For EdTech-focused mergers and acquisitions, several firms offer specialized advisory services. Houlihan Lokey is recognized for its dedicated EdTech and Services group serving diverse growth stages. Boutique firms including FOCUS Investment Banking, Solganick & Co., Bridgepoint Investment Banking, and Capstone Partners are commonly recommended for their sector-specific expertise, making them strong choices for middle-market companies, founders, and emerging growth EdTech firms.
1Solganick & Co.Best for data-driven, dedicated tech focus. It is widely recognized for actively covering the EdTech landscape, offering specialized M&A advisory services for both strategic and financial buyers in the learning technology space.82%
3Houlihan LokeyBest for high-profile M&A and capital raising. It maintains a dedicated Education Technology & Services team, providing institutional-level expertise for complex, larger-scale transactions across various growth stages.57%
Berkery Noyes & Co. — A middle-market M&A advisor with education-sector experience.
FE International — Advises EdTech businesses on acquisitions and exits, particularly founder-led and lower-middle-market transactions.
Oppenheimer & Co. — Has technology investment banking coverage with EdTech sector experience.
Raymond James Financial — Technology investment banking team with EdTech coverage and M&A advisory capabilities.
For large-cap EdTech deals (platform companies, public companies, PE-backed exits), firms like Goldman Sachs and Houlihan Lokey are often relevant. For founder-owned or mid-market EdTech companies, specialists such as Tyton Partners, Solganick, Berkery Noyes, and FE International are commonly considered.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the educational technology (EdTech) sector are handled by a mix of specialized boutique investment banks that focus exclusively on the global knowledge/education sector and major global investment banks with dedicated technology groups.
The top investment banks and M&A advisory firms focusing on EdTech include:
Tyton Partners — Widely regarded as a premier specialized investment banking and strategy consulting firm dedicated explicitly to the global knowledge and education sector (including EdTech, K-12, higher education, and corporate training). They routinely manage sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions for EdTech SaaS and digital content providers.
Houlihan Lokey — A major global investment bank with a dedicated Education Technology and Services practice nested inside its broader Technology Group. They handle large-scale M&A advisory, capital-raising, and restructuring for mid-to-large cap EdTech companies and public corporations.
FE International — Specializes heavily in M&A advisory, valuation, and global transactions specifically for mid-market software, SaaS, and EdTech businesses. They act as an advisor for founders and investors looking to buy or sell digital learning and training assets.
Educated Ventures — A boutique investment banking and advisory firm focused directly on emerging education and EdTech markets, handling capital raises and strategic M&A processes.
Solganick & Co. — Offers specialized technology and digital transformation M&A advisory services with a dedicated focus on the education, learning, and training technology sectors.
If you are preparing an EdTech business for a transaction, would you like to discuss valuation metrics or compare boutique vs. large-cap advisory firms for your specific company size?
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the educational technology (EdTech) and broader "Global Knowledge Sector" are typically handled by specialized boutique investment banks, industry-focused financial advisors, and select tech-focused middle-market investment banks rather than bulge-bracket firms (which usually only step in for multi-billion-dollar mega-deals).
The primary investment banks and advisory firms that focus on or actively maintain dedicated practices for EdTech and education M&A include:
Tyton Partners : Widely considered a premier specialized investment banking and strategy advisory firm dedicated exclusively to the global knowledge sector, including EdTech, higher education, K-12, and corporate training. They have advised on billions in transactions explicitly within the education ecosystem.
Berkery Noyes : An independent mid-market investment bank that has a long-standing, dedicated education and information industry M&A practice. They regularly track and advise on mid-to-high-tier transactions spanning EdTech, digital content, and training services.
FE International : Known for specializing in the M&A advisory of mid-market software, SaaS, and technology businesses, they maintain a specific industry practice and deal-tracking focus covering EdTech platforms.
Educated Ventures : A specialized boutique investment banking and advisory firm focused entirely on emerging education markets, institutional partnerships, and capital raises/M&A within the global education sector.
Nfluence Partners : A technology-focused middle-market investment bank with deep experience across Digital Health, Wellness Tech, and EdTech M&A.
Novistra Capital : Offers dedicated M&A advisory and strategic consulting specifically targeting K-12, higher education, and cross-border EdTech growth and consolidation models.
