Phoenix Partners Makes Major Investment In Education

LaunchLife International Inc. is a leading franchisor of world-class education platforms

MONTRÉAL, Jan. 14, 2025 /CNW/ - Phoenix Partners Fund II ("Phoenix") is pleased to announce its investment in LaunchLife International Inc. ("LaunchLife" or the "Company") https://www.launchlife.com, a franchisor of education brands based in Richmond Hill, Ontario which operates in the Post-Secondary and K-12 Education industries. Phoenix is excited to be joining the founders of LaunchLife, Darryl and Douglas Simsovic, to assist them in accelerating the Company's global expansion.

Post-Secondary Education

Academy of Learning Career College was established in 1987 and operates the largest network of Canadian Private Career Colleges with 50+ campuses across Canada. Academy of Learning provides over 30 customized diploma and certificate programs that include today's in-demand subjects, like accounting, business, healthcare, hospitality, information technology (IT), logistics, insurance, office administration, software and web design. Every program is approved by the regulating bodies in each province where Academy of Learning operates.

Established in 1837, Pitman Training is a leading Vocational Education brand in the UK, acquired by LaunchLife in 2018. Pitman, which has 65+ centres in the UK, Ireland, and internationally, offers over 260 different programs designed to upskill and reskill learners in areas focussed on business, accounting and bookkeeping, office administration and IT.

Both Academy of Learning and Pitman deliver educational content via its unique Integrated Learning System (ILS). ILS allows learners to proceed at their own pace with much flexibility, including the ability to start a program at any time. ILS combines computer-based learning with a classroom environment and accommodates a variety of learning preferences. Through interaction with media, workbooks, and practical exercises, ILS courses actively involve students in their learning and motivate them to go further. Qualified learning coaches provide support and guidance through virtual live sessions and on-campus.

K-12 Education

Engineering for Kids ("EFK") is a franchise operator dedicated to providing learning experiences that inspire the next generation of engineers, innovators, and problem solvers. Programs are designed for children in Pre-K through 8th grade and teach basic science, technology, engineering, and math skills along with social skills and collaboration skills. Consisting of after-school programs, evening classes, field trips, camps, workshops, and even birthday parties, EFK helps to emphasize the importance of learning engineering concepts at a young age. EFK currently has 75 franchisees in 37 different countries.

School is Easy ("SIE") is a tutoring franchise operator which offers online tutoring and in-home tutoring to students of all ages in subjects such as math, science, language studies, ESL, SAT prep, among others. Current franchise locations are in Canada and Dubai.

International Growth

Darryl Simsovic, CEO of LaunchLife stated: "We see so much opportunity to expand our footprint not only in the geographies we currently dominate, but globally in the English-speaking world. We feel that the team at Phoenix has the right skillset to help us chart out that expansion." Douglas Simsovic, President of LaunchLife added: "Our unique, proven curriculum delivery system lends itself so well to providing the same quality education anywhere in the world. We are very excited about the next phase of growth for LaunchLife."

"Not only is LaunchLife a great company with strong fundamentals, but we also believe it is fulfilling a very important mission in improving the lives of under-served students and the communities in which they live. Furthermore, in today's labour market, the emphasis on formal education is decreasing for many roles, while skills and hands-on experience are increasingly becoming the primary criteria for employers," said François Fauteux, Founder & Managing Partner at Phoenix Partners.

About Phoenix Partners

Established in 2012, Phoenix Partners is a private equity group focused on acquiring controlling interests in traditional and mid-market businesses. Relying on an experienced and complementary team of professionals with extensive experience in the acquisition and management of private and public businesses, financing and capital markets, Phoenix Partners allows its partner companies to reach new heights.  

https://www.phoenix-partners.ca/

SOURCE Phoenix Partners

Information for media representatives only: François Fauteux, Managing Partner, Phoenix Partners, Mobile: 514 703-0302, Email: [email protected]