We are pleased to have advised Dutch-headquartered Reducate Edtech Group on its acquisition of a significant majority shareholding in Learna, a leading provider of online postgraduate education and continuing professional development (CPD) for professionals. This follows the successful acquisition by Reducate of Edinburgh-based Oxford Medical Training last year, on which we also advised.
The acquisition marks another key milestone in Reducate’s ongoing expansion into the UK’s professional education market. Reducate currently serves over 200,000 professionals across over 50 different professions. With this latest strategic acquisition, thousands more professionals in the UK will be added to its portfolio as part of the group’s buy and build strategy.
Learna, established in 2010, delivers postgraduate Diplomas, Masters and MBA programmes across a range of disciplines, with a focus on flexible, high-quality, online education and communities of practice that empower professionals to develop specialist expertise alongside their careers.
Our multidisciplinary team was led by partner and head of corporate and commercial Gerallt Jones, and included senior associate Matt Detheridge (corporate/commercial), solicitors Daniel Tedd and Joshua Lee (corporate/commercial), senior associate Christine Bradbury (employment), solicitor Alex Hurt (employment), and senior associate David Penwarden (property).
Commenting on the deal, Gerallt Jones said:
“We are proud to have again supported Reducate on this next important step in its continued expansion into the UK education sector as part of its buy and build strategy. Learna is an established and respected provider of high-quality, flexible professional learning, and this transaction represents an exciting opportunity to combine shared values and ambition for growth in the digital education space.”
Speaking on Reducate’s experience of working with our team, Christiaan van Hardeveld, Head of M&A, said:
“It was great to work again with the Hugh James team on our second transaction in the UK and another important strategic acquisition for Reducate. We’re grateful for their continued support as Reducate expands its presence in the UK professional education market and strengthens its brand and market positioning across Europe.”
