Revealed: Kaplan Languages Group to be bought by Inspirit Capital

All conditions for the sale of KLG – one of the most dominant ELT brands in the industry comprising Kaplan International Languages, Alpadia Language Schools, Azurlingua, and ESL Education – from under the Kaplan umbrella have been met, with the deal due to go through on May 1.

Inspirit Capital says it will support KLG in delivering “ambitious growth plans, whilst continuing its fundamental mission to transform lives through language education”. The acquisition, worth an undisclosed amount, is also set to see a refreshed brand identity for KLG in the coming months, although it is understood that the company will continue operate under the same name in the immediate aftermath of the sale.

In an exclusive interview with The PIE News, Kaplan International CEO David Jones said that the decision to sell KLG had been “tremendously difficult” and came with “no little pain”.

Jones said that the decision at Kaplan International to sell KLG had come “a little while ago” after a regular review of the business. He indicated that the company wanted to focus its attention on its portfolio of higher education institutions and the parts of Kaplan International dedicated to professionals in the finance and accountancy fields.

“The time really felt right to find a new owner for Kaplan Languages – an owner that might give it the attention that it deserves going forward,” he explained.

“Some of us have been involved in language training for a very, very long time – many decades, in my case,” he told The PIE, adding that the language-learning sector was “full of wonderful people… with high ideals, people who have strong beliefs in the positive impact of international experiences for young minds”.

He continued that colleagues within KLG were a “quite exceptional team of people who are completely dedicated to the best values in international education”, and that those who remained in the Kaplan group after the acquisition would inevitably miss having daily interactions with their KLG colleagues.

“But at the same time, [KLG colleagues will] have new opportunities under the ownership of Inspirit. We’ve got real hopes that Inspirit’s plans for investment and growth will pay dividends in the coming years, and that there’ll be a great future for our staff,” he added.

The time really felt right to find a new owner for Kaplan Languages – an owner that might give it the attention that it deserves going forward
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KLG has been delivering language education since 2006, with its portfolio growing to operate more than 20 language schools in eight countries and its language travel agency ESL Education overseeing 200+ partner destinations around the world, teaching 17 languages.

He added that Inspirit had “a good track record” in successfully carving out business from larger umbrella organisations, and that the team at Kaplan International would do everything it could to help smooth the transition of KLG to new ownership.

“We want to see them succeed, and we’ll help them in every way we can. We have good channels of communication with them, and we wish them every success,” he told The PIE, acknowledging that while there could be changes under the new ownership, he was hopeful that the “great team ethic” that had been built at KLG would continue under Inspirit’s leadership.

“We have assurances from Inspirit that they’re going to take over this business and listen to the management and proceed sensibly, cautiously and with sensitivity towards the staff,” said Jones. “It’s a difficult period for any group when they come on a new ownership, but we have confidence that it will be managed professionally and well, and that there will be opportunities with the new owners, who are prepared to do other new things with the business.”

In a media statement on the acquisition, Jones said that KLG’s schools had been “welcoming students from all corners of the world” for decades, creating a reputation for academic excellence and pastoral care. “Our highly experienced management team will undoubtedly continue this tradition, and I wish them every success for the future,” he added.

Meanwhile, investment director at Inspirit Capital, Paul Youens, said the company would focus on “giving the business the support and independence” it needs to build on the “strong set of trusted brands” it has built over the years.

“Students, families and agents can expect continuity and consistency – the same high-quality schools, experienced teams and strong standards of education, safety and student care – alongside the continued delivery of established programs and support services,” he said.

On the future of Kaplan International, Jones told The PIE that there are “so many exciting opportunities in international higher education”.

“We’ve got a very ambitious plan for the next decade,” he said, pointing to Kaplan’s pathways business in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – which he said had “demonstrated a consistent upward trajectory over 20 years”.

“We’ve got long-lasting partnerships with some of the world’s top universities, and our plan is to expand those partnerships, and offer more services to [them],” said Jones.

He highlighted Kaplan’s successful TNE projects in Singapore and Hong Kong and said the business would look to expand into other geographical areas.

“We’re very excited about that. Our university partners are very excited about it,” said Jones. “So you’ll be seeing major new developments there.”

And he added that Kaplan sees opportunities to grow its online university business. “We think that online education globally is just going grow and grow,” he said. 

Kaplan International also sees opportunities in its professional training arm, said Jones – particularly with the growth of AI, in which he said the business was “investing heavily… going forward”.

Kaplan International added Alpadia Language Schools and ESL Education to its portfolio in 2019, marking it as a giant of the ELT industry.