Guardian Capital Partners (“Guardian”) is pleased to announce the sale of its portfolio company, Carson Dellosa Education (“Carson”), to IXL Learning (“IXL”), a leading subscription-based learning site for K–12. This partnership represents a significant step forward in Carson’s ongoing commitment to providing educators and families with the resources they need to help students reach their full potential.
Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, Carson is a leading provider of K-8 supplemental education content for parents, teachers, and students with an established portfolio of leading brands including Carson Dellosa Education®, Spectrum®, Summer Bridge®, Brighter Child®, and Rourke Educational Media - available at more than 10,000 retail locations. With 35+ years of experience in the consumer educational products market, Carson’s portfolio of digital and print workbooks, test-prep, hands-on learning materials, and classroom décor and resources allow parents and teachers to solve critical needs for K-8 students across the globe.
"We are delighted to partner with IXL Learning," said Kelly Stone Geer, CEO of Carson Dellosa Education. "IXL's commitment to personalized learning aligns perfectly with our mission of providing effective, engaging educational materials for all children. Together, we will be able to offer a broader range of resources that meet the individual needs of every student."
Scott Evans, Founding Partner at Guardian said, “IXL's innovative digital platform, combined with Carson's trusted educational resources, will provide a powerful solution for educators and parents alike. I am proud of the performance of the management team and look forward to seeing Carson’s future success under new ownership.”
The law firm Goodwin Procter LLP advised Guardian and Carson. Evercore served as financial advisor to IXL Learning in the transaction and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal counsel.
About Guardian Capital Partners
Guardian Capital Partners (“Guardian”) is an operationally focused private equity firm based in suburban Philadelphia. Guardian makes control investments in lower middle market consumer, niche manufacturing, and specialty business services companies. Guardian partners with management teams to provide equity capital to fuel the growth of privately held businesses. Guardian believes the private equity experience and complementary skill sets of the Guardian team provide a unique combination of operating and finance capabilities resulting in certainty of execution and meaningful long-term value creation for its portfolio companies. For more information about Guardian Capital Partners, visit www.guardiancp.com.
About IXL Learning
IXL Learning has revolutionized educational technology since its founding in 1998. Today, the company leads the world of education through innovation and provides a diverse set of products and services that help learners develop skills in math, literacy, language, and more. IXL Learning's brands include IXL, Rosetta Stone, Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, SpanishDictionary.com, ingles.com, FrenchDictionary.com, Emmersion, Wyzant, Vocabulary.com, TPT, ABCya, Education.com, and Carson Dellosa Education. The company's mission is to create breakthrough solutions to education's most pressing challenges and inspire students to become life-long learners. Discover how IXL Learning's products are shaping the future of education by visiting https://www.ixl.com.
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Contacts
Scott Evans
Guardian Capital Partners
sevans@guardiancp.com