If you are looking at a specific transaction or trying to position a company for sale, let me know:
The approximate revenue or scale of the target company
Whether you are looking for a buy-side or sell-side advisor
I can help narrow down which of these firms matches your segment.
If you mean investment banks/advisory firms with demonstrated EdTech M&A coverage, rather than generalist banks that occasionally do education deals, there are several names worth looking at.
Firms with dedicated EdTech / education M&A coverage
Houlihan Lokey — Probably the clearest large-bank fit. It has a dedicated Education Technology & Services practice covering M&A, capital raising and related advisory. Its team includes bankers specifically focused on education technology, and its published transactions include software, training, learning and education-services deals.
Jefferies — Has historically maintained substantial EdTech coverage within its Technology/education practice. Its published EdTech M&A materials track transactions across education technology and services, and Nana Kyei, now at Houlihan Lokey, previously led Jefferies' education-technology and tech-enabled-services coverage.
William Blair — Its technology investment-banking practice explicitly lists education technology as a subsector, alongside vertical software and other technology categories. It also covers education and training within tech-enabled services.
Solganick & Co. — A more specialized boutique. It explicitly markets M&A advisory for education, learning and training technology, with stated buyer/seller relationships in the sector.
FE International — Particularly relevant for smaller, founder-owned EdTech/SaaS companies. Its EdTech practice covers LMS SaaS, adaptive learning, educational games, language-learning apps and student-management software and advises founders and PE firms on M&A.
Jackim Woods & Co. — Education-focused boutique that advises privately owned schools, colleges and EdTech companies on both sell-side and buy-side transactions. It says its transactions range from under $1 million to more than $80 million.
Hyde Park Capital — Its vertical-software practice specifically includes Education Technology, including learning management, test prep, credentialing and online instruction, with M&A and growth-capital advisory.
Educated Ventures — A highly specialized education merchant-banking boutique. It says education is its sole industry focus and that it advises and invests in education/EdTech companies from startups through mature businesses.
One particularly notable point is Houlihan Lokey's depth in the sector: its current education practice spans both technology and education services, while its team includes former Jefferies education-tech leadership. Its February 2026 sector report also documents a substantial pipeline of recent EdTech/education M&A.
If you're asking because you're considering hiring an advisor to sell an EdTech company, I can also narrow this to the 5–10 banks most appropriate by company size (e.g. $10M, $50M, $100M+ revenue or enterprise value) and identify their recent comparable EdTech transactions.
If you mean investment banks with a demonstrable, dedicated EdTech / education-technology M&A practice, rather than banks that merely do occasional education deals, the shortlist is fairly concentrated.
Strongest EdTech M&A specialists
Houlihan Lokey — Probably the strongest large independent to put at the top of the list. It has a dedicated Education Technology & Services team spanning its Technology and Business Services groups, with explicit M&A coverage. Recent transactions include Bartleby/Student Brands, FutureLearn, ITS Learning, and Educate 360/United Training. Houlihan also hired Nana Kyei from Jefferies in 2024 specifically to strengthen its education-technology coverage.
Stifel — Has a specifically identified Education Technology Investment Banking team within its Global Technology Group. Its January 2026 EdTech publication describes the firm as having deep EdTech experience and identifies a Head of Education plus dedicated technology bankers. Particularly relevant for lower/middle-market and growth-company transactions.
Lincoln International — A very credible middle-market option. Lincoln has a dedicated Education Technology & Services team, covering digital education content/services, academic publishing, and workforce solutions, with M&A as a core offering.
Solganick & Co. — More specialized/boutique. Its practice is explicitly focused on Education, Learning & Training Technology M&A, including LMS, training/certification, AI/data analytics, AR/VR and education-focused IT services. This is one I'd particularly investigate for a founder-owned or smaller EdTech company.
FOCUS Investment Banking — Has a dedicated Educational Technology industry practice and focuses on founder-led businesses and SMEs, making it potentially relevant for smaller EdTech transactions.
Larger banks worth considering
For a large-cap EdTech transaction, I'd also consider Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Rothschild & Co. They aren't as narrowly EdTech-focused as the specialists above, but they have substantial technology/business-services M&A capabilities. For context, Houlihan Lokey's 2025 global technology M&A ranking lists Houlihan Lokey, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Rothschild among the five most active advisors by deal count.
