Technology has transformed education services, but the focus on learner outcomes remains the key to success

Through 20 years of investing in and partnering with businesses and management teams across the education and training sector, we have seen immense change. Our early investments focused on ‘traditional’ delivery of learning, through companies such as Alpha Plus Schools and Senad. Today, whilst the classroom blackboard remains, tech has become integral through e-learning, EdTech or the support services that enable learning delivery.

Throughout this time, Sovereign’s investment strategy has remained the same – focus on learner outcomes. Whether that focus is on the quality of learning to help students to get into their university of choice or equipping them with the skills they require to find their desired employment, we back businesses where this is their mantra too. What has rapidly shifted however, as a result of the pandemic, has been the need to support businesses to both deepen and accelerate their tech capabilities.

BIMM, Europe’s leading provider of creative arts which we backed for 10 years until 2020, is one example. A traditionally in-person environment where students work, learn and collaborate closely together, the university accelerated its technology program to enable remote learning, and importantly to provide access to software and equipment, enabling students to perform as a group from remote locations.

The disruption caused by Covid on student learning has seen EdTech and tutoring solutions as the alternative path for learners. And it’s not just the schools and colleges that are buying the solutions. Providers are now developing products to be sold directly to the parents / learners – potentially a huge market. The opportunities for high-quality EdTech providers are clearly significant and we see this reflected in the conversations we have with business owners across the sector. For the businesses that can clearly demonstrate their product’s efficacy with data, this is an exciting time.

At Sovereign we are not fair weather friends, but seasoned investors. We support management teams not only to navigate the unexpected but to identify and create new opportunities that keep the focus on quality and the learner.

To find out how we partner with education and training businesses to support accelerated organic and acquisitive growth, please contact David Myers.