Global language school chain Sprachcaffe has acquired iST, a well established German study abroad agency, enabling the company to realise synergies between the outbound student travel business and its network of 30 language schools around the world.
The purchase of sizable agency iST, for an undisclosed amount, will bring the agency’s two offices in Germany, one in Austria and Switzerland, under the management of Sprachcaffe. It will continue to trade under the iST name.
“[This move] is benefiting the company because the agency serves many destinations where we already run language schools,” Alberto Sarno, director of Sprachcaffe, told The PIE News.
He pointed out that the opportunity to vertically integrate and acquire a business based in Heidelberg, just 80 km from Sprachcaffe’s base in Frankfurt, made good business sense.
“iST is a big agency still, with high volumes, sending adults, juniors and high schools students to Australia and Canada,” Sarno explained.
Sprachcaffe runs 30 language schools around the world including in Cuba, Morocco, China and the US, offering courses to learn English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese and Arabic.
iST, which has the coveted online address of sprachreisen.de, has been in business for 40 years before its owner, Traudel Koch, decided to retire.