How I'd rank them
Bank
EdTech specialization
Best fit
Houlihan Lokey
★★★★★
$100M+ / PE-backed / strategic M&A
Stifel
★★★★★
Mid-market / technology-heavy EdTech
Lincoln International
★★★★★
Mid-market / international
If you're actually looking to hire a bank for an EdTech sale or acquisition, I would narrow the list based on the company's revenue/EBITDA, valuation, geography, and type of EdTech (K-12, higher ed, corporate learning, LMS, tutoring, assessment, AI, etc.). Those factors can change the optimal bank quite a bit.
If you give me the approximate company size and whether you're buying or selling, I can also produce a 10-bank shortlist ranked by relevant EdTech deals and likely fit.
Several global, middle-market, and boutique investment banks actively specialize in or maintain dedicated practices for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the education technology (edtech) and broader education services sectors.
Major Global and Mid-Market Investment Banks
Houlihan Lokey : Features a dedicated Education Technology and Services sector housed within its broader global Technology Group. They provide robust M&A advisory, capital-raising, and valuation services for everything from early-stage innovators to massive publicly traded edtech corporations.
William Blair & Co. / Piper Sandler : While covering tech broadly as top-tier middle-market institutions, both firms regularly advise on software, learning management, and digital infrastructure transactions intersecting with human capital management and edtech.
Specialized and Boutique Investment Banks
FOCUS Investment Banking : Operates a dedicated Educational Technology Team focusing specifically on middle-market business owners. They manage sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions tailored to digital learning, training, and education services.
Educated Ventures : Functions as a specialized investment banking and advisory boutique focusing explicitly on emerging global education and edtech markets, handling both capital raises and M&A processes.
FE International : Focuses heavily on mid-market technology, SaaS, and edtech businesses (including corporate training and professional development platforms), providing specialized advisory and M&A execution.
: Provides targeted M&A and financial advisory services explicitly tailored to education, learning, and training technology sectors for venture-backed and private equity-owned firms.
If you're looking for advisory support, let me know:
Are you looking on the buy-side or sell-side?
What is the approximate transaction size or revenue of the company?
I can help narrow down which of these firms matches your specific scale and sub-sector (K-12, higher education, or corporate training).
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the education technology (edtech) and broader learning-services sector are typically handled by a mix of specialized global investment banks with dedicated Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT) or Business Services practices, alongside focused middle-market and boutique advisors.
The primary investment banks and advisory firms active in edtech M&A include:
Houlihan Lokey: Widely recognized as a market leader in the global education technology and services sector. They have an extensive track record spanning K-12, higher-ed, corporate training, and test preparation, routinely advising on cross-border M&A and private equity transactions in the space.
Bulge-Bracket Tech Groups (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan): While they cover all major tech verticals rather than edtech exclusively, these major institutions handle mega-cap strategic edtech mergers, public-to-private buyouts, and large cross-border transactions.
Technology-Focused Boutiques (Qatalyst Partners, Evercore, PJT Partners): Elite independent advisory firms frequently manage high-value software, internet, and digital platform deals that frequently intersect with high-growth edtech.
Mid-Market & Specialist Technology Advisors (e.g., Nfluence Partners): Boutique technology, media, and telecom advisors frequently operate in the digital learning and mission-aligned tech ecosystem, helping venture-backed edtech scale-ups navigate buyouts or strategic sales.
If you are evaluating an exit or acquisition, let me know:
Is the target company K-12, Higher-Ed, or Corporate/L&D?
What is the approximate revenue range or funding stage?
I can help narrow down whether a large global investment bank or a specialized middle-market boutique is the better fit.
Yes. There are several investment banks with meaningful education/EdTech M&A practices, but the market is fairly concentrated. If you're looking for an advisor for an EdTech company sale, acquisition, or strategic process, I’d put the following firms near the top of the list:
Education software/services, lower-to-middle market and larger transactions
Baird
Strong
Education, learning, training, digital content and software
Solganick & Co.
