Growth Investment Secured for Early Education Franchise Platform

Childcare Transactions
Written By Kathy Ligon

HINGE Early Education Advisors is honored to announce it has brokered a mission-aligned investment partnership for a dynamic early education franchise group. This deal brings an infusion of capital and resources to further expand a proven early learning model. 

“The platform’s founders have been very intentional with every decision they’ve made about their schools. They’ve taken equal care in finding the right strategic partner that will fuel their ability to provide new opportunities for young children, families, teachers, and school owners,” says HINGE Transaction Advisor Wes Simmons, who led the deal on the founders’ behalf.

A Deliberate Choice

The founders were no strangers to interest from outside buyers. Over the years, they fielded outreach from organizations about acquiring their schools but were never compelled to move forward. However, these inquiries and internal discussions sparked curiosity.

What was their organization actually worth? What could the future look like?

The founders were referred to HINGE by the CEO of one of the largest childcare organizations in the U.S. From their first meetings, they knew they had found the people they needed to answer those questions.

“We had an instant connection with the HINGE team. Our conversations, and everything that followed, felt effortless,” say the founders.

HINGE’s VALUE Workshop helps early education owners discover and maximize the true worth of their schools.

Exploring Options for the Future

That initial dialogue led the founders to HINGE’s VALUE Workshop, where they received an industry-specific valuation of their organization and sat down with Wes and HINGE Founder & CEO Kathy Ligon to review it in detail. The insight gave them a clear picture of the true worth of their business, ways to maximize that value, and the range of paths available to them — from continuing to grow independently to exploring a strategic partnership or finding a qualified successor.

“Once we walked through our valuation, we were pleasantly surprised and even more excited about the future,” they shared.

Not Just Any Partner

With a trusted valuation and a realistic understanding of their options, the founders recognized clear potential they hadn’t tapped into yet. They turned their attention to finding a partner who understood the industry and shared their vision for the organization’s future.

“Getting in front of the top leaders in early education is no easy feat. HINGE opened all the doors we needed,” the founders note.

HINGE Founder & CEO Kathy Ligon, Transaction Advisor Wes Simmons, Senior Financial Analyst Rusty Bailey, and Diligence Manager Melissa Davis strategically led the transaction process, protecting the founders’ best interests.

The HINGE team ran a confidential process, connecting the founders with a range of early education providers and investors. With serious interest from nearly 20 groups, HINGE guided the founders in evaluating each partner, their operating style, and deal terms, drawing on extensive industry experience and, in many cases, personal experience. This was the foundation of a thorough vetting and negotiation process, ultimately allowing the founders to choose a partner whose approach to education, culture, and growth most closely aligned with their own.

“We didn’t want just any partner. We wanted the right one. And we knew we couldn’t get there with just any advisor, either. HINGE brought us to the table with the most respected groups in the industry and led the process every step of the way, knowing what mattered most to us,” they add.

Rounding out the deal team behind this successful partnership were HINGE Senior Financial Analyst Rusty Bailey and Diligence Manager Melissa Davis, whose expertise was critical from valuation through closing.

Experience That Matters

HINGE Early Education Advisors is the most experienced advisory firm representing multi-site early childhood education organizations in major platform transactions. This partnership adds to a growing list of large-scale deals HINGE has led in recent years, including:

Every school’s story is different. If you’re thinking about bringing on a growth partner or planning for a future exit, our team at HINGE can help you explore your options. Contact us confidentially at any time!  

Kathy Ligon
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