Harvest Partners has announced the completion of a majority acquisition of The Learning Experience (TLE) by funds managed by Harvest from Golden Gate Capital.
Based in Deerfield Beach, Florida, TLE is a premier provider of early childhood education for children aged six weeks to six years. The management team, led by Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Richard Weissman, will continue to lead TLE and maintain significant ownership of the company. Golden Gate will retain a minority interest in the Company as part of this transaction. Additional terms were not disclosed.
Established in 2001, The Learning Experience is a leading franchisor and operator of early childhood education schools, with a rapidly expanding network of over 430 locations in the U.S. and the U.K. And TLE provides state-of-the-art educational facilities and a proprietary curriculum designed to develop core academic and life skills in children, preparing them for success in kindergarten and beyond.
Along with its in-center education, TLE enhances learning outside of the classroom through its original intellectual property, Bubbles and Friends—a vibrant ensemble of characters that bring education to life with engaging, age-appropriate content. And this acclaimed edutainment platform includes original music, animated videos, and an interactive digital app, all crafted to reinforce TLE’s curriculum and promote joyful, play-based learning both at home and on the go. Cherished by children and parents alike, Bubbles and Friends supports continuous learning and strengthens the emotional connection to TLE’s mission.
Harris Williams served as financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison served as legal advisor to Golden Gate and TLE. Ropes & Gray and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisors to Harvest.
KEY QUOTES:
“We have been pursuing early childhood education as a priority sector for several years and believe TLE is a premier platform in the industry. TLE’s unique brand, proprietary curriculum, and strong operational support are highly valued by parents and franchisees alike. We are excited to partner with the Company through its next phase of growth.”
Nicholas Romano, Partner at Harvest
“We are thrilled to partner with Richard and the entire TLE team. We believe they have built an exceptional company, and we look forward to providing additional financial and strategic resources to support TLE’s growth initiatives in the coming years.”
Michael DeFlorio, CEO and Partner at Harvest
“From the beginning, our mission at The Learning Experience has been to positively impact the lives of children and their families. We are incredibly proud of what our team and franchisees have built in partnership with Golden Gate Capital, and we’re even more excited to begin our next chapter with Harvest, scaling our impact to even greater heights. As a management team, we’ve worked with several private equity partners over the past 20 years and have consistently generated strong performance. I’m confident that this next phase of growth with Harvest will take the company to new heights—while never losing sight of what matters most: the children and families we serve.”
Richard Weissman
“We are grateful to Richard and his team for their exemplary vision, leadership, and partnership. Over the course of our investment, TLE has more than tripled systemwide sales and expanded internationally and digitally via its proprietary Bubbles and Friends content. TLE has differentiated itself as one of the fastest growing and highest rated early childhood education providers in the country. We look forward to supporting TLE’s continued growth alongside Harvest Partners.”
Mike Montgomery, a Managing Director with Golden Gate Capital