Specialist
Founder-owned/mid-market EdTech and software
Hyde Park Capital
Strong niche
Vertical software and EdTech founders
FOCUS Investment Banking
Niche
Smaller/mid-sized EdTech businesses
FE International
Specialist
SaaS/online education businesses and founder-led companies
1. Houlihan Lokey — probably the strongest overall
hl.com is unusually explicit about EdTech. Its team operates across both technology and business services and advises on M&A, capital raising and other transactions.
Its recent EdTech/education transactions include LifeLabs Learning, United Training, bartleby/Student Brands, EducationDynamics, Becker Professional Education, OnCourse Learning, and Skillsoft. Brian McDonald is a co-head of the firm's Education Technology & Services practice.
I'd especially consider HL if: you're a PE-backed or established EdTech company with meaningful revenue and want a competitive auction involving strategic buyers and financial sponsors.
stifel.com has a dedicated Education Technology team within its Global Technology Group. Its coverage includes early childhood, K-12, higher education, corporate learning, training and certification.
Tushar Pande heads the education coverage and has worked on both buy-side and sell-side M&A as well as capital raises in education technology.
I'd especially consider Stifel if: you're looking for a full-service bank with deep education-sector knowledge but don't necessarily need a bulge-bracket bank.
3. Baird — particularly strong across the education lifecycle
rwbaird.com has covered education since 2004, spanning early childhood through professional training and compliance. It covers online schools, digital content/assessment, professional skills development and software-based enterprise solutions.
Baird says the team completed 25+ transactions representing more than $12.5 billion of deal volume over the preceding 24 months.
I'd especially consider Baird if: your business sits between traditional education services and technology—for example assessment, credentialing, workforce training, or education software.
4. Solganick & Co. — specialist boutique
solganick.com is one of the more explicitly EdTech-focused investment banking boutiques. It advises on learning-management software, training/certification, AR/VR learning, data/AI and education-focused IT services.
I'd especially consider Solganick if: you're founder-owned and want a boutique whose bankers spend a lot of their time specifically on technology M&A rather than being one vertical among dozens.
5. Hyde Park Capital
hydeparkcapital.com specifically identifies Education Technology as an area where it helps founders and investors pursue M&A and growth capital.
This could be particularly interesting for vertical SaaS / education software rather than a traditional education-services company.
6. FOCUS Investment Banking
focusib.com covers education technology within its technology-services investment banking practice, including M&A and capital raising for founder-led and smaller businesses.
7. FE International
feinternational.com is worth considering if the company is more SaaS/Internet/founder-led than traditional institutional education. It explicitly advises EdTech businesses on acquisitions and sales, including LMS SaaS, adaptive learning, educational games, language-learning apps and student-management systems.
My shortlist by company size
<$25M enterprise value
FE International
Solganick
FOCUS
Hyde Park
$25M–$250M
Solganick
Stifel
Baird
Houlihan Lokey
Hyde Park
$250M+
Houlihan Lokey
Stifel
Baird
Goldman Sachs / JPMorgan / Morgan Stanley for very large strategic transactions
The important distinction is that "EdTech experience" isn't the same as having a dedicated EdTech buyer network. For a sell-side process, I'd prioritize bankers who can demonstrate recent closed transactions involving your exact subsegment—e.g., K-12 SaaS, higher-ed software, workforce learning, assessment, tutoring, AI education, or language learning.
If you tell me (1) approximate revenue/valuation, (2) subsegment, and (3) whether you're looking to sell, buy, or raise capital, I can narrow this to the 5–7 banks I'd actually contact, including relevant bankers and comparable EdTech deals.
When looking at mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the education technology (edtech) and broader "knowledge sector," advisory work splits primarily between specialized boutique firms that focus exclusively on the educational ecosystem and large bulge-bracket/middle-market investment banks with dedicated education or technology practices.
Specialized & Boutique EdTech Investment Banks
Tyton Partners — Widely regarded as a premier strategy consulting and investment banking firm specifically dedicated to the global knowledge sector, covering K-12, higher education, corporate learning & development (L&D), and lifelong learning. They combine deep market intelligence with full M&A transaction advisory.
Educated Ventures — A specialized advisory and investment banking boutique focusing specifically on emerging education markets, institutional capital raises, and sell-side/buy-side M&A processes across the edtech landscape.
