EdTech News: Clearlake Capital-Backed Discovery Education to Acquire DreamBox Learning

This news might be of interest to some readers, particularly those engaged in blended learning.

Good Morning! I wanted to share some news with you that will be of great interest to your readers. Today, Discovery Education, a global education technology company backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. — which serves 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide — announced the acquisition of DreamBox Learning. The creators of the award-winning DreamBox Learning Math and Reading services, DreamBox Learning is currently used by 600,000 educators and 6 million students. You can read the full press release HERE.

Discovery Education CEO Jeremy Cowdrey and DreamBox Learning CEO Jessie Woolley-Wilson are available to interview with you about what this means for students and teachers, their respective companies, and for the edtech industry. If you are interested in interviewing Jeremy and Jessie about those topics or if you need anything else to cover this story, please feel free to reach out to me directly at swakefield@discoveryed.com.

Discovery Education Press Release 
For Immediate Distribution: 8/29/2023 

Clearlake Capital-Backed Discovery Education to Acquire DreamBox Learning  

Latest Acquisition Will Expand Discovery Education’s Solution Suite Supporting Math and Reading

Charlotte, NC (August 29, 2023)—Discovery Education, a global education technology company backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Clearlake”), today announced it has agreed to acquire DreamBox Learning®, a PK-12 education technology provider serving more than 6 million students and 600,000 educators nationwide. DreamBox Learning’s current investors Elliott Investment Management L.P. and TPG’s The Rise Fund will retain minority stakes in the company.  Financial terms were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Bellevue, WA, DreamBox Learning offers the only dual-discipline solution rated “Strong” by Johns Hopkins University’s evidenceforESSA.org in both mathematics and reading. Through its high-quality adaptive learning solutions independently proven to accelerate student growth, DreamBox Learning empowers educators with data analytics and content-specific professional development solutions to complement instruction.

“Discovery Education is excited to welcome DreamBox Learning, a brand synonymous with quality, research-based math and reading edtech solutions to our growing family of services,” said Discovery Education Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Cowdrey. “Combining an expertise in learning science with adaptive, effective instructional solutions, DreamBox Learning’s solutions can help students excel regardless of who they are or where they live. Through this latest acquisition, Discovery Education is better positioned to broaden its impact on student success by providing our existing network of partner school systems access to DreamBox Learning’s collection of supplemental math, reading, and professional learning solutions.”

The acquisition of DreamBox Learning supports Discovery Education’s mission to prepare learners for tomorrow by creating innovative classrooms connected to today’s world. DreamBox Learning’s products complement Discovery Education’s other successful digital solutions, which include Discovery Education Experience, the company’s award-winning K-12 platform, the Techbook series of digital textbooks, Mystery Science, and more, in supporting student achievement.

The acquisition of DreamBox Learning comes at a time when school districts are seeking comprehensive, yet consolidated platforms to address a wide range of core and supplemental learning needs, backed by research that underscores meaningful gains in achievement. The addition of DreamBox Learning’s intelligent adaptive learning technology to the Discovery Education suite will provide educators and students with more options for engaging, personalized learning experiences across a variety of disciplines.

“DreamBox Learning was founded in 2006 with the mission to transform the way the world learns through our pioneering intelligent adaptive learning technology, and today’s announcement represents a significant next step to achieving that mission. Building upon our existing math and reading solutions, we can now leverage Discovery Education’s highly scalable global footprint to reach more students and deepen our partnerships with educators around the world,” said Jessie Woolley-Wilson, President and CEO of DreamBox Learning.

DreamBox Learning will be Discovery Education’s most recent acquisition, joining Pivot Interactives and DoodleLearning, which were acquired in August of 2022, and Mystery Science, which was acquired in 2020.

Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to Discovery Education. Moelis & Company LLC acted as lead financial advisor and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as legal advisor to DreamBox Learning on the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023, pending customary regulatory approval and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.

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About Discovery Education

Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

About Clearlake

Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit, and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with experienced management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm’s core target sectors are technology, consumer, and industrials. Clearlake currently has over $70 billion of assets under management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 400 investments. The firm is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA with affiliates in Dallas, TX, London, UK, Dublin, Ireland, and Singapore. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @Clearlake.

 

Contact 

Stephen Wakefield for Discovery Education Phone: 202-316-6615 Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com

Jennifer Hurson for Clearlake Phone: 845-507-0571 Email: jhurson@lambert.com

This email was sent to mkbarbour@gmail.com
Discovery Education, 4350 Congress St, UNIT 700, Charlotte, NC 28209, USA