sharing the same values and with a complementary offering form the key pillars for future growth.

Houlihan Lokey acted as a financial advisor to EMZ Partners and provided debt advice on all commercial aspects of the financing transaction. Following a comprehensive lender selection process, this advice secured an attractive and well-balanced financing package to support the company’s future growth strategy.