Eureka Education Group has acquired Knovia Group from Sovereign Capital

Knovia Group

Knovia Group (Knovia) is one of the UK’s leading apprenticeship providers operating a portfolio of specialist, market-leading brands including Paragon Skills, Shaping Lives, Tempdent and Babington. The group currently supports more than 14,000 apprenticeship learners across high-demand and priority sectors including adult care, early years education and dentistry, alongside data, HR, accountancy and wider professional programs.

Led by CEO Mark Botha since 2015 and with backing from Sovereign Capital Partners, the business works with many of the UK’s largest employers, including the NHS and UK government departments, delivering high-quality, outcomes-focused training aligned with national skills needs.

The Deal

The acquisition marks Eureka Education Group’s (Eureka) first acquisition in the UK and creates a group supporting more than 46,000 learners, positioning Eureka as one of the largest professional and vocational training platforms in Europe, with a growing footprint in France, Spain and the UK.

Patrick Destang, Eureka’s CEO, commented, “Knovia is a highly attractive platform in the UK market with a real focus on quality and achieving the highest Ofsted ratings, combining strong brands, expertise and a proven management team. We are excited to support Mark and his team in accelerating Knovia’s long-term growth.”

Our Perspective

Edward Lethbridge, Lincoln International Managing Director who led the transaction, commented, “As keen followers of the sector, we were delighted to support Eureka with this important transaction. We started by identifying and meeting with a number of the best businesses in the UK market. Among them was Knovia Group, whom we have long admired and were confident would share a strong cultural alignment. Working closely with the management teams and shareholders of both businesses, we were able to conduct bilateral negotiations to bring together these two highly professional and ambitious organizations.”

Eureka Education Group

Eureka Education Group is a leading provider of professional education across France and Switzerland, with a network of more than 130 campuses supporting around 30,000 learners each year. The group offers an extensive portfolio of apprenticeship and training programs spanning sectors such as beauty, real estate, sales, tourism and computer science. Following a successful period under Abenex, Eureka was acquired by Naxicap Partners in 2020 and has since continued its strong growth through a dynamic buy-and-build strategy.

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