KKR Invests in MasterD to Support Skills and Professional Development in Spain
Investment is part of KKR’s Global Impact strategy, helping deliver commercial solutions to social and sustainability challenges
KKR, a leading global investment firm, and MasterD, the leading vocational training company in Spain, announced an agreement for KKR to acquire a majority stake in MasterD. MasterDs’s founder, Luis Gomez, and management team will reinvest alongside KKR. Further financial details are not disclosed.
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Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Zaragoza, MasterD provides over 280 courses to more than 50,000 learners annually in Spain and Portugal through its proprietary online virtual learning platform, accessible to all students and professors, as well as in-person and hybrid training available across 36 locations. These courses cover vocational training and professional certifications for the private sector and preparation for examinations focused on the public sector across a range of departments.
The market for professional and public sector examinations and skills training has seen strong growth over the past few years in response to rising demand for training and professional qualifications in Spain, as the country seeks to address the challenges of unemployment and a skills gap, particularly among young people. Re-skilling and professional education are key policy priorities, both for graduates who may lack technical qualifications and for non-graduates who are seeking a clearer path towards employment. MasterD’s offering helps support learners at all stages of their professional and educational development who want to improve their job or career prospects.
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The investment in MasterD is the second in Europe by the KKR Global Impact fund, following its investment in the UK’s leading recycling and responsible waste management company Viridor. KKR’s Global Impact strategy is focused on generating risk-adjusted returns by investing in companies that contribute toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). As a provider of vocational education and professional training MasterD helps narrow the skills gap in Spain, promotes equal and affordable access to education by offering flexible financing options to its students, and as a result significantly increases probability of employment. MasterD’s business directly contributes toward SDG #4 (Quality Education) and SDG #8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
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