Strategic growth investment will support
AlephYa’s continued expansion across the GCC countries.
AlephYa Education (“AlephYa” or “Company”), a leading pan-GCC
education provider, today announced a majority investment from TA
Associates (“TA”), a leading global private equity firm, to support
its next phase of growth. As part of the transaction, existing
investors Gulf Investment Corporation (“GIC”) and Oman
International Development and Investment Company SAOG (“Ominvest”)
will retain a meaningful stake in the business, partnering closely
with TA. Ashmore Investment Saudi Arabia (“Ashmore”), an investor
in AlephYa since 2017, will fully exit its investment in the
Company.
Founded in 2017, AlephYa has become a fast-expanding school
platform committed to providing high-quality, affordable education
to local and expat families across the Middle East. The Company’s
network of schools offers a mix of American, British and local
curricula designed to empower students with the skills to become
future leaders while retaining their national heritage. Today,
AlephYa owns and operates 13 schools across Saudi Arabia, UAE and
Oman, with a combined enrollment of over 18,500 students.
“Since AlephYa’s founding only seven years ago, the Company has
established a strong, diversified platform driven by an impressive
track record of M&A and operational excellence. As experienced
investors in the education space, we see great potential for
AlephYa’s continued expansion, both organically and through
strategic acquisitions,” said Dhiraj Poddar, Managing Director at
TA. “We are thrilled to partner with the AlephYa team to achieve
further scale and bring high-quality, affordable education to more
communities across the GCC,” added Vishal Gupta, Director at
TA.
“TA shares our commitment to academic excellence, and their
investment provides a major opportunity to enhance our educational
infrastructure, improve our facilities and increase our impact on
new and existing students,” said Shailesh Doshi, CEO and Co-Founder
of AlephYa. “We are excited to welcome TA as an investor and look
forward to leveraging their deep expertise in scaling companies to
reach our full potential,” added Nadeem Masud and Chandra Tiwari,
Co-Founders of AlephYa.
“Since investing in the Company in 2017, it has been a privilege
to significantly scale AlephYa working alongside Ominvest and GIC
during a period of such transformational growth,” commented Ibrahim
Assem, Head of Private Equity, MENA at Ashmore Group plc. “We wish
AlephYa and its shareholders the best as they solidify its position
as one of the largest school groups in the region,” added Kartik
Patel, Head of Alternatives at Ashmore Investment Saudi Arabia.
“We believe AlephYa is well-positioned to sustain its rapid
growth as the demand for accessible, high-quality education
continues to increase across the GCC. This transaction is part of
GIC’s strategy to partner with leading global firms and we look
forward to the next chapter ahead in partnership with TA,” said
Mohammad Al-Fares, Head of Diversified Projects Division at
GIC.
“We are pleased to welcome TA as a fellow investor in AlephYa.
As knowledgeable investors in the education sector, we are
confident TA’s partnership will enable us to enhance AlephYa’s
offering and further strengthen its footprint. This investment is
aligned with Ominvest’s Purpose Statement of transforming
businesses to enrich societies,” commented Badar Al Shanfari, Chief
investment Officer (Private Equity) at Ominvest.
PwC Middle East served as financial advisor to TA. Al Tamimi
& Company and Goodwin Procter LLP provided legal counsel to TA.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About AlephYa Education
Established in 2017, AlephYa is a leading educational group that
owns and operates schools across the GCC. AlephYa has a core focus
on nurturing global citizens and empowering students with the
skills to become future leaders, providing high-quality education
that is affordable and accessible to every child. The platform’s
approach to education is focused around the five attributes of
academic excellence, community, collaboration, heritage and
corporate and social responsibility. To learn more, visit
www.alephyaeducation.com.
About Ashmore Investment Saudi Arabia
Based in Riyadh, Ashmore Investment Saudi Arabia was founded in
2014 and is part of Ashmore Group plc. Ashmore Group is one of the
world's leading investment managers dedicated to Emerging Markets
with USD 49.5 billion (as at 30 June 2024) invested for clients
across the globe. These include central banks, government and
corporate pension funds, institutions and high net worth
individuals. Ashmore offers a number of investment themes,
including External Debt, Local Currency, Corporate Debt, Blended
Debt, Equities, Alternatives, Overlay/Liquidity and Multi-Asset. To
learn more, visit www.ashmoregroup.com.
About Gulf Investment Corporation
Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) is an investment company
incorporated in the State of Kuwait on November 15, 1983 as a Gulf
Shareholding Company. It is equally owned by the governments of the
six-member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). GIC was
formed to foster economic growth, economic diversification and
capital markets development across the GCC region. To learn more,
visit www.gic.com.kw.
About Ominvest
Founded in 1983 and listed on the Muscat Securities Exchange,
Ominvest is a leading investment company in the region with a track
record of consistent profits and dividend payments to shareholders.
At Ominvest, we take a global approach to investing and hold a
diversified portfolio of investments in markets beyond Oman,
including the GCC, Asia and other international growth markets. Our
investments are diversified across insurance, banking &
finance, private equity, global capital market investments, real
estate and technology. www.ominvest.com
About TA
TA is a leading global private equity firm focused on scaling
growth in profitable companies. Since 1968, TA has invested in more
than 560 companies across its five target industries – technology,
healthcare, financial services, consumer and business services.
Leveraging its deep industry expertise and strategic resources, TA
collaborates with management teams worldwide to help high-quality
companies deliver lasting value. The firm has raised $65 billion in
capital to date and has over 150 investment professionals across
offices in Boston, Menlo Park, Austin, London, Mumbai and Hong
Kong. For more information, visit: www.ta.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240901234095/en/
Media TA | Maggie Benoit | mbenoit@ta.com AlephYa
Education | Shailesh Doshi | info@alephyaeducation.com