Together with Latham & Watkins, Munich and Herbst Kinsky, Vienna, the European private equity firm EMZ Partners is acquiring the majority of shares in the Aspire Education Group. The current board of directors and the other management team will become significant co-partners.

Aspire was founded in 2014 through the merger of ibis acam, Stepin and ARS and is one of the leading providers in the education sector with activities in the B2P as well as the B2B/B2C market in Austria and Germany. In 2018, the portfolio was further expanded with ETC; in 2022, the company entered the German B2B and B2P market with the acquisition of brainymotion. Aspire operates more than 80 locations in Austria and Germany and employs around 1,200 people.

EMZ Partners is a leading European investment company that sees itself as a partner to medium-sized companies. Its activities focus on investments alongside founders, family shareholders and managers. EMZ is majority controlled by its own employees and invests the money of institutional investors from Europe. From the current fund with a volume of over one billion euros, EMZ makes investments of Eur 30 to 200 mio.

The Herbst Kinskys team was led by Christoph Wildmoser with support from Valerie Mayer, Christoph Ludvik, Constantin Hofer, Elisabeth Fitzek, Danielle Noe and Valerie Krischke.

The Latham & Watkins team was led by Burc Hesse with support from Corinna Freudenmacher, Chris Freitag, Stephan Hufnagel and Verena Seevers.