Primary Capital Partners is pleased to announce the sale of leading online professional education platform ICS Learn (“the Business”) to Skill and You, a vocational e-learning provider, backed by IK Partners since 2021. The transaction value is undisclosed.
ICS Learn provides online professional training, accredited by industry-leading awarding bodies in sectors including Human Resources, Accounting and Leadership and Management. The Business employs a highly scalable digital-only business model, using best-in-class technology to deliver its training across B2B and B2C markets. The deal enables Skill and You to expand further across Europe’s professional and vocational training markets. ICS Learn will maintain its market-leading brand and the management team will remain in place.
Primary acquired ICS Learn in 2018. Since then, the Business has seen significant international growth, establishing operations in the Middle East. It has also made two highly successful acquisitions, both in the HR Training sector, DPG in October 2020 and Acacia Learning in January 2021.
Oliver Melliss, Partner at Primary, commented: “It has been a pleasure to support ICS Learn and its management team as the Business went from strength to strength in the delivery of market-leading online professional training. It has remained focused on ensuring the highest quality of training to its students, whilst implementing an ambitious plan which has included significant overseas expansion and two very meaningful acquisitions. We are proud to have been involved during this period of growth and wish everyone at ICS Learn all the best for the future.”
Colin Kennedy, CEO of ICS Learn, added: “We selected Primary as our investment partner because we liked and trusted the people and our faith has proven to be well placed. They have bought into our strategy and supported us when we introduced new elements to our growth plan throughout the cycle. We are grateful for their support and wish them all the best for the future.”
Eric Petco and Sonia-Levy Odier, Managing Directors of Skill and You, said: “We are very pleased to welcome ICS Learn to the Skill and You team and are excited to see what our combination will bring. Acquiring the Business is the natural next step for us as it will help us to realise our ambitious growth plans and enable entry into the UK market. We have been very impressed with ICS Learn’s growth to date and look forward to the years ahead.”
Houlihan Lokey (Simon Gluckstein, James Local and Tom Mendham) advised and led the process for the shareholders.
Financière de Courcelles (Martine Depas) and 8 Advisory (Justin Welstead) advised and led the process for Skill and You.
Contact Neil Wallace for more information