ACE Education

Sector

Education

Fund

Origin Fund

Year

2021

Location

France / Spain

Status

Current

ACE Education is a leading European higher education platform focused on sports management, design, fashion and hospitality.

Key facts

Campuses

30+

across Europe

Students

5,500+

in higher education

Schools

key verticals

ACE is a diversified higher education group with over 30 campuses in France and abroad and over 5,500 students.

The business operates under four brands

AMOS

AMOS is the leading French sports management business school.

ESBS

ESBS is a sports management school based in Valencia, Spain.

ESDAC

ESDAC A leading French design school group.

CMH

CMH is a heritage international luxury hospitality and tourism school.

Our investment

Fund III first invested in ACE in 2017 through the platform acquisition of AMOS, the leading business school in France solely focused on sports management. Since then, the group has been transformed via three bolt-on acquisitions and five new campus openings.

Oakley reinvested in the business in 2021 alongside Groupe Amaury and ACE’s founder Patrick Touati to benefit from the business’ strong future growth potential as well as from the significant strategic and commercial benefits Amaury can bring as a prominent stakeholder in the French sports industry.

Market dynamics

ACE has established a strong position in the higher education market, a fast-growing market with high barriers to entry and limited cyclical risk. Because of the fragmented market, there is an attractive opportunity for further buy-and-build.

ACE has a rich pipeline of investment opportunities and recently acquired EIDM, one of France’s leading Fashion Business & Styling schools to further diversify its business and train students in the business of Fashion and Luxury, a major industry in Europe with strong, long-term growth prospects.