Latham Advises Oakley Capital on IU Group Continuation Fund Transaction

Latham & Watkins has advised Oakley Capital (Oakley) on a continuation fund transaction to extend its partnership with IU Group (IU), the largest and fastest growing university in Germany and a global leader in education technology. Oakley’s continuation fund, backed by investors including TPG GP Solutions, HarbourVest Partners, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Glendower Capital, and Pantheon, is acquiring the business alongside Oakley Capital Fund V from Oakley Capital Fund III.

Oakley’s continued ownership and control of IU in combination with the leadership team running the business will ensure the long-term delivery of the Group’s vision to democratize education globally.

Oakley’s renewed partnership will drive the next phase of IU's growth, with continued growth in existing markets, accelerated internationalization driven by organic growth, and acquisitions in key geographies.

IU is also leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence as the first global university to deploy an AI-powered teaching assistant across its English programs in order to enhance the individual learning journey for students.

The Latham team was led by Munich partners Burc Hesse and Stephan Hufnagel, with associate Chris Freitag. Advice was also provided on tax matters by Munich partner Ulf Kieker; on antitrust matters by Frankfurt partner Max Hauser; on regulatory matters by Frankfurt counsel Joachim Grittmann, with associate Alexander Wilhelm; on employment matters by Munich counsel Florian Dehmel, with associate Christian Strauß; on IP matters by Frankfurt partner Susan Kempe-Müller, with associates Pia Sösemann and Daniela Jaeger; and on real estate matters by Frankfurt counsel Sven Nickel.