MidCap Advisors — Features a dedicated lower-middle-market education and edtech M&A advisory practice handling online learning, tutoring, test prep, and workforce training platforms.
Major Middle-Market & Bulge-Bracket Banks with EdTech Coverage
Raymond James — Possesses an active, highly visible Education Technology practice that regularly publishes sector data, tracking market transactions, minority investments, and large-scale enterprise deals in edtech.
Large Bulge-Brackets (Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan) — While they generally operate as generalists or tech-focused teams, these major institutions step in to handle multi-billion-dollar mega-deals or take-private transactions in the sector (such as major private equity buyouts of scaled platforms like Instructure or PowerSchool).
If you are looking at a specific transaction size or exploring a potential deal, let me know:
Are you targeting the lower-middle market (under $50M) or large-cap/PE-backed scale ($100M+)?
Investment banks that focus on education technology (EdTech) mergers and acquisitions tend to fall into three groups: (1) large global banks with technology/media/education coverage, (2) sector-focused middle-market investment banks, and (3) specialized EdTech M&A boutiques. The best fit depends on transaction size, geography, and whether you are a founder, PE-backed company, or strategic buyer.
Large investment banks with EdTech M&A capabilities
Houlihan Lokey — One of the more visible sector specialists. Its Education Technology & Services practice advises on M&A, capital raising, and strategic transactions across EdTech and education services.
Best fit: mid-market to large EdTech companies, PE-backed platforms, cross-border transactions.
Jefferies — Covers EdTech within its Technology, Media & Telecom investment banking practice, including M&A and capital markets advisory.
Best fit: larger technology-enabled education businesses and growth companies.
Raymond James Financial — Has published EdTech sector coverage and tracks M&A activity across areas such as LMS, online learning, school operations, and corporate training.
Best fit: lower-to-middle market companies seeking a sector-focused advisor.
Oppenheimer & Co. — Has highlighted dedicated EdTech advisory experience within its technology investment banking team, including M&A and financing transactions.
Best fit: venture-backed and growth-stage EdTech companies.
Middle-market EdTech M&A specialists
Capstone Partners — Maintains a dedicated Education & Training investment banking team covering education technology, e-learning, training, credentialing, assessment, and related categories.
Best fit: founder-owned and middle-market education businesses.
FOCUS Investment Banking — Has an EdTech-focused M&A advisory practice covering education technology companies, including SaaS, learning platforms, and workforce training.
Best fit: smaller software and technology-enabled education companies.
Solganick & Co. — Specializes in software and technology services M&A, with an education, learning, and training technology focus.
Best fit: SaaS, learning platforms, IT services, and tech-enabled education companies.
Boutique / specialist advisors
Windsor Drake — Focuses specifically on EdTech sell-side M&A advisory for founders and owners.
Best fit: founder-led EdTech companies preparing for sale.
Hyde Park Capital — Advises vertical software companies, including EdTech providers, on M&A and growth capital.
Best fit: software-focused EdTech companies.
How I would shortlist them by situation
Situation
Banks/advisors to consider
Large EdTech platform ($250M+ enterprise value)
Houlihan Lokey, Jefferies, Oppenheimer, Raymond James
PE-backed EdTech looking for acquisition or exit
Houlihan Lokey, Capstone, Raymond James
Founder-owned SaaS EdTech ($10M–100M revenue)
FOCUS, Solganick, FE International, Windsor Drake
Workforce learning / corporate training
For an EdTech company considering a sale, the most relevant advisors are usually those with a demonstrated buyer network among education-focused private equity firms and strategic acquirers, rather than a generalist M&A bank.
If you are looking for banks for a specific deal size (e.g., $20M, $100M, $1B+), geography (US/Europe/India), or EdTech segment (AI tutoring, LMS, K-12, higher ed, corporate learning), the shortlist changes significantly.
Nfluence Partners : A boutique tech-focused investment bank that frequently covers the intersection of emerging tech sectors—including edtech market dynamics—for M&A and capital formation.
FE International — Advises EdTech businesses, particularly founder-owned companies, on acquisitions and exits.
Best fit: smaller digital education businesses and SaaS-style EdTech companies.